Why Does It Seem That RN's Hate Us and Hospitals Don't Believe In Us??

BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN · Jan 8, 2006

you know, either i'm going crazy (which is highly likely :lol2: ), or this thread is!! i'm getting e-mails with replies that are not showing up (very nasty ones, i might add). are they being deleted by the mods :confused:

at any rate, this thread is turning insane :no: why do people have to get so nasty about this subject? a friendly debate is one thing, but c'mon... some of you guys really need to grow up. some of these slanderous remarks (if anyone else can see them) are not based on anything. name-calling?? :nono: and based on some of these responses, i think we've answered the original question (but still haven't answered why).

grinnurse, RN · Jan 8, 2006

I can't answer the question of why these things happen in nursing but I am assuming this is another part of nursing that we should all try to change.

As a new grad, a student, and a therapy tech prior to NS, I learned alot from each level of nurses. As a new grad, there is no way that I will know as much as an experienced LVN and would never pretend to know that much. I respect my LVNs immensly-I have learned invaluable information from them on the floor for the past 6 months. Starting out at the hospital I am making the same as our LVNs (experienced) but it doesn't bother me b/c I feel that being as new as I am to the profession and not knowing as much as them it's fair. Right now, I feel as if I am being paid for the amount of education time that I have with the thought that I eventually will have a higher earning potential as I gain more experience just as it should be for every nursing level IMO. I am always encouraging them to continue their education as well as the aides so they can truly be paid what they are worth.

The LVNs at our hospital do everything the RN does with the exception of hanging blood. They can do the initial assessment if an RN signs off on it which could get annoying if it happened very often. Our little rural hospital has more RNs than LVNs and alot of the Dallas area, or so I have heard, are phasing out the LVN positions all together.

Just my:twocents:

Lovin all the nurses!!

Alexsys · Jan 8, 2006

I personally never had a problem with LPN's, When I went to nursing school,(ASN) I carpooled with three of LPN's that were going for their RN's. They would quiz me before an exam and breifly schooled me on dosage calculations right before the program started. I was a CNA at first, then went to school to become a MLT, did that for a while until two LPN's convinced me that nursing would be a great career choice. So now I am thankful to them (LPN's) for that. Unfortunatley the hospital I work at does not currently employ LPNS, but they do work in the clinic. So the RN vs LPN really should not apply to every nurse in general. There is always going to be some type of animosity there. I had it towards LPN's when I was a CNA, but only because of a bad experience, I realized that I was generalizing and with nursing, no matter what type of nurse you areis you enjoy your field and what you do and that will make a good nurse wether you are LPN or RN

brandee_stanton · Jan 8, 2006

I'm 26 and have been an LPN in Chicago for 8 years and noticed different attitudes depending on the type of skill level required for care, i.e. nursing home, clinic, MD offices, etc. Although I have a variety of experience, most is concentrated in long term care facilities, where I have noticed that RNs mostly hold administrative and supervisory positions where the LPNs essentially run the the hands on clinical care. I have met RNs that didn't know how to reconstitute antibiotics in a piggyback, or don't really know how to chart. I've seen LPNs that could start an IV quicker than the DON. I've oriented tons of RN's and not only that but LPNs that were nurses "before I was born!" I spoke to an RN that had left the hospital scene and she was a total wreck in the nursing home. I gathered that it wasn't her level of education that was holding her back, yet her experience in that type of setting. She was used to charting on the computer by selecting fields that were appropriate and answering questions where she was prompted, while manual documenting was time consuming and difficult for her because she had to use her memory and knowledge of the specific patient to prompt her on what to chart on. She wasn't used to doing as much work like hanging feedings, flushing G tubes, doing wound care, performing trach care, collecting specimens, etc. In her particular hospital setting, her work was not that involved or intense. She quit after 1 week. It is true that some individuals with "more education", meaning longer time spent in school or more advanced degress, believe they "know more" than others without the same. That is not necessarily true. My experience in the nursing home setting makes me a more valuable and knowledgeable asset than an RN who has no experience in that setting. I think it should really boil down to what you can do and not what your "education" says that you know. Of course it works both ways. You don't need a nurse that doesn't know or know how, regardless of the level of education or experience, but companies should be willing to train. They'd save more money. I get paid less than the RN's I work with because of their degree level, but I am the nurse that is chosen to work the most skilled, ventilator dependent side of the unit. Why? Of course its not because I went to school longer or because I have a higher degree. Its because I give excellent patient care and they need it the most, no other reason! I am disappointed however at the lack of clinical positions available in Chicago hospitals for LPNs. Most are concentrated in long term care settings or clinic outpatient settings. I would love to work in a hospital setting for the experience and also because I would be exposed to more facets of nursing. I believe that if healthcare institutions really want an RN, then they should be willing to offer paid education for the many LPNs who want to become RNs. Is there really a nursing shortage or is it that companies only want a particular kind of nurse? I always hear of companies that pay for the ASN RNs to go get their BSNs. Why not assist the LPNs into the ASN or BSN as well? I would hate to see the eventual phase out of LPNs. It's funny though, 8 years ago my LPN instructor made it seem like people would be banging on our doors to come work for them. It didn't exactly turn out that way. I think the bias would be eliminated if more healthcare settings could see the value of having different levels of education and expertise. When it comes down to it, letters behind your name doesn't mean a thing if you can't provide excellent patient care. And that goes for the CNA, LPN, ASN. BSN, PhD, MD, etc!!!!!!!!

leamom2 · Jan 9, 2006

the hospital where I work treats the LPNs great. We are all IV certified and take anywhere from 5-7 pts on nights. We can't no admit assessments or hang blood or do pushes, but we are allowed to take a lot of resposibility for our patients. I think that the system works well. The difference in pay is only about $6 per hour, but the RN do have a lot more resposibility as far as staffing, and ultimate judgement calls on anything dicey. A lot of a happy work environment is a good attitude and willingness to work together.

PurpleHairUnicorn · Jan 9, 2006

Sorry, this is gonna be a long one......I have been an LPN for 15 years and have worked in 3 different states. (Oh,Ga,Il). My personal experience has been that SOME of the newer grad RNs are a little bit intimidated by the hands on experience the LPN has. I have worked with some who have never started an IV. When I received my IV cert., I had to complete a 40 hour classroom course, pass a written exam, and then perform 25 successful IV starts. The policy was, you could be trying to start your 25th IV, but if you missed 3 times you had to start the "stick" portion all over, and if you missed 3 times again before 25, you had to retake the class. This did cause some resentment from the newer RNs, especially the ones with BSN degrees from the local universities. (This was in Ohio). When I moved to Ga., the one hospital I worked for used LPN's as "Designated Medication Nurses". That meant that I passed meds to the entire unit (1 nurse to 22 patients).THAT really caused resentment because then the RN's had to do direct patient care. I heard more than one say "I didn't go to school for X amt. of years to put people on a bedpan" I left that hospital and went to work at another one in the Atlanta area where the only things I couldn't do in that hospital (2003) was spike the blood (I could go get it, verify it with an RN, set up the flush, monitior the pt. for a reaction, and at this hospital I could dc the transfusion if needed) I could push IV meds, cardiac meds if they were on a monitor, take phone orders and do admission assessments. They were glad to have LPN's. Now I live and work in central Illinois and am planning to get my RN (dependent on my husband getting his consulting contract renewed), because I have found that at least around here, my experience and certifications are useless. My point is, I think it varies from state to state and person to person,however I do feel like I get blown off more when I see something is incorrect(like crush toprol xl and give via g-tube, yeah if you wanna bottom out their blood pressure and maybe kill them) and the RN's learn that I'm "only an LPN". I must say I do get some satisfaction from the look on their faces when they find out I am right. My other thing is there will be 3 RNs for 60 residents on eves, I work nocs, I come in and they have things they didn't get to, could I? BTW I am by myself on nocs, with an am med pass for 30 residents,2 gravity feeds,4 g-tube flushes, 4 cath flushes, 2 straight caths, and whatever other txs there are, and charting on 16 medicare residents on top of fall vitals. It ALL gets done on my shift. Wow, now that I write that out, I can see why they're intimidated, 3 of THEM,20 residents a piece, a desk nurse through the week, and the little ol lpn comes in and gets it ALL done (just a joke, just a joke) ..... :coollook:

OliveVinesRN · Jan 9, 2006

I'm sorry you've come across some RN's that have made you to feel that way. I must say, I totally respect LPNs. Totally! It seems that LPNs work twice as hard for respect and make some darn good nurses. I don't see why there has to be two types of nurses. I think that they should do away with the title distinction. I think there should be only nurses. Whose idea was it to separate nurses anyway? Anyway, I have learned a lot from LPNs and know some that could run circles around me. I mean, education means very little because you pick up so much on the job experience. In my state, the only difference between an LPN and RN is that the LPN can't hang blood and they cannot push IV drugs. And of course, they don't work in many specialized units like PCU and ICU because of it. But, it seems like the nurses that nurtured the most as a new grad were LPNs. I learned a lot from them and appreciate all they do.

Like I said, I am so sorry you have experienced "super" nurses who know so much and don't really know anything. I can't stand nurses who are always out to prove they are a RN and they are supreme. That just kills it for me. I am very humble with my RN licensure because I know nothing because I am still a new grad. And i am not afraid to admit I don't know about something and will always ask for help when I need to.

brenda3 · Jan 13, 2006

hello everyone,i hope no one gets mad at me for being here,

[color=#483d8b]i'm just a cna .

[color=#483d8b]but i love to read these forums. anyway here in southeast missouri

[color=#483d8b]cna's only make from 5.15 to 7.00 an hour and the 7.00 an hour

[color=#483d8b]you would have to drive 50 miles or more to get that and some also includes an incentive in the pay so if your making 7.00 an hour

[color=#483d8b]with the incentive included and if you are 1 second late you lose the incentive

[color=#483d8b]for 2 weeks,so cna's will only get 6.00 an hour.and try raising kids on your own with that.

[color=#483d8b]and mind you that this is very very hard work,and you get treated like scum by the nurses and by others in the nursing profession,i'm not saying every nurse is like that there are a

[color=#483d8b]few that i know that would work the floor with you,and those are good ones.most of us cna's that are good are on one hall by ourself taking care of 18 to 20 something people,when state is coming they might call in more to help then they let them go after state is gone.cna's are not being trained good at all there are some cna's not na's that dont know how to take blood pressure and had their license for 2 years now,and i'm not joking..now i know alot of cna's that are no good at all,most of the young ones are in it for the money only and don't care about the folks

[color=#483d8b]or how they treat them,and the come to work half naked,and what i mean by this is they wear their uniforms to tight and their boobs hang out of the top and the pant waist rolled down so far you can see their butt crack.sorry but this is so unprofessional and imbarrassing to the rest of us. there is nothing wrong with wearing different colors but its how you wear it.i myself love wearing different colors and the folks love them to.well i hope i did'nt affend anyone,cna's need to vent sometimes too. i'm middle aged now and my husband wants me to go for lpn and i'm thinking about it.

ItalianRN, BSN, RN · Mar 17, 2006

I'm a new nurse, only been working for 6 months. I don't care if someone is in housekeeping or a doctor. I treat everyone the same, with respect. Unfortunately, most of the LPN's where I work have a big attitude towards the RN's, including the new ones like myself.

I have only come across 1 LPN that didn't have a problem with RN's, & we have become great friends. I went to her house for a New Year's Eve party & we talk on the phone at least 4 times a week even though we don't work together anymore. I didn't notice it until she brought it to my attention, that some of the RN's looked at me "funny" when I would talk to her in the nurse's lounge. How stupid is that. I admire her & all the knowledge she has. She's been a nurse for 12 years. I don't give a damn about titles. If you treat me with respect, you'll get the same in return. Most of the LPN's with a few years experience, know a hell-of-a-lot more than me. I don't understand why some of them are so uppidy with RN's. By treating new RN's the way they do at my hospital, actually turns us against them. There's only so long that someone will put up with that type of behavior, regardless of whatever letters follow their names.

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Mar 17, 2006

Im a new PN grad and have been a STNA (state tested nurse assistant) for 7 years; but as a graduate it seems that RN's are threatened by PN's or feel that we don't know anything and hospitals dont want us, at least that's been my experience with my job search here in Ohio and Ga and I don't understand why. We as PN's have to learn @least 80% of the material that a student in a ADN program learns in 11 months vs. 2 yrs, so what makes us different besides the rate of pay, which really isn't any different at least in Oh where a UNEXPERIENCED LPN makes minimally TO START 16.75 w/o differential and more for being IV and CPR certified and a UNEXPERIENCEC RN makes IN OHIO makes 17.00/hr. I don't want to come across as confrontational because that's not why Im writing. I just want to get some other points of view from LPN'S AND RN'S to help me understand.

I love the LPN's I work with. They are excellent diagnosticians and their clinical skills are the best. I learn from them all the time. I used to be an LPN so I understand both sides. The reason for the difference in pay is a college degree. I went back to school after 26 years as an LPN. My LPN class was more clinical based learning and my RN school more theoretical based learning.

IcantThinkofaName · Mar 21, 2006

Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse....note the word Licensed. Means we're licensed.

stat-nurse · Mar 21, 2006

It's not that the RN hates the LPN/LVN. Its the individual themselves, not the licensure.That's just the excuse the person is using to look down their nose at someone.

Talking to MOST LVN's, they became an LVN due to lack of time/money/to invest in being a nurse. I was a young single mother with 4 kids to support, being an RN was NOT an option for me.

NOW I'm just lazy!

I've been an LVN for 20 yrs, and except for starting Blood, I've worked side by side and did same job as most RN's. RN's that like and respect me, and also those that didn't.

I just keep on truckin, and realize it's the person, did the title.