lpn a nurse

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is it okay to call yourself a nurse if you are lpn?

i thought lpn was nurses assistant, but i just started school and everyone in the class is saying things like' why did you want to be a nurse" etc , meaning lpn is a nurse????

also what is cna?

i thought lpn was bottem of the totem poll is that true??

thanks for any imput.

Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

did you not know you were entering a nursing program? not trying to be rude but it sounds like you had no clue what you were getting in to.... yes a lpn/vn is a nurse ... practical nurse / vocational nurse.

is it okay to call yourself a nurse if you are lpn?

i thought lpn was nurses assistant, but i just started school and everyone in the class is saying things like' why did you want to be a nurse" etc , meaning lpn is a nurse????

also what is cna?

i thought lpn was bottem of the totem poll is that true??

thanks for any imput.

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Specializes in Peds ED, Peds Stem Cell Transplant, Peds.
did you not know you were entering a nursing program? not trying to be rude but it sounds like you had no clue what you were getting in to.... yes a lpn/vn is a nurse ... practical nurse / vocational nurse.

my thoughts too, sounds kinda of scary personally

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.
If she is an LPN.....she is ALREADY a nurse, not "just on the way" to become a nurse.

LPN stands for Licensed Practical NURSE.

I am an LPN. I am a nurse.

She is an LPN student. That's why I said "you are on your way, congratulations."

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Specializes in LTC, cardiac, ortho rehab.

yeah dude, lpn/lvns are nurses. lol it sounds like you didnt know what you were getting into but congrats and welcome to nursing. and yeah, lpns/lvns may administer injections and may do a lot of other stuff too.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
is it okay to call yourself a nurse if you are lpn?

i thought lpn was nurses assistant, but i just started school and everyone in the class is saying things like' why did you want to be a nurse" etc , meaning lpn is a nurse????

also what is cna?

i thought lpn was bottem of the totem poll is that true??

thanks for any imput.

YES AN LVN/LPN IS A NURSE! I real live 100% LICENSED NURSE!!! Incase you hadn't guessed by now, I am an LVN and I was just thinking this morning, I am so SICK and TIRED of people thinking I am NOT a full fledged nurse. When I tell people I am a nurse they automatically assume I am an RN. Not yet, but I am working on it I tell them. I constantly feel like i have to explain to people WHY I chose the LVN route instead of going right into RN. For #1, I'd still be on the waiting list and #2, it was the best decision for ME at the time I did it. Now I am not so sure and I am regretting more and more every day the decision I made to become an LVN.

You know what burns me most? At my hospital, nursing students come for clinicals. Sometimes I am assigned RN students and it surpises me so much that they don't even know what an LVN can and cannot do!

I was a CNA for 4 years before I passed the NCLEX-PN.Believe me, I have MUCH more responsibility than and CNA!

No offense to the original poster, I know you are just asking a question. Guess I just had to vent.

I LOVE my job, I just hate the restrictions and attitude I get as an LVN.

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Specializes in LTC.
YES AN LVN/LPN IS A NURSE! I real live 100% LICENSED NURSE!!! Incase you hadn't guessed by now, I am an LVN and I was just thinking this morning, I am so SICK and TIRED of people thinking I am NOT a full fledged nurse. When I tell people I am a nurse they automatically assume I am an RN. Not yet, but I am working on it I tell them. I constantly feel like i have to explain to people WHY I chose the LVN route instead of going right into RN. For #1, I'd still be on the waiting list and #2, it was the best decision for ME at the time I did it. Now I am not so sure and I am regretting more and more every day the decision I made to become an LVN.

You know what burns me most? At my hospital, nursing students come for clinicals. Sometimes I am assigned RN students and it surpises me so much that they don't even know what an LVN can and cannot do!

I was a CNA for 4 years before I passed the NCLEX-PN.Believe me, I have MUCH more responsibility than and CNA!

No offense to the original poster, I know you are just asking a question. Guess I just had to vent.

I LOVE my job, I just hate the restrictions and attitude I get as an LVN.

So true about RNs not knowing what LVN can and cannot do. My sister has been an RN for 10 years. I just started an LVN program and asked her what exactly the LVNs can't do. She wasn't really sure either. I thought maybe she didn't have any LVNs in her departement but, in fact, she does. I guess I'll find out soon enough!

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Specializes in Peds ED, Peds Stem Cell Transplant, Peds.
So true about RNs not knowing what LVN can and cannot do. My sister has been an RN for 10 years. I just started an LVN program and asked her what exactly the LVNs can't do. She wasn't really sure either. I thought maybe she didn't have any LVNs in her departement but, in fact, she does. I guess I'll find out soon enough!

Well count me as one of those people. The biggest reason is I don't work with any LPNS and also our hospital only has one LPN that I know of. When I did work with LPNS what I found is each place had their own criterea of what a LPN can do. Basically, all I know is in most cases is there must be one RN assessment per 24 hours.

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I think he/she is in the wrong program. It seems as if she meant to go to school for CNA. I hope it's not too late to get your money back.

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thanks , i appriate the imput.

i didnt enter a course i knew nothing about though,

its just since ive started everyone seems to say 2 diffrent things, and i didnt know what a cna was because im from canada,

i know that it is licenced practical NURSe i just was wondering how a rn and a lpn are both "nurses' and if it bothers the rns. NOt that theres anything wrong with lpn.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTC/Geriatric.
thanks , i appriate the imput.

i didnt enter a course i knew nothing about though,

its just since ive started everyone seems to say 2 diffrent things, and i didnt know what a cna was because im from canada,

i know that it is licenced practical NURSe i just was wondering how a rn and a lpn are both "nurses' and if it bothers the rns. NOt that theres anything wrong with lpn.

What school are you in? I'm in Kelowna and starting the LPN program at Okanagan College in 2 weeks :)

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s.shaw kamloops!

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
Well count me as one of those people. The biggest reason is I don't work with any LPNS and also our hospital only has one LPN that I know of. When I did work with LPNS what I found is each place had their own criterea of what a LPN can do. Basically, all I know is in most cases is there must be one RN assessment per 24 hours.

I think each state has their practice act. For instance, I am an LVN in California. WE cannot do the initial assessment, we can "gather data". So if a patient is admitted directly, we cannot do that initial assessment. I can re-assess though. I also cannot hang IV piggy backs or push IV drugs. Since I am IV certified, I can initiate and maintain maintenance fluids. I can also hang blood and blood products and flush saline locks with normal saline. It is not my facility that governs what I can and cannot do, it is my board of nursing in Ca.

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