I would like to say

mscsrjhm · Apr 17, 2008

!!!!!

After instructing an LPN student re PICC flushing and dressing change, her instructor called me aside to inform me that LPNs could not touch IVs, per nurse practice act. We immediately googled the info for her- she was shocked. As a new instructor, she had been informed by a "friend" re LPN Nurse Practice Act and had not looked up the info herself.

(Nice lady and good instructor- she was just overwhelmed.)

Glad you had a good week.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Apr 18, 2008

"Thank You". This has been my first full week on the floor as a LPN. And the place and the people I work with are fantastic. What I love the most is there is NO hang up on LPN/RN thing. And today we have students (RN) come to the floor and one of the students was assigned to a LPN (this is their first clinical round) and the student went to the instructor and said " the Nurse you assigned me to is JUST a LPN", I was so happy to hear the instructor tell the student she was going to have to stop - that, that LPN is a NURSE and she can learn a lot from us.
It felt so good to heat that - and I am sooooo happy I got a job somewhere where we all seem to get along, and I got my FIRST paycheck as a Nurse today and it made my day!!!!!!!

I am estatic to hear that the instructor advocated for LPNs. This student is starting out and has NO nursing background. How dare she question an experienced nurse, LPN or otherwise??

I had a similar experience where we have BSN students come to our clinics, and the instructor asked me (my charge nurse was not around) who I was, because she wanted to leave a student with us, and I said "I am a nurse-an LPN" and she said "You ARE a NURSE...please allow me to leave this student here so that he can learn". He had a great experience with me...told me that most other nurses (not sure if they were LPNs or RNs) did not make time for him at all. Another time, I came to work late, and another BSN student from the same college was sitting with a very, very busy RN, and she asked me to orient him...told him "Believe me, you will be in GOOD hands" and he complimented my style when it was time for him to leave. At the end of the semester, the clinical instructor came to me and thanked me for taking time out to teach her students, that most of them raved at how much they felt I helped them.

ALL nurses are part of a team and we should not try to destroy, demean or undermind each other. This is how we get the job done. I am glad to hear that you are being treated as an equal. :nurse:

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Apr 18, 2008

we immediately googled the info for her- she was shocked. as a new instructor, she had been informed by a "friend" re lpn nurse practice act and had not looked up the info herself.

a nursing instructor, even a new one, doesn't know what her students can and can't do....puhleeassee :uhoh3: she wouldn't be required to look up anything, all of that info is provided and listening to a "friend".

respectfully...that doesn't make any sense at all.

MzMouse · Apr 18, 2008

Wow, what a great post! I am so happy for you working on such a great floor. :nuke:

Woo Hoo for that nursing instructor!! :bow:

Miss Mab · Apr 18, 2008

This student is starting out and has NO nursing background. How dare she question an experienced nurse, LPN or otherwise??
IALL nurses are part of a team and we should not try to destroy, demean or undermind each other. This is how we get the job done. .

I'm just gonna hope this will be accepted as coming with no ill intent or any negative personal bias 'cause it's reallllllly not,

BUT

Truly, whoever this new RN student on her FIRST clinical ever was, she might have been honestly clarifying that her preceptor-o-the-day was an LPN and not an RN which is the program and nursing career field she intends to pursue and wanted to make sure she was 'doing it right.'

She may have said 'just' an LPN but come on, really. Sometimes I think WE put too much emphasis on the words and make OUR insecurities show. We see insult when there may be none.

I hate being called 'just' a nurse too, but if ACNP students were in my ER and assigned to follow me I would expect the same type of query to be raised.

Or, maybe she was a little snot.....

I'm just sayin'

Congrats on the workplace experience. :nuke:

GREAT to vicariously get the positive vibes...

pagandeva2000, LPN · Apr 18, 2008

i'm just gonna hope this will be accepted as coming with no ill intent or any negative personal bias 'cause it's reallllllly not,
but
truly, whoever this new rn student on her first clinical ever was, she might have been honestly clarifying that her preceptor-o-the-day was an lpn and not an rn which is the program and nursing career field she intends to pursue and wanted to make sure she was 'doing it right.'
she may have said 'just' an lpn but come on, really. sometimes i think we put too much emphasis on the words and make our insecurities show. we see insult when there may be none.
i hate being called 'just' a nurse too, but if acnp students were in my er and assigned to follow me i would expect the same type of query to be raised.
or, maybe she was a little snot.....
i'm just sayin'
congrats on the workplace experience. :nuke:
great to vicariously get the positive vibes...

no, i am not offended by what you said, not at all. it is funny, a few minutes after i typed and pressed 'send', i was wondering if i did the same thing and almost expected a response like yours, and it gives me a chance to clarify myself.

basically, what happens with many lpns is that we feel disregarded as nurses and valuable members of the health care team. and, i have noticed that lpn students or new grads are almost expecting to be treated this way and this shows with the ops statement that she didn't notice any animosity between the lpns and rns. i can count on more than two hands how many times i have personally had to hear on some level "only an lpn..." and have had to fight daily to prove myself as a knowledgable nurse. there are times during meetings, or conversations with management and other nurses where i have made an intelligent suggestion and i would hear snide remarks (sometimes, unfortunately intended for some rns) "why would an lpn know this and not a nurse?" or "you don't need to concern yourself with this because you are an lpn"; "if you know/want to know so much, why don't you become an rn" and many other comments may they be snide or innocent, or witness that we don't get extra money for preceptorship for an lpn or rn student/new grad. we have had nurses transfer from different units and some have boldly said "i don't want an lpn to orient me", and usually, what is happening is that we are simply orienting them to the job that both, rns and lpns share, not something that the rn is assigned to do exclusively. yeah, i did sort of jump in to defend the accomplishments of the lpns, because we worked hard to earn our licenses and respect. no one wants to be disregarded as a competent member of the health care team, and if it starts out this way early on in the game, it is determental to the new lpn and to patient care.

i will, though, apologize to any of the rns or otherwise who took this the wrong way. it was not my intent.

HM2VikingRN, RN · Apr 18, 2008

As an RN (still looking behind myself when I say that) I think LPNs deserve respect.

As a student I made it a point to reinforce the message to my classmates to treat LPN's with respect because they may just save your (collective) gluteus one day.

Miss Mab · Apr 18, 2008

there are times during meetings, or conversations with management and other nurses where i have made an intelligent suggestion and i would hear snide remarks (sometimes, unfortunately intended for some rns) "why would an lpn know this and not a nurse?" or "you don't need to concern yourself with this because you are an lpn"; "if you know/want to know so much, why don't you become an rn" and many other comments may they be snide or innocent, or witness that we don't get extra money for preceptorship for an lpn or rn student/new grad. we have had nurses transfer from different units and some have boldly said "i don't want an lpn to orient me",.

interesting. again, you'll just have to take me at my word when i claim ignorance or perhaps self absorption, but i have honestly never seen the "lpn/rn" issue at play. that may be because just when i started working our unit became an 'rn only" cluster and so i really haven't been exposed to. also, my other job doesn't employ lpn's in a true nursing capacity.

that is horrible if those things really are said and i do trust them to be true coming from you all. that's petty and ridiculous.

i think i just have a hard time imagining people actually doing some of the dumb-aa#$ crazy stuff i read and hear about. don't know why i'm still surprised about anything.

anyway, i also didn't mean to offend. just another perspective lest this newbie student be branded elitist for what might just be an innocent faux paus.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Apr 18, 2008

Interesting. Again, you'll just have to take me at my word when I claim ignorance or perhaps self absorption, but I have honestly never seen the "LPN/RN" issue at play. That may be because just when I started working our unit became an 'RN only" cluster and so I really haven't been exposed to. Also, my other job doesn't employ LPN's in a true nursing capacity.
That is horrible if those things really are said and I do trust them to be true coming from you all. That's petty and ridiculous.
I think I just have a hard time imagining people actually doing some of the dumb-aa#$ crazy stuff I read and hear about. Don't know why I'm still surprised about anything.
Anyway, I also didn't mean to offend. Just another perspective lest this newbie student be branded elitist for what might just be an innocent faux paus.

:heartbeat I do believe you, and again, I had to look at myself as well. As I mentioned, as soon as I pressed the send button, I rethought my comment to be a bit harsh, myself. And, I don't know this student or what she really meant. It is just that hearing this often can make a person a bit protective of their accomplishments and can either cause a constant need to prove oneself, or diminish the new LPNs confidence forever. I took the other route by continuing to keep myself abreast of as much as I can and step to the plate and show my interest in nursing, the same as anyone else would. I remember one time just three weeks ago, I was reviewing the protocols for abnormal lab values and nursing action in our clinic with an RN, and she went over Troponin...like I was a child, and then, said "Well, you are an LPN, so, I'm sure you didn't know this". I had to remind her that I am a nurse, also, and know the significance of Troponin, that what I needed to know was if I saw it was an abnormal value, what should be done. Many times, the doctor will approach the first nurse he sees, and I would need to know what to do the same as she would, for the interest of prompt patient care and positive outcomes.

There are many RNs I know that have not been LPNs who have not experienced this, and it is new to them as well. I have to remember that, also. There are no hard feelings from me, really. I think that interactions like this make us learn about each other and that is important. ((:nurse:Huggs to you, Miss Mab and all of the RNs))

Midwest4me · Apr 18, 2008

What a refreshing post! Glad that you are on a welcoming ward, made to feel part of the team.

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Apr 18, 2008

What a refreshing post! Glad that you are on a welcoming ward, made to feel part of the team.

:yeahthat: