LPN Gets No Respect

nikki.p · May 14, 2009

I am currently working for my LPN and I have say that in my little state of ND they tried to eliminate LPN's entirely. That didn't work and soon there was another nursing shortage. I have heard that they were trying to eliminate LPN's again, but I think there would probably be another nursing shortage and LPN's will become valuable again. Also I know that in my school you can get you RN after nine additional months of school after passing your boards. Oh and by the way there is no difference in pay between a ASN and BSN. The biggest differance is that if you have your BSN you can do more managerial stuff. One more thing that I would like to add is that LTC is NOT that bad. I work as a CNA in LTC and I love it. I love having an actual relationship with my patients and the fact that I can get to know them and their families.

MattiesMama · May 14, 2009

I think it's a class thing. Not to say that LPN's are "low class", but a lot of people look down on tech schools, and since a lot of LPN programs are tech schools they assume we are some dumb laborers who weren't smart enough or motivated enough to get a real education.

I'm not going to knock a BSN, that's a huge accomplishment and hats off to anyone who does it, I hope to get my masters one day myself. But it takes more than 4 years of theory pumped into your head to be a good nurse, and personally I think functioning AS a nurse will teach you more than any school could.

butterfly135 · May 14, 2009

I think it's a class thing. Not to say that LPN's are "low class", but a lot of people look down on tech schools, and since a lot of LPN programs are tech schools they assume we are some dumb laborers who weren't smart enough or motivated enough to get a real education.
I'm not going to knock a BSN, that's a huge accomplishment and hats off to anyone who does it, I hope to get my masters one day myself. But it takes more than 4 years of theory pumped into your head to be a good nurse, and personally I think functioning AS a nurse will teach you more than any school could.

i agree with you 100%. i do hair on the weekends and i was doing this mans hair a couple of weekends ago and his wife is a nurse so we got to talking and i told him i was starting LPN school in august. he response was " why are you wasting your time? if you want to be a real nurse you'll go to the university because you know you'll never get a job that you want as an LPN!" i was apalled! i so wanted to just shave him bald, but i kept my composure and told him i had my reasons for the route i was taking and the school i will be attending has a 100% pass rate. i just don't understand people.i mean i am so proud to be accepted into school and have worked hard to get accepted and people just try and burst your bubble!

Enchantress · May 15, 2009

I love how they say "we" don't hire them...so I guess they are the hiring managers now? :chuckle
Just ignore it...I know some BSN's who I swear got their license out of a cracker jack box and some LPN's (and some CNA's for that matter) who are simply amazing at what they do and make an incredible difference in their patients lives. There are good nurses and bad nurses, period...only you can decide which category you will fall into.
At the end of the day it matters what your PATIENT'S think of you, not Fifi McSnobbypants, RNCTNENPXYZ

:roll

i agree with you 100%. i do hair on the weekends and i was doing this mans hair a couple of weekends ago and his wife is a nurse so we got to talking and i told him i was starting LPN school in august. he response was " why are you wasting your time? if you want to be a real nurse you'll go to the university because you know you'll never get a job that you want as an LPN!" i was apalled! i so wanted to just shave him bald, but i kept my composure and told him i had my reasons for the route i was taking and the school i will be attending has a 100% pass rate. i just don't understand people.i mean i am so proud to be accepted into school and have worked hard to get accepted and people just try and burst your bubble!

I just started the program and I am already SICK of the negative comments/opinions. I :heartbeat how everyone in OTHER FIELDS knows what nursing is all about!!! Yeah right! People just think that since RN=degree...that must be the best way to go. I finished EMT school with a 4.0 (straight A's the entire year) and I finished my nursing prereqs with a 4.0. I've been to university and decided I was not going to waste my life waiting to get into an RN program b/c I have a child who depends on me and I need to work NOW. University, colleges, tech schools...been there, done that...and my opinion of it all is...anyone can get a degree. Nursing school is a totally different ballgame. Most of the people who make these comments about LPNs, have degrees, but still do not have their dream job. :yawn:

erjunkie8 · May 15, 2009

At the school I go to the first year you can opt to take your LPN and then the next year you can get your RN. I will be finishing my first year next week and I'm taking my LPN boards in June. I have been pondering whether to just be a LPN and not finish my last year due to the fact my husband is self-employed and with the economy, I'm not sure if I can finish my last year. I think the nurses who where telling you that LPNs are worthless are crazy. I love long-term care more than the hospital. I like the relationship you create with the clients and their families. I don't understand why some RNs feel that once they complete school their are better than others. :angryfire In the area where I live home health care is only using LPNs and the pay is awesome. Good luck on your choice and don't let others change your mind. A good nurse is a good nurse whether a RN or LPN.

yes you are right. Long term health pay is decent compared to the hospitals. In the hospitals LPN's make much less and pretty much do the same job as RN's (for the most part). Eventhough I have had challenges with previous experience and testing I am glad that I have been on both sides of the fence being the one looked down on, I appreciate and encourage any role in the field. You need the techs, clerical staff and LPN's to make it all click! On the floor I am on there are no techs. RN's are responsible for all pt care.

You have a special place in my heart for your passion in long term care. I don't like it and have always thought that those who work there have to like it.

Also, I know that after our 3rd semester (mother/baby) of nursing school we are given the option to take the LPN exam. I know many people who fail the entire RN program based on 1%-2% below passing and are not allowed readmission. Because of that most of them challenge the LPN so they can work and support their families.

I am not sure but I think that LPN's in long term care make about the same as a RN in the hospital.

Go where your heart leads you. Management has the max requirements for degree's.... makes me wonder they have all these degree's on paper but what about the reason we all went into nursing... the passion for caring!

Not sure if you have ever worked with CRNA's (anesthesia nurses) but some of them look down on RN's and do the same as these RN's did to you. It is so true when they say "nurses eat their young"..

Don't let other RN's get you down with assumptions about LPN job roles. I admire all of them!! It's ignorance... even when I have replied to postings on the EMS sites, they are all fighting and bickering about who's better but we are all here for the same reason... the patient!!

erjunkie8 · May 15, 2009

I am currently working for my LPN and I have say that in my little state of ND they tried to eliminate LPN's entirely. That didn't work and soon there was another nursing shortage. I have heard that they were trying to eliminate LPN's again, but I think there would probably be another nursing shortage and LPN's will become valuable again. Also I know that in my school you can get you RN after nine additional months of school after passing your boards. Oh and by the way there is no difference in pay between a ASN and BSN. The biggest differance is that if you have your BSN you can do more managerial stuff. One more thing that I would like to add is that LTC is NOT that bad. I work as a CNA in LTC and I love it. I love having an actual relationship with my patients and the fact that I can get to know them and their families.

Where I work in FL the pay difference in ASN & BSN is in the range of 0.50-$1.50. Not worth it to me... I may get my bachelors at a later time just for myself but never have been a management person and have no desire to be. I believe you need the BSN to teach though and some people like to teach. ASN to BSN to MSN is all written. Hardly any clinical time like what you have when you start. Most managers haven't done direct pt care in many years... but they make the rules, go figure.. (uhh, makes me sick!..LOL)

erjunkie8 · May 15, 2009

i agree with you 100%. i do hair on the weekends and i was doing this mans hair a couple of weekends ago and his wife is a nurse so we got to talking and i told him i was starting LPN school in august. he response was " why are you wasting your time? if you want to be a real nurse you'll go to the university because you know you'll never get a job that you want as an LPN!" i was apalled! i so wanted to just shave him bald, but i kept my composure and told him i had my reasons for the route i was taking and the school i will be attending has a 100% pass rate. i just don't understand people.i mean i am so proud to be accepted into school and have worked hard to get accepted and people just try and burst your bubble!

You should be proud! Any graduation, certification or license is a wonderful achievement. I have my AS in Emergency Medicine.. Looks great on paper and on a resume but that is it. When I got that degree I felt so accomplished.. I was always told "are you going to go to nursing school??" Even with my AS in Nursing and AS in Emergency Med I get no acknowledgement for the EMS degree. They say "it's not related to your AS Nursing"... I still have no reply to that because I still can't believe someone would say that to me!! I work in OB and I guess EMS has no relativity.. LOL, be proud! There will always be someone there to try and burst your bubble! Be proud!!

AshiPanda · May 15, 2009

To me, LPNs are just as much of a nurse as the RN. The RN imo just gets paid more, can boss you around, had a little more schooling, and can give certain (very few) meds that the LPN can't.

I am a LPN and I don't feel belittled at all when standing next to a RN. If people ask my occupation, I just say, "I'm a nurse," not "I'm a LPN."

Don't let anyone tell you LPNs are worthless, 'cause we're not... WE FREAKIN' ROCK!

hunnybunch · May 16, 2009

who cares what those snobs think. you do what is best for you. true hospitals want rn's but u can still work in an office, daycare, nursing home, or homecare. there's alot of flexibility in the healthcare field. so you do whats best for you. don't chase after a degree just for the sake of saying you have one. thats not what being a nurse is about. i was just accepted into the lpn program where i live and im proud of it. i plan on going on to get my rn later on down the line, but im doing whats best for me right now. im getting my foot in the door now, and later on i will worry about the rest. why? because there is ALWAYS room for growth.

mommiof2kids · May 17, 2009

This has been an ongoing debate for years, are RNs better than LVNs? Are BSN nurses better than ADN nurses? I have worked with all of the above. Personally, I find excellent nurses in all levels of degrees. There is a purpose for having LVN and ADN programs. For people who want to be a nurse and don't necessarily have the time or money to invest right away these are perfect for them. I think that these programs are excellent opportunities for single parents or people who have to work their way through college. It is true, that most inpatient, acute care facilities are trying to phase out LVNs. I have seen the decline over the years. However, not all facilities hire RNs only. You just need to look. I would think that in smaller, more rural communities you could find a job in the hospital. You can also find jobs in home health; adults and pediatrics, doctor's offices, long term acute care facilities, nursing homes, rehab facilities etc.. As far as not getting respect...respect comes with experience, how you conduct yourself in the workplace and how well you take care of your patients. I have worked with many LVNs whose guidance and opinion I would seek out before a BSN nurse. If you are a good, competent nurse who takes excellent care of her patients then you will get respect no matter what your degree is. So, get your LPN! If you want to pursue a higher degree then do it. But do it for yourself, not to please others.Good luck and welcome to nursing!!

ZanatuBelmont · May 17, 2009

I am cuurently working towards my goal of becoming a Nurse, and I work as a PCA now. I was having lunch with a few BSN and they were telling me how im[ortant it is to get the BSN cause the Nursing field is about to change where you must have a BSN? Then one chimes in and says well whatever you do Don't become a LPN we dont hire them at this hospital we put them in the Nursing Home and you never want to get stuck working in a Nursing Home. I was shocked, then ever one started beating up on how awful LPN's are and they are a waste because they fail to become Real Nurses. I have never really heard anything good about being a LPN or Working in Long term care. Arent LPN's pad well and if your a LPN you are a real nurse or is it just the step before becomin a RN. Why is there so much negative talk. I was considering becominga LPN and doing a bridge program but now I am unsure. some input please on this profession and should I do the LPN program. Thank You:o:stone

The difference between a LVN and a RN with their ADN is one year of "general education," ie more science classes, English, chemistry, etc. I think the biggest reason there is a lack of respect for the LVN/LPN is because we are so restricted in what we can actually do compared to an RN. When I did a clinical rotation at an ER one of the seasoned nurses explained to me why they don't hire LVN/LPNs anymore. It's not because they are incompetent, it's because there are just some situations the LVN/LPN cannot be involved in, so they were forced to observe in those situations, whatever they were.

As for the BSN-RN vs. the LVN, that attitude is present among people, in general, with higher degrees, regardless the profession.

ybstressed, LVN · May 19, 2009

My insturctur, a LVN, works at a MAJOR ER in the Dallas/FT.Worth area and is REALLY GOOD at what he does. His friend, a LVN, work as a LVN (soon to be RN) in the same ER with ONE FREAKING HAND and had all the AS to BSN RN’s asking him to help start IV’s, help with patients, medications, etc. THE MAN HAD ONE HAND AND WAS A LVN!!! I’m sure if a RN tried to eat him he would be so HOT they would spit him out.

You can do anything you want but going to LVN school is not a waste of time. I’m starting my second semester and I have already had two job offers when I graduate. I will be a darn good nurse and I know I will do GREAT in any setting. It’s not about the title it is about the care. There are LVN’s that run circles around RN’s and then there are some that are not so great.