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

Can we all just knock it off?

LPNs, instead of getting in a huff about posts which describe your limitations in a particular state, accept the fact that these limitations are NOT placed upon you by RNs. They are placed upon you by your state, or in some cases, the organization in which you choose to work.

Just because in YOUR facility you claim to be soley responsible for your patients, does NOT mean that holds true in MY state or any other state. I have a right to feel frustration if my facility places the LPNs responsibilities on ME. Personally, I don't care what you are allowed to do in your state; I'm more concerned about MY state.

I think LPNs need to get it together and form an organization specifically for them to regulate their practice and standardize things. It's entirely stupid to have an LPN in one state be able to work critical care independently, and in another state not. Rather than taking out this justified frustration on the RN, get it together, represent yourselves, and change your practice acts or your organization's policies!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Maybe you should review the thread-No LPN is complaining about the limitations in their scope of practice but rather the attitudes which some of us have been victims of over the years. Thats what the thread was started to discuss....No one is whining about what they can and can't do in whatever state they are living.Most LPNs are well aware of their states scope of practice and who wrote it-and we know that the ANA has been instrumental in keeping our scope a bit narrower-just as they are working against UAPs'. Every UAP or LPN utilized conceivable could take a job from an RN (in some settings and states) So sorry if you work in a setting in which you cover for LPNs and are responsible for their pts,too....Maybe you should take the whole district by yourself? I believe that in most states for LPN's to be utilized to their fullest potential they need to be working in the team nursing model....Again I will point out-no one is in a "huff" except you....Now to get back on topic-I have found that many people-RN's,pts and their families are ignorant of the LPN's scope of practice and that's why we often see that prejudice.We need to educate everyone regarding our education and scope of practice in our state-and we do need a standardized scope of practice in the US.Again I ask-please read the thread-I think it is entirely stupid for many of you RN's to say that we LPN's are "whining" and "complaining" ...no one is
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:chair: Phew......Almost afraid to post here...

I read this post with interest as I too started my career as a nurses aide back in the dark ages....worked as an LPN for 6 years and decided to go back to school.

The interesting thing is ............I heard all these very same arguments back then. Seems we haven't progressed much. Sad to say......

Make peace! Maybe if we could all get on together...our profession could progress with greater speed! My experience is that there are good nurses and bad nurses........the letters after the name don't mean much. Hard to measure caring and hard work.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Originally posted by ktwlpn

Please don't call me YOUR LPN-I am not....I think that is a degrading attitude.I don't call the cna's on my unit "my cna's" or "my grils" I consider that demenaing-we are all licensed in the state of Pa and are all professionals there to do a job....I am sure you mean well-but this kind of remark may be taken in a different way

Thank you for pointing out that you felt demeaned by my post. I'm a charge nurse, and always called the nurses, RNs and LPNs "my nurses", "my crew" because we are a team.

I hope you didn't miss the point that the best and the brightest, the most reliable one's are "my" LPNs. "My" RNs are a piece of work.

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Specializes in LDRP; Education.
Originally posted by ktwlpn

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Maybe you should review the thread-No LPN is complaining about the limitations in their scope of practice but rather the attitudes which some of us have been victims of over the years. Thats what the thread was started to discuss....No one is whining about what they can and can't do in whatever state they are living.Most LPNs are well aware of their states scope of practice and who wrote it-and we know that the ANA has been instrumental in keeping our scope a bit narrower-just as they are working against UAPs'. Every UAP or LPN utilized conceivable could take a job from an RN (in some settings and states) So sorry if you work in a setting in which you cover for LPNs and are responsible for their pts,too....Maybe you should take the whole district by yourself? I believe that in most states for LPN's to be utilized to their fullest potential they need to be working in the team nursing model....Again I will point out-no one is in a "huff" except you....Now to get back on topic-I have found that many people-RN's,pts and their families are ignorant of the LPN's scope of practice and that's why we often see that prejudice.We need to educate everyone regarding our education and scope of practice in our state-and we do need a standardized scope of practice in the US.Again I ask-please read the thread-I think it is entirely stupid for many of you RN's to say that we LPN's are "whining" and "complaining" ...no one is

eek7.gif

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Specializes in Pediatric Rehabilitation.

When on earth has Suzy ever attacked blacks?????? I missed that one. (suzy, are you prn in hiding? lol)

You know what I think sucks about this type thread?? It's always the same thing, nothing solved, more hard feelings made..

and it originates as nothing more than a "someone please tell me I'm equal" thread.

If you, as a LPN, feel less of a nurse, then you are. If you, as a LPN, feel equal to RN's then you are. Nothing said here can make you feel better. I currently work with one LPN and honestly, I hate it. I love the person, hate her limitations. THE LIMITATIONS PLACED BY THE BON. As a charge nurse, I AM responsible for her actions..or lack thereof in many cases. I've worked with four LPN's in my 6 yrs of nursing and there IS a general attitude FROM THEM, "I'm just a lpn..you'll have to do so and so". The one I work with right now, for example: Needs a RN to witness and administer IV narcotics. She will tell someone she needs them to give pt in room 610 some Morphine...then she will sit on her butt and wait on another nurse to witness..FOR HER PT. Of four LPN's, I have worked with one that was an awesome nurse..the rest had the, "it's not my responsibility attitude". My MIL was a LPN, my SIL is a LPN..both blow me out of the water with their nursing knowledge...because neither feel they are, "just LPN's". Both went into nursing because they wanted to care for the sick, not because they wanted to prove they were equal to or better than an RN. I've never heard either make a negative comment about RN's in general, NOR have I ever heard them state they are made to feel less or have to put up with complaints from their coworkers. MY SIL owns her own business and makes about six times what I make..and she's "just a LPN". Soooo, for those of you who want to feel sorry for yourselves, go on..keep dragging yourself down. For those who know you're a damn good NURSE..keep holding your head up high. Me? I'll keep biting my tongue about how I dislike working with LPN's (BECAUSE OF THEIR LIMITED SCOPE OF PRACTICE)...unless, that is, there's a thread like this started...

btw..while you're flaming me.. I hate welfare too!

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AFFLACK!!!!! :)

Ok...whew...got it out of my system

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Furball, you are cracking me up! :chuckle

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Originally posted by 3rdShiftGuy

Thank you for pointing out that you felt demeaned by my post. I'm a charge nurse, and always called the nurses, RNs and LPNs "my nurses", "my crew" because we are a team.

O/T, but I did want to respond to this. 3rdShift, I'm sure your intentions are benign, but FWIW, I've worked with both docs and nurses who do the "MY nurses" thing, and I've never met a single nurse who wasn't annoyed, offended, or insulted by it. My personal feeling is, it's patronizing and a bit of a power play. Unless you sign their paycheck, they're NOT "your" nurses.

Your mileage may vary. I'm just sayin.'

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Well my experience with this situation is I recently passed my boards and I am a new grad RN but I have worked as a LPN for seven years prior and I went to the nursing office at my place of employment to turn in my badge so they could change the two lil letters from LPN to RN in which I feel I have earned...LOL.....but the secretary said to me......well we will not change your badge as you will still be working as a LPN so why should you have the RN badge. I told her to talk to my supervisor as she has been sadly misinformed. So she proceeded to go to my supervisor and say: " Since she has become as real nurse now she wants her badge changed but she will not be working on the units as a RN so can she change her badge." Now how in the world was I suppose to take that insult from her....I am proud that I did my LPN before I became a RN and I would not change it to be any other way. I feel that if a person chooses to remain an LPN then hey shall be it....my hat goes off to anyone who even tries to tackle nursing studies regardless if it is LPN RN or whateva we as nurses need to WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE that is why our profession is looked down upon by many other professions because we cannot even come together it is a shame how the different levels of nursing argue back and forth over some stupid status ......it takes a whole team to run a shift CNA, LPN, RN , and all others accounted for to make a day go smooth. THat is my 10 cents on this matter.................

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Specializes in LDRP; Education.
Originally posted by nurs4kids

When on earth has Suzy ever attacked blacks??????

In my spare time. And single mothers, and democrats, and welfare recepients....basically the complete opposite of the WHITE REPUBLICAN MALE (or female). :rolleyes:

Ok, sorry, not productive...I know. :p

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

It's all about "R-E-S-P-E-C-T...find out what it means to me..."

----yea isn't productive either, but I can't see why we don't GET THIS already, get over it and get on with it. I like sjoe's tagline:

"we will get exactly as much crap as we will take" It is the truth.

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i just want to say that without LPNs we would be over worked to the ground. i believe everyone has a part to play in patient care. i am a BSN in nursing coming august 2003. please LPNs dont feel offended we rns at time feel the same way too but just keep on doing your work as god would want us to do.

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