Is being an LPN REALLY that bad?

emt2lpn2 · May 1, 2011

I have been an Lpn for 13 months and where I work I am the go-to person. Maybe because I have emergency care experience also but they trust me. Im also bridging into my Rn now, as I planned to do not because no one told me to go back to school this was my plan or wait on a waiting list for Rn school forever. But as an LPN I am not hindered in by my title I am always taking classes about nursing, going to seminars, and reading articles, so I can stay on top of my game. I work with alot of Rn's and they ask me questions,they never belittle me, or question me decisions. Maybe because I make myself unstoppable and very educated. At the end of the day it's not about your title because regardless if you are a Rn,Dr,aide,cma,LPN,emt,Np,medic etc, at the end of the day with new technology it's about what you know now and what you are continuing to learn or you will be replaced with someone who is more advanced and knowledgeable than you. :idea:

bsveillon · May 1, 2011

You need to let her know that your name is not "tech school nurse." I find that outrageously rude.
Even though I'm not a LVN

LOL believe me, it was straightened out very quickly. lol

upstatenygirl, LPN · May 2, 2011

dlehrmann1,
i have heard that houston has started to have more lvn's moving in. back then texas was the place to find jobs as lvn's, but as the years went by, lvn's started to move to texas (especially california).
i checked indeed.com to see if this was true, and it seems like most lvn jobs there needs 1 year experience now.
but keep on looking, i'm sure it's not as bad as california! (we have too many lvn schools here)

i have checked the want ads for my area (upstate ny) and 1 year experience is also preferred here too. but i signed up to volunteer for hospice and after i get my lpn licensure i can get some hands-on experience. also, while in school for 10 months i will do other tasks. i think this should help a litlle. however, if i can find a job after licensure i want to work a bit to pay my loan off and then go back to school for a b.s. (on a part-time basis!) if i can :rolleyes: .

cecilsgirl · May 2, 2011

I love being an LPN, I work under RN's, they handle all admissions, and acute assessments, most incidents ect.. I make 49,000 a year, great FREE insurance and vacation/ comp time/sick pay -- all very generous.... ) and love my job most days. Not bad for ONE year of LPN school. - which has long been paid for.

OgopogoLPN, LPN, RN · May 2, 2011

I'm very happy to be an LPN...but will go back to school to obtain a BScN. Not because I don't enjoy being an LPN, but because I love education, I love learning and want to continue. No one in my famil has a degree and I would love to start and show my children that a good education is paramount.

I actually have a ton of opportunity as an LPN in BC, Canada. Paid training opportunities to work as an OR nurse, Hemodialysis nurse, mental health, etc. We are highly utilized in acute care, which I understand is not the way in most of the USA.

I could stay an LPN and be very happy, have a stable, well paying job. ($25.50/hour plus differentials and 100% employer paid benefits). Learn a specialty. No regrets here. :)

:nurse:

CLUVRN, MSN, RN · May 4, 2011

cplpn25, do you work in LTC?

Sorry for the delayed response. No, I've never worked LTC. When I graduated in 09, there weren't any nursing homes in my area that was hiring new grads. They all wanted that magical 'one year of experience'. I was extremely frustrated, so I decided to do private duty to get my foot in the door. Signed up with a bunch of agencies and registries, which eventually lead me into medicare home health, which I've been doing ever since. Eventually, I'd like to work LTC because it looks good on the resume, to have experience in different areas of nursing. Perhaps I'll take an LTC gig per diem, we'll see.

HazelLPN, LPN · May 4, 2011

I am a retired LPN, having spent the majority of my time in critical care. In my day, an LPN could work anywhere. The difference between RN and LPN was mainly administrative. RNs trained to be charge nurses, nursing supervisors, head nurses. Clinically, there was no difference (at my school) what the PN and RN students learned. We trained for the first two years together, and the RN students trained one additional year to learn the administrative roles.

That was back in the 1950s, and nurses in general didn't do nearly as much as we do now. For me, being an LPN was a good career choice because I never cared about the administrative roles. I wanted to be a nurse who took care of the patients. Period. Plus, I married well and didn't need the extra money.

If I was starting my career today, however, I would get my BSN and skip the LPN. In many areas, LPNs have fewer career options than RNs do. Even where I worked, all but one of the LPNs in the critical care unit were verteran nurses, and they generally did not hire new grad LPNs except if that person had some sort of "in" (they hired their unit clerk) or was in school to get their RN.

If you are happy working in areas like primary care or LTC, I suppose getting your LPN is fine. That would never be fine with me. I loved my job in the ICUs, and these days, 99% of the time, these jobs now require you to have your RN. I was able to remain because my nurse manager was supportive of her veteran LPNs and our scope in my state and hospital was very similar to that of an RN. This is not the case in many places, as many veteran LPNs in acute care are losing their jobs to help greedy big business save a buck. Don't believe the crap of "people are sicker and need an RN", its rhetoric based on poorly designed and biased research. Its a matter of cash , pure and simple.

Best to you,

Mrs. H

Best to you,

Mrs H.

peppapig123 · Jan 17, 2012

I know this thread is old, but I just wanted to share something I saw on a social network.

I saw a few stna's (cna's) bashing the LPN's at their jobs..saying that basically, they were just nurse aide's that got better pay, and were not important...and other really mean things. It kind of made me feel bad because I'm trying to get into an LPN program. I have a baby, finally getting ready to start my nurse aide training, and I'm just ready to move out of my mom's house and support my child on my own. But people are making me feel bad all over again because of my career choice. I just feel as if I don't have time right now to commit to an RN program, and I actually really want to be an LPN.

Woodenpug, BSN · Jan 17, 2012

I know this thread is old, but I just wanted to share something I saw on a social network.
I saw a few stna's (cna's) bashing the LPN's at their jobs..saying that basically, they were just nurse aide's that got better pay, and were not important...and other really mean things. It kind of made me feel bad because I'm trying to get into an LPN program. I have a baby, finally getting ready to start my nurse aide training, and I'm just ready to move out of my mom's house and support my child on my own. But people are making me feel bad all over again because of my career choice. I just feel as if I don't have time right now to commit to an RN program, and I actually really want to be an LPN.

The commitment is not that much more for a better pay-off. Hazellpn is right. Unless this thread is just another one where I wish I could find the dead horse icon.

saintplatypus · Jan 18, 2012

I've been an LPN for 15yrs. I do have the desire to go on for my RN but as far as being an LPN goes I am content for the most part. There really isn't too many things an RN can do that I can't. In the state I live in (Indiana) an LPN can do almost any procedure as long as they have been educated (inserviced or shown) on how to do it. I cannot hang blood or do an IV push but just about everything else is allowed.

The only things that makes me want to go back to school for an RN is the money and a better understanding of disease processes and what lab values mean. While my assessment skills are good, they would definately be improved with a deeper understanding as I could attain with more schooling.

There is nothing wrong with being an LPN. For me it was the only nursing option available to me when I went to nursing school as there were no schools locally offering the RN degree. And because it took only a year of schooling, it was a quick way to get the education I needed to obtain employment and get off of the welfare system I had been on. I would never discourage anyone from going for the LPN. I have made a decent living. No regrets here.

MJNursing · Aug 12, 2012

Being an LPN is great, IMO. I am an LPN and I make OVER 60K a year and that's working only 4 days a week (in NY)! More important than that, I love my job. LPN's can do a lot and have a lot of responsibility. Don't let anyone tell you that LPN's are similar to CNA's. NO WAY. There's nothing wrong with being a CNA but the two are no where near the same. I am completing my RN now and that's because I ultimately want to be a Nurse Practitioner.

jgr1001nurse · Aug 13, 2012

Not a thing wrong with being an LPN. Doing it myself. I'm going on for my RN. I mean, it's the same basic skill set for LPN and RN but the pay is quite a bit better as an RN. It's not a "pride" thing why I'm going on. I'm perfectly satisfied working as an LPN but one more year of online school while working as an LPN and I'll get about a $10,000 a year raise. No brainer to me.