i don't want my post to be the venue for an LPN-RN debate...this is just my opinion about the topic...
i understand that not EVERYBODY want to be an RN and that NOT everyone stays as an LPN...different situations calls for a different approach...we as nurses should be bonded and not debate amongst ourselves of who has the best career...it's hard enough explaining to the lay person what we do and how important we are and not "just nurses"...that we don't need to badmouth each other...
LPNs are not professional nurses. They have the word "nurse" in their title, but so does a CNA. An LPN is an assistant to the RN. A CNA, is also an assistant to the RN. The LPN is given technical tasks like dressing changes and med administration, and the CNA is given rudimentary tasks like ADLs and VS.
I won't even argue this one. If someone wants to dress up like a nurse and pretend, that's fine with me. But a nurse is a Registered Nurse.
Oh no! I'm not a nurse? Hmmm, next time my charge nurse comes to me for help with her patient thats having problems I guess I should tell her I'm not a nurse. The only thing I am not able to do on my med floor is hang blood and an Rn has to do an assessment on my patient. Their assessments usually can be done on one line, "I agree with the above Assessment" , RN. I push meds(Yes, with additional training here), I'm acls certified, I can assess and monitor a patient with the best of them. The RN hangs the blood and turns the pump on, thats it, I do the monitoring as do the rest of the LPN's on my floor. No we can't be hired in ccu, etc., but how funny when they are short handed that we can be pulled to these units. I did get oriented to cardiac stepdown recently, part of my shift until more patients were admitted and I was basically on my own. No I don't have the RN education but I have something that several rn's don't have, common sense! (I'm not trying to put RN's down, I also work with some of the most knowledgeable RNs too, wonderful friends and nurses) I am also on my way back to school for that RN license because of the pay difference mainly. Even with that RN on my lic ense, I will never be stupid enough to put down another nurse because her title is LPN, she may be a better nurse than I will ever be. And a word about CNA's, I would hate to do my job without them. How many of you have had a CNA come to you and say there's a change in your patient? They work more directly with the patient a lot and are sometimes the first to notice that change. If my CNA thinks there may be a problem you better believe I'm going to check it out! Hmmm, seems some of them have more common sense than some of the LPN"s and RN"s I know. A friend of mine (CNA) recently told her charge RN that a patient's color had changed, the RN just ignored it. When the next shift arrived, did morning vitals, low blood pressure, pale, confused, hmmm, patient down for er surgery because of internal bleeding! The CNA KNEW there was a problem, the educated RN ignored it. A title does not make you a good nurse!
LPNs are not professional nurses. They have the word "nurse" in their title, but so does a CNA. An LPN is an assistant to the RN. A CNA, is also an assistant to the RN. The LPN is given technical tasks like dressing changes and med administration, and the CNA is given rudimentary tasks like ADLs and VS.
I won't even argue this one. If someone wants to dress up like a nurse and pretend, that's fine with me. But a nurse is a Registered Nurse.
Oh no! I'm not a nurse? Hmmm, next time my charge nurse comes to me for help with her patient thats having problems I guess I should tell her I'm not a nurse. The only thing I am not able to do on my med floor is hang blood and an Rn has to do an assessment on my patient. Their assessments usually can be done on one line, "I agree with the above Assessment" , RN. I push meds(Yes, with additional training here), I'm acls certified, I can assess and monitor a patient with the best of them. The RN hangs the blood and turns the pump on, thats it, I do the monitoring as do the rest of the LPN's on my floor. No we can't be hired in ccu, etc., but how funny when they are short handed that we can be pulled to these units. I did get oriented to cardiac stepdown recently, part of my shift until more patients were admitted and I was basically on my own. No I don't have the RN education but I have something that several rn's don't have, common sense! (I'm not trying to put RN's down, I also work with some of the most knowledgeable RNs too, wonderful friends and nurses) I am also on my way back to school for that RN license because of the pay difference mainly. Even with that RN on my lic ense, I will never be stupid enough to put down another nurse because her title is LPN, she may be a better nurse than I will ever be. And a word about CNA's, I would hate to do my job without them. How many of you have had a CNA come to you and say there's a change in your patient? They work more directly with the patient a lot and are sometimes the first to notice that change. If my CNA thinks there may be a problem you better believe I'm going to check it out! Hmmm, seems some of them have more common sense than some of the LPN"s and RN"s I know. A friend of mine (CNA) recently told her charge RN that a patient's color had changed, the RN just ignored it. When the next shift arrived, did morning vitals, low blood pressure, pale, confused, hmmm, patient down for er surgery because of internal bleeding! The CNA KNEW there was a problem, the educated RN ignored it. A title does not make you a good nurse!
i don't want my post to be the venue for an LPN-RN debate...this is just my opinion about the topic...
i understand that not EVERYBODY want to be an RN and that NOT everyone stays as an LPN...different situations calls for a different approach...we as nurses should be bonded and not debate amongst ourselves of who has the best career...it's hard enough explaining to the lay person what we do and how important we are and not "just nurses"...that we don't need to badmouth each other...
as i've said...this is what i believe
If you did not want to spark debate and arguments, you should not have called your thread "LPN, RN, same difference."
i don't want my post to be the venue for an LPN-RN debate...this is just my opinion about the topic...
i understand that not EVERYBODY want to be an RN and that NOT everyone stays as an LPN...different situations calls for a different approach...we as nurses should be bonded and not debate amongst ourselves of who has the best career...it's hard enough explaining to the lay person what we do and how important we are and not "just nurses"...that we don't need to badmouth each other...
as i've said...this is what i believe
If you did not want to spark debate and arguments, you should not have called your thread "LPN, RN, same difference."
same difference? I don't think so! I spent 4 years in undergraduate studies (BSN) vs 1 year for the PN's, big difference. LPN's cannot work in my department, critical care. Now, in support of the LPN's I have worked with (supervised) in the past....most were smart, competent caregivers. But they knew the boundaries, liabilities & when to call for back up. I always differentiate since I deserve this. I did not take LPN boards but RN boards (among others). Nuff said.
Oh please, the real difference between RN's and LPN's is that the RN's are the ones behind the desk talking on the cellphones and reading the newspapers sitting on their big butts while the LPN's are out on the floor. DUH Even the RN's know this.
nurseunderwater
451 Posts
and the beat goes on.....