LPN bashing...

Nurses General Nursing

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:( Why do people not consider LPNs "real" nurses?? I have been an LPN for 6 yrs and I am SO sick of hearing people always point out that RNs can do so much more than I. So, why doesn't anyone ever ask an RN.."When are you going to med school? Docs can do so much more than an RN. (prescribe meds, etc.)" I have nothing against RNs, will probably go back to school when my kids are older. I hope this post makes sense...just needed to vent some.

I am a new grad LPN and before that I was a nursing assistant... I will begin working on my RN in January and I cannot wait!:D I do not feel "bashed"--I enjoy my work and when people ask why I didn't go straight through for my RN I explain I want to experience every aspect of nursing because from the time I was 3 years old I have wanted to be a nurse. I also do not find anything wrong with a LPN who wants to stay a LPN... I feel nursing needs this!:) :) The hospital I work @ does alot of block nursing on our unit and when the RN and LPN work TOGETHER the whole day goes great!!! Although you still have the nurses (because whether you are a LPN or RN you still are a nurse--both have NURSE in the title and on your license) that don't want to work together the day is disasterous (sorry about the spelling!) So whether you are a LPN or RN you should feel proud of what you do everyday and learn @ least one new thing a day.... LPNs or RNs-----you can NEVER learn EVERYTHING there is to learn about nursing---there is too much "gray area" involved and no matter how little or much schooling you've had you can still learn. :p

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:chair:

Peace,

Lois Jean

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It's not about getting beyond the title. It's about the amount of schooling. Should we tell people to get over the title, M.D. and allow RNS to perform outside of their scope of practice when they have not had the education for it? Of course not. Why should this be any different? I am working very hard to get my RN and I am proud of it and I don't feel I should have to apologize to anyone for having more schooling than them. If LPNS are content with being LPNS then they should accept that this position has limitations. If they wish to have the same responsibilities as an RN then they need to further their education. As for the LPN bashing, you have to ignore it. If you are confident in your abilities and like your job, it shouldn't matter what anyone else thinks.

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
Originally posted by Flo1216

KTWLPN.....Ummm HELLO! I am not downplaying anything. Just because I have not witnessed a lot of LPN bashing in my workplace means I am in denial? Are you calling me a liar? How dare you call me prejudiced because you are insecure about your job title. I do not have a problem with LPNS, I don't know many people who do. What I do witness a lot of are people like you complaining about RNS. If you are comfortable with being an LPN, then why do you even debate this? If you are not comfortable with this, then further your education and stop *****ing about the RNS.

Umm-Flo-HELLO? As I stated previously-just because you have not seen it in your workplace does not mean it is not prevalent elsewhere. Your CAUSTIC reply to my post(no-I did not call you a liar) just illustrates PERFECTLY the point I was trying to make.Whenever LPN's attempt to discuss this subject we are often bombarded with denials from RN's-and insults,too....I am certainly not uncomfortable with "being an LPN" -I was letting the originator of the topic know that there may be better places on this board to have this discussion...Too late-it has already degenerated into name calling and put downs..Such as "Practical nursing is a good entry level into nursing but why -oh-why would anyone want to stop there? Great job with that thinly veiled insult....masquerading as a compliment....and people like me complaining? What exactly does THAT mean? "People like me?" Purple people? Short people? Ignorant people? LPN's ? You (and no-one else on this board)has ever heard ME complain about "RN'S through generalizations and stereotypes-but here you go-"people like ME"........Wow-you must work with many dis-satisfied LPN's-and none of you all work very hard if you have time to stand around all day and listen to THEM complain about RN'S.And your defensiveness and the general tone of your replies raises as red flag in my mind..Every time you post you confirm my opinion of your attitude...As is stated-someone wished to DISCUSS this rationally-with others who may have had the same types of experiences .Perhaps we coulds share our ideas for helping others to overcome their prejudices sadly we will be prevented from doing so by disruptive posts like yours....(and no-I don't feel the need to defend TO YOU my nursing skills or the reasons why I "stopped there") I am hoping that whenever you do get your RN that you remember to keep an open mind-you can learn valuable lessons from everyone you come in contact with-not just your fellow nurses and medical staff and patients but also by observing housekeepers and aides and the like-if you don't place your self above those with less education then you and close your self to them....
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I feel as if everyone should forget who is superior to whom. I got into this field to take care of people. I've only been an Lpn for about a month and I'm proud. I started as a cna, then went to qma and now I'm an Lpn. I will pursue my Rn degree only because truthfully, everything is going towards that direction. A lot of clinical experiences I had, only Rn's could work on those units. Everyone should pursue as much education as they can and all nurses should learn to work together. No one can do the job as a nurse by themselves. It takes teamwork.

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Originally posted by CATHYW

As one who was a LPN earlier in my career, I can understand your frustration. There is nothing "wrong" with LPNs at all. I see it as an entry-level position in Nursing.....

Entry level? I think of entry level to nursing as a Nursing Assistant.

As a LPN who will also oneday go back to school I must tell you it is not the increase in pay that lures me there. It is the doors that open with a RN compared to a LPN. I hate working in LTC and entirley with the elderly population, sorry but true they get on my nerves and the pt. load is to great for me to keep doing this for much longer. I have been a LPN for 12 years and if I do not do this or have a plan to do this for myselfish rationales I will burnout before I become a RN. So I will go back and get my ADN to sit for my RN boards I hope within the next 5 years. Till then I am actively looking for a nice Office Nursing position, Hospital Floor Nurse or OR Tech position.;)

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Originally posted by Teshiee

I just recently did CE cours in roles of LVN/RN I was shocked to realize that if a LVN had 4 patients and I had 4 I am legally responsible for all 8!!!!! So in knowing that I understand why they consider LVN's not true nurses. I don't agree because LVN'S licensed and should have accoutability of their care. ....

Excuse me but in the state I work I am accountable and responsible for my actions unless I was delegated a nursing task outside my scope of practice as a LPN by a RN. This scope of practice is largley directed by the institutions policies and not the board. So for instance a RN asks me to change a CVL dressing which I have and can do using a aseptic technique and later the RN has to sign off the drsg change d/t institution policies it is that RN who is accountable not me yet I did it under thier delegation.

So as a LPN I am accountable for what I do within my scope, legally, ethically I think though since I did the drsg change I am equally responsible and accountable for the lets say "infection" for this scenerio. And as we all know if a lawsuit is filled everyone whoever cared for that client will be named in the suit! In my state a LPN stands for Licensed Practical NURSE, so where do you or anyone else get off on calling us anything less than a NURSE. I have heard it all "Licensed 2 Play Nurse":mad:

I do not go around saying a RN is a "Registered Nut" but I have heard what I said about a LPN used in conversation and it offends me. I am a NURSE as are you I think? The state of Ohio has stated I am a Nurse by issueing me a License with that credential on it. it is a sad thing to hear from people I consider a peer that they think less of me for being a LPN. Hell, there are many CNA's out there who have better assessment skills than many Nurses I know LPN or RN.

I do recognize that the Title RN carries with it more responsibility but it does not mean I do not have my own license to safeguard. After all if you are the Charge Nurse you have the whole wieght and responsibility of all the caregivers under your direction. So just the fact you are a RN and I am a LPN and we have our own caseloads for the shift, you are accountable for the tasks that are in the RN scope for that client I have as my load, but everything else is mine. So if that client did not get his medications it would not be you who is accountable it would be me! But if he did not get his blood transfusion or had a reaction to it it would be on you> Understand! But if you directed me to do it and he had a reaction we both would have to be accountable, collaboratively.

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:eek: :eek: Man oh man.....here we go again.....and again......

It seems so funny to me that when we all get on the subject of ......"LPN vs RN".....we all turn into a bunch of cats......claws out, hissing, hair raised....etc.....

We all KNOW that this goes on.....We all KNOW that it won't stop....We all KNOW that nobody will ever agree with being "nurses united".

Entry level nursing??????????? Oh pulezz!! I've never heard anything so biased in my life! An LPN for many, many years and I'm 'entry level'......but the new RN who has never cared for another 'human being' and THAT'S not entry level??

I've preceptored many RN's and orientated RN's too. People we are NURSES....there are different levels of nursing. It takes all of us, working together to provide qualitly nursing care to those how count on us to be there for them!! When will we get over this petty, childish bantering of 'who is better, the RN or the LPN'?? Who the heck cares?? I work with awesome nurses, some are RN's (who treat me as an equal) and some are LPN's. We all work for the patient....OUR JOBS!! Get over the petty crap and remember what a nurse does......cares for people who are sick or in need of medical care!!!!!!! OK???????

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NUrses, LPN's or RN's have much to learn from each other. No one person can possibly know everything and the day we close the door to learning from one another just because the other person has a different education is the day we stop learning. I have been in nursing for over 20 years and I still have a lot to learn and sometimes those lessons learned come from LPN's and yes even cna's. If and when I ever close my mind to learning from someone else's experience then that is the day I retire. There has been more then one time I have asked an LPN who had more experience then I in a given area to teach me something. I also feel it goes the other way, to teach someone from my experience is a part of nurturing a growing mind be it cna, LPN or RN.

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Specializes in NICU.

May I request that we not end up discussing the ADN-BSN topic again? I'm thinking it could still go that way...

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I started out as a nursing assistant (they weren't even certified than) in 1976 at $2.05/hour. I even lived in my own place for that pay - yikes!!! Then went into military and did other things. Went back to school in 1990 for LPN, completed RN in 1994 and am now back for BSN-MSN program. (Again- yikes). So, learning never stops. That is what I like most of all.

Although I absolutely love ER nursing its so very stressful that I can't see doing this in my 60's so have got to have some other options.

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When I was a CNA, I thought I worked harder than anyone else in the hospital. I did all the patient care, while the LPNs and RNs took it easy. Then when I became an LPN, I knew that I had been wrong. LPNs definitely had the hardest job. I had much more responsibility than the aides, worked harder than the RNs, and got paid a lot less than they did. By the time I became an RN, I began to realize that we are all an integral part of the health care team, and each do an important job. And none of us have it easy. Yes, even management is an important part of the health care team. LPNs have less education than RNs, and they are limited in their scope of practice by state laws and hospital policies, but that does not mean they are not good nurses. A CNA or an LPN can be just as caring as an RN. Some are more so, in my experience.

On the other side of the debate, there are some areas where less education and restrictions on their practice make it difficult for LPNs to practice. My state places more restrictions on LPN's practice than others do, and our hospital policy further restricts them. We had LPNs in our ICU for a while and it did not work out well. Because of their limits, they did not decrease the workloads for the RNs, they actually increased it. An RN covering an LPN had to give all IV pushes, titrate her meds, hang blood and TPN, and call physicians for her, on top of her own patient load. The situation generated a lot of resentment towards the LPNs from the RNs. It was very sad to see the RNs taking their frustrations out on the LPNs, and the LPNs, who wanted to do more, taking their frustrations out on the RNs. Both of the LPNs left the unit, and are not being replaced.

This is a very complex situation. With the limited scope of practice LPNs have, especially in states like mine, it becomes very difficult for them to practice in certian areas. But we also need to remember that knowledge and caring are not always dependent on a title. Just as I continue to learn and grow through my years of practice, LPNs learn and grow too.

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