LPN and RN attitudes towards one another.

[daisymay20]

I am a senior nursing student about to graduate with a BSN degree. I in no way find my self superior to LPNs especially considering my level of experience in nursing. I do understand that I may be in charge of over seeing other nurses even in my first job( but this does not mean I think I am any better than other nurse regardless of title). I have noticed attitudes from some LPN's towards me even as RN student for no reason. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this and how did you handle this? I have heard many people say the reverse that RNs are rude to LPN's all the time. Just curious if anyone else has received the opposite like I have?

[linzz]

Honestly, I have experienced rudeness from both levels of nurses and I have experienced really helpful RN's and LPN's. I think that we are all a team and need to support one another. All I mean by this is that you need to be polite, professional, helpful and a good example to those you are supervising and if you are doing this, then it truly is not your fault that you are having poor reactions from co-workers. You can only control what you say and do.

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

I'm an RN student currently working as an LPN. I haven't had any problems with the RNs that I work directly with. Maybe it's because I was previously a CNA on the same unit, so I know most of them already. They've all been very supportive and helpful to me, which makes me want to do the same for new nurses in the future, when I am the one with more experience.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

The key is respect for everyone you work with. I've met plenty of LPNs and Nursing Assistants over the last 30 some years who could run circles around most of the RNs I know. Also, it's a good idea to make nice to the Unit Secretary as that is the person who really knows everything on the unit.

Very true about the unit secretaries. Many times, because they get the information immediately, they know more of who is coming, when, and are more current with information than the nurses on the floor. And, goodness help, if the unit secretary has an agenda...

[uraqt2]

Generalizations such as this are explosive. For every LPN who behaves rudely to his/her RN coworkers, there are probably 10 more LPNs who are pleasurable to work with. For some strange reason, it's the negative individuals who capture our attention, so we tend to remember them more profoundly.

There are rude people with attitude problems in all crevices of society, but I'd rather focus my time and energy on the considerate, good people.

By the way, I'm an LPN/LVN who has never been rude to my RN coworkers.

Very well said. I don't think that this comes down to a RN vs. LPN issue. There are some just plain rude people in this world. I have had the great pleasure to work with knowledgeable RN's, LPN's, CNA's ect...and can say that I've learned something from all of them.:redbeathe:heartbeat:redbeathe

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

The LPNs I "supervised" when I was a new grad, took me under their wing and taught me how to be a nurse. I will be forever in their debt. Most of them had been nurses longer than I had even been alive at that point and I had much to learn. Basically, I let them do their thing. I asked them a lot of questions showing I trusted them and their knowledge base. Too many RNs don't respect the knowledge base of the practicing LPN, or think because they are the RN they have to know more then them and are afraid to approach them, and only ask other RNs questions. You're attitude can be read and spotted a mile away, and your first impression on them is going to be the lasting one.