Is Rn More Paperwork---less Pt. Care?????

[DanisTeeta]

:monkeydance:SO I AM FINISHING UP MY LPN PROGRAM AND PLANNED ON ROLLING RIGHT INTO THE LPN-RN BRIDGE. HOWEVER---MY TEACHER KEEPS STRESSING THE FACT THAT RN'S ARE BASICALLY PAPER PUSHERS AND LPN'S GET MORE PT. CARE.

ANY WORDS OF WISDOM????????????????? THANKS

[fergus51]

Your instructor obviously has a chip on her shoulder. Some RN jobs will have limited patient care. I've never worked in a specialty like that. I currently work in NICU and we don't employ any LVNs anymore. RNs do all the patient care. It was the same where I worked L&D.

[luvschoolnursing, LPN]

Anyplace I've ever worked, RN's do the same amount of pt care as the LPN's.

[Natkat, BSN, MSN, RN]

I have only done clinicals, but in my experience the RNs and LVNs do the same job. LVNs can't give blood or push IV narcotics, but otherwise they do the same thing. I don't know why people keep splitting hairs about it.

[jjjoy, LPN]

Depends on the type of facility as well. In some subacute, long term care settings, they only hire LPNs for patient care and then have just one RN on shift as needed per state policies. I ran across this once where as a new RN I didn't want to go directly to a supervisory position, but this subacute facility only hired RNs into supervisory roles. It was frustrating to be overqualified. But I don't know how common that is. I've seen other facilities that would hire either LPNs or RNs for direct patient care and there may no real difference in job role, such as the medication nurse at a LTC facility.

In hospitals, bedside RNs most definitely give patient care. They do all that LPNs do in addition to any RN-only tasks.

[icuwant2rn]

Agree with the above posters. As an RN I do everything an LPN does on the floor plus the RN only stuff. Completely depends on if you are talking hospital work (what I am doing) or LTC. In LTC in this area at least you do more paperwork less bedside care.

[lucyt]

Your instructor obviously has a chip on her shoulder. Some RN jobs will have limited patient care. I've never worked in a specialty like that. I currently work in NICU and we don't employ any LVNs anymore. RNs do all the patient care. It was the same where I worked L&D.

AHH the NICU. My son spent the first 4 months of his life in one. You guys are great. NICU nurses are special.................

[kcochrane]

I work at a LTC facility as a LPN and am working on my RN. LPN's rotate between passing meds/treatments and doing patient care. RN's rotate between charge nurse and passing meds/treatments. I know in the local hospitals the RNs and LPNs are all on the floor - except for the RN's that are in charge. In my mind being an RN gives you so many more options. If you want to do patient care, you can. If you want to be in charge, do paperwork or supervise, you can. It is what you want to make it. At some point I want to teach the LPN's.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

HOWEVER---MY TEACHER KEEPS STRESSING THE FACT THAT RN'S ARE BASICALLY PAPER PUSHERS AND LPN'S GET MORE PT. CARE.

I'm in LTC and unless we are short, that's true.

But remember - LPN - low paid nurse and RN = rich nurse.