"Just an LPN"....does anyone else get discouraged?

Nurses LPN/LVN

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Hello nurses!

I have been discouraged lately...I feel like I am constantly fighting off the stigma of being "just an LPN." When people ask what I do, I always say I am a nurse....they then want to know if that means "RN" and of course what hospital do I work at???!!!!! I work in a clinic and have been an LPN for several years. UGGGHHH!!! Anyone else have this challenge?

Denise

Hi everyone

I have been an LPN for the past 37 years. I have another 2 years and 7 months to work. I have had this "just an LPN" thrown at me all my life. I am from NB, Canada and for the longest time we were called RNA. We fought to have that changed to LPN.

I told a patient one day that I enjoyed my work because I am in direct contact with her. She was pleased and told me that she was glad. RN's are busy with the paper work, giving out the medications and the abuse of Doctors (which I am glad I don't have to put-up with). :chuckle

LPN's are as, if not more, important than RN's. We are the ones that see first hand what happens to the patients. We comfort them when they need to be comforted, we cry with them if the need arises, we laugh with them and tell them jokes.

I work in the Rehabilitation Department of the hospital. We have mostly seniors but sometimes we have patients that are younger than me. I love to tease and they all enjoy that.

If I was an RN I would not be able to do this as I would be busy with other things.

So young LPN's do not dispair or get discouraged. As one of my co-worker says it "Licensed Practically Nurses" and PROUD OF IT.

Specializes in family practice, pediatric, LTC/AL/PC.
I am "just a LPN" and proud of it!!!!! I planned to go back to college to become an RN, then discovered that ALL my science classes are past the 7 year mark, sooo to be accepted into the LPN to RN program I will have to do all the A& P's over, besides Micorbiology, plus Nutrition, plus Pathophysiology, plus I would need another psych class...ugh!

Just the idea of doing all my science classes over exhausts me, so I have decided that I will remain "just a LPN" and be the best LPN I can be. Besides now on my nights off I can paint my seascapes and landscapes and animal protraits and really enjoy my nights off. What I really love is the fact that I no longer have the need to fight with myself about this decision. I have made my choice and am content with it. From now on I can enjoy my life as a 53 year old Wife/Mom/Artist/LPN. :)

So if someone says you are just a LPN, I'll say "YUP at least I'm doing what I love, how about you?!"

You go girl!! Me too. Wife/Mom/Artist/and now LPN and I don't care what people think. Nursing school was hard no matter what degree. I have gone from nurses aide, to MA, now LPN. Quote from my husband, " If it were easy, there would be no nurses shortage!." Keep that in mine. Sierralee :)

Yes, I know exactly how you feel. People treat you as if your not a REAL NURSE if your not an RN. I have been an LPN for almost 15 years and I work in a hospital. There are only a few things that RN's do that I am not permitted to do. Unfortunately it is only going to get worse as places are beginning to phase out LPNs. I decided to go back to school and I will graduate in April. Good Luck. Don't let people get you down. You are a real nurse!

I have been a LPN for several years and i work proudly at a nursing home. I had a doctor to come in to check on a patient. He asked what nurses were working and I told him, the RN supervisor and myself was on that wing. He said well lets go,... I asked would you like the RN? he stated no,....I proudly said ok lets go and later asked why. He stated that he would much rather have a LPN because we are what RNs should be. He said they can do my paperwork. I laughed and went on. I am proud of being a lpn. Hold your head high and dont let anyone discourage you. Sing it loud and sing it proud!!!

Specializes in recovery room.
Hello nurses!

I have been discouraged lately...I feel like I am constantly fighting off the stigma of being "just an LPN." When people ask what I do, I always say I am a nurse....they then want to know if that means "RN" and of course what hospital do I work at???!!!!! I work in a clinic and have been an LPN for several years. UGGGHHH!!! Anyone else have this challenge?

Denise

I went to nursing school to become a registered nurse. I went to college later to get my BSN. During my initial education I worked as a nurses aid (where I really learned to care for patients) in a nursing home. Half way through my initial schooling I was able to take the LPN boards. Then I became a charge nurse on the weekends on a ward of 40 patients. When I finished my RN I went to work in the hospital.I came out way ahead of my classmates in terms of organizational and patient care skills because of what I learned as an aide and LPN. Guess who taught me what I needed to know? The aide and LPN's. I've extensively worked with CNA's and LPN's throughout my career.They enhance patient care. My job is so much easier with these folks. I started in team nursing and when the aides and LPN's were removed with the advent of primary care, I knew a valuable part of the team was gone. It was a travasty.

When I get to work with aides and LPN's now I'm thrilled. I'll always respect the LPN and aide.

Pam RN,BSN, CPAN

I say, as long as you are proud of yourself, the only other thing to care about is how your patients and family feel about you. Patients are the ones who count and if you are proud of yourself and the caring work you do they will know it and feel it where it counts most, in thier hearts.

They may not remember your name but they will remember the loving way you take care of them.

Most of us got into nursing because we care about people and want to help ease thier pain- and sometimes just a smile and a tender loving attitude can make a person feel better(better than any medicine alot of times)

I am an LPN and my patients know I care and that is what matters to me not what someone else says about my title. I have respect for my CNA's as they do me.(I think-lol)

Remeber the Golden Rule- Do unto others as you would have others do unto you- no matter how bad it gets- gets you through a lot of tough spots -specially with families and always have a smile and take pride in all you do.

And remember, if you weren't there providing your tender loving care- there may be no one there that cares at all.

Hello nurses!

I have been discouraged lately...I feel like I am constantly fighting off the stigma of being "just an LPN." When people ask what I do, I always say I am a nurse....they then want to know if that means "RN" and of course what hospital do I work at???!!!!! I work in a clinic and have been an LPN for several years. UGGGHHH!!! Anyone else have this challenge?

Denise

It is terrible that your skills are not valued by rn's and others. No one in healthcare is "just" anything. Everyone's job is important. Everyone brings a special set of skills and expertise to the job. I work with a tech who is also a certified phlebotomist. She and I have fun together trying to find a vein on patients who will be difficult sticks when I have to restart their IV's. She is much better than I am at doing this. Techs have taught me much about how to do physical care on patients; tips for how to change patients quickly and get the brief "just right", something I was not very good at for a very long time. I rely on one tech in particular who works full-time while I work part-time. Her observations about patients, particularly if a particular behavior or whatever represents a change from previous nights, is so helpful to me if it is my first night with that patient. I know what you mean, though. I work with loads of nurses who won't do their own vital signs as that is "tech work" or whatever. It isn't right. Everyone should help each other to keep the unit runnning well and so everyone feels supported and valued.

I get discouraged too but i love being what I am and I am very proud of what I do. I do not want to become an RN, LVN is perfect for me....So blow 'em off and keep on taking care of your own business. You are wonderful as you are, and worked very hard to get where you are today.....Kelley

o nurses!

I have been discouraged lately...I feel like I am constantly fighting off the stigma of being "just an LPN." When people ask what I do, I always say I am a nurse....they then want to know if that means "RN" and of course what hospital do I work at???!!!!! I work in a clinic and have been an LPN for several years. UGGGHHH!!! Anyone else have this challenge?

Denise

Hello nurses!

I have been discouraged lately...I feel like I am constantly fighting off the stigma of being "just an LPN." When people ask what I do, I always say I am a nurse....they then want to know if that means "RN" and of course what hospital do I work at???!!!!! I work in a clinic and have been an LPN for several years. UGGGHHH!!! Anyone else have this challenge?

Denise

Dear Denise,

I used to be just a LPN. I went back for my RN and am very sorry that I did. Many, many of the LPN's or CNA's that I know are very competent and some more so than RN's. I would rather have them take care of meif I were sick than some of the RN's. I know how you feel and it would make me angry. I started out as a NA and am proud of that, please be proud of what you do and who you are. It is how you feel about yourself that matters.

I am a LPN student in a small town which also has a RN school. The RN students continusly look down there nose at us. When we get to the clincal sight we jump in and do anything we can to help and learn, but the RN students will say, " We don't wipe butts or give baths that is what LPN's are for." They don't care if the nurse they are working with is a BSN and is "wiping butts" they are to good.Even there instructers look down there noses at us. They assign the RN's students there pts. the night before and so the pick the most intresting pts for them, and then if a new pt is brought on the floor they try and take them too. If the charge nurse on the floor does not stand up to them for us our instructers have to step in and fight for us to get a pt. It is not right that we end up getting stuck with the grunt work and they get the best learning experiaces. The thing about it is that the staff nurses tell us that they would much rather work with us for these reasons. I just don't understand there attiude we are ALL STUDENTS!!!! I mean because they are going for the RN and we are going for our LPN is there really that much differance in the clinical setting we are all JUST STUDENtS and all must learn essancially the same things!!! It also really burns me up that when it comes down to it on graduation day I will have alot more clincal experance than they will! but yet they are to good to "wipe a butt." I hope that when we are both working on the floor as graduates they don't expect me to do there grunt work for them. I also work for HCA, and will have my on pt to do total care on. I hope that the wake up a smell the coffee.

I am a LPN student in a small town which also has a RN school. The RN students continusly look down there nose at us. When we get to the clincal sight we jump in and do anything we can to help and learn, but the RN students will say, " We don't wipe butts or give baths that is what LPN's are for." They don't care if the nurse they are working with is a BSN and is "wiping butts" they are to good.Even there instructers look down there noses at us. They assign the RN's students there pts. the night before and so the pick the most intresting pts for them, and then if a new pt is brought on the floor they try and take them too. If the charge nurse on the floor does not stand up to them for us our instructers have to step in and fight for us to get a pt. It is not right that we end up getting stuck with the grunt work and they get the best learning experiaces. The thing about it is that the staff nurses tell us that they would much rather work with us for these reasons. I just don't understand there attiude we are ALL STUDENTS!!!! I mean because they are going for the RN and we are going for our LPN is there really that much differance in the clinical setting we are all JUST STUDENtS and all must learn essancially the same things!!! It also really burns me up that when it comes down to it on graduation day I will have alot more clincal experance than they will! but yet they are to good to "wipe a butt." I hope that when we are both working on the floor as graduates they don't expect me to do there grunt work for them. I also work for HCA, and will have my on pt to do total care on. I hope that the wake up a smell the coffee.

I am so sorry that you are going through such a bad experience. In LPN school and working afterwards I learned a lot more than an RN learns in nursing school. I knew how to draw blood and start IV's. The other students in my class learned how to do these things on my arm because it was not taught in class. I am a person that used to worry about everything someone said. Then I decided that God knows when someone degrades you and puts you down and if you don't take good care of your patients. He see's everything so why should I worry, It is still hard to forget but, God is greater than that. I used to get the worst patients to care for ,and the meanest. I went to the hospital one shift and got my assignment and every told me you won't want this man. He is mean and cuss at you and will throw you out of his room. I went into his room and he started cursing. I said to him "Sir, I would arrpeciate it if you would not use curse words in front of me. This was one of the nicest patients I had ever had. Approach and attitude are both important components in nursing. I have been a DON, ADON, Supervisor, Coordinator and so on. Best of luck to you.

Hello nurses!

I have been discouraged lately...I feel like I am constantly fighting off the stigma of being "just an LPN." When people ask what I do, I always say I am a nurse....they then want to know if that means "RN" and of course what hospital do I work at???!!!!! I work in a clinic and have been an LPN for several years. UGGGHHH!!! Anyone else have this challenge?

Denise

i know exactly what you mean! I have been an lpn for 13 yrs and i still feel like no matter what wisdom you have gained or how much experience you have if you don't have 'rn' after your name it does not count. This is not true all the time. i work in a hospital setting and i have worked with most of the nurses for years. We all get along great but it's usually outside of the hospital ,from people that are not in nursing that i have problems. I have had people ask me why i didnt want to go that extra step and be an rn. Being an lpn isnt always a stepping stone to becoming an rn. there is a place for all of us.... rn's , lpn's and cna's should be a team. we all have the same goal...to make a difference.

Specializes in acute care, peds, er.
:nurse: I learned more from seasoned LPNs as a new grad RN than in all three years of college. Don't be discouraged, be proud of who you are.
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