LPNs glorified Techs?

KrisRNwannabe · Aug 31, 2007

I am a LPN in hospital and I am far from a tech. Other than pushing meds and hanging blood, I do it all. I have noticed a difference betweens LPNs who are not planning on being a RN and LPNs who are. On my floor, those who are not pass their meds and that is it. Me on the other hand, this is a learning experience for me so I get in on everything I can. Teaching, procedures, and what ever else comes my way. I have no desire to remain a LPN for much longer, so I do anything to make myself a better nurse. A nursing instructor told me that Clincals were what we made of it. meaning that if we hung around and bathed our patient for an hour and spent our time not do much than we would not have the most experince. So I bathed my patient and did the stuff for my patient that needed to be done then I went sought out other experiences. And you know what? Most in my group complained because I got to do so much but, I made that happen for myself. And that is what I do every day a my job as a LPN. I use like cllinical time for my RN so I want the best experince.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Aug 31, 2007

Each state has a different scope of practice for LPNs/LVNs. In general, some of the Northern states have restrictive scopes of practice for LPNs, so they're permitted to do less in certain healthcare settings. As a rule of thumb, the Southeastern states have a wide scope of practice for LPNs/LVNs, so we're virtually allowed to do almost anything.

I work in Texas, which has an extremely wide scope of practice for LVNs. There are only a handful of things that Texas LVNs cannot do in the hospital. In my area, hospital LVNs are utilized as staff nurses, and patient care techs are utilized as techs.

kat7ap · Aug 31, 2007

At my hospital and unit, LPN's are staff nurses. The only separation between us and the RN's is, we can not do the intial assessment of a new patient transferred from L&D, we can not have patients on magnesium sulfate, we cannot hang blood, and we our limited to what IV meds we can push, and legally an RN has to sign our chart each shift that the care and assessment was reviewed with the LPN. It all depends on your state and facility where you work.

HopeItWorksDNP · Aug 31, 2007

My license says: NURSE. And I will be more than happy to show it to anyone that has doubts. Or better yet, just spend a few hours in the ER with me and decide for yourself if I'm a nurse or not.

I work side by side with an RN. My hospital and many hospitals in TN employee LPN's to work the busy 11-11 shift in the ER's. We basically do everything the RN can do except triage, initial physical assessment, access ports, and push cardiac or thrombolytic meds. My doctors treat me with the same respect they do the RNs because we are a team. I get pt's chief c/o, hx, start IV's, push IV meds, transfer pts, take/call report, draw blood, interpret cardiac rhythms, work codes, assist with traumas...as a matter of fact, let something bloody and gory come through the door, my RNs just step out of the way and let me have it because they know that's my "thing" and they'd rather I handle it.

On the M/S floor, LPN's are very active nurses. The supervisor is an RN and an assessment must be charted on every pt once in 24 hours by an RN. Otherwise, the LPN's run the show. They assess their pts, interpret lab results, call doctors, start/maintain IV's, and of course, pass meds. More than once, I've seen a doctor pass by the RN to ask the LPN what's going on with a patient.

The most important thing to remember is to not let the "title" thing become a chip on your shoulder. Just set out to learn as much as you can and be the best NURSE you can. If you become an LPN, then you've managed something most people couldn't. I guarantee you, I know several RNs that wouldn't have survived my LPN school. 400 people took the test to enter my school. 40 started the program. 11 graduated. I was valedictorian. Am I a patient care tech? Hell no, I'm a nurse. And a damn good one.

crazy lucy · Aug 31, 2007

I agree with what ERTraumaJunkie says! I got a license and I'm not afraid to use it! I worked too hard for it to be slapped down.

I work in a hospital. I work on a really good floor with really good support from the RNs. We are usually partnered together and work as a team. Sometimes I take a patient load of 6 with a NCA or maybe I have 3 to 4 pts by myself. Either way, they are mostly helpful (there are always bad apples in a pile sometimes) and allow me to work in my scope of practice. They always pull me to see interesting stuff and to learn new stuff. I love my job and I will always believe that the rough times in clinical better prepared me for bedside healthcare than if I had went to RN school. I would never trade the experience or training I got from my LPN clinicals. I think LPNs are better prepared than RNs. The are so stuck on "theory" and lots of times don't get their hands dirty during clinicals.

Anyway, that is my opinion and I'm sticking to it!

Crazy Lucy!

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Sep 1, 2007

If i were a glorified tech, my work and state license title would have included the word 'tech' in it.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2007

Absolutely not the case where I work.

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2007

oh my your alive!!!!!! i haven't seen you on here in a while and i was worried about you....

if i were a glorified tech, my work and state license title would have included the word 'tech' in it.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Sep 1, 2007

oh my your alive!!!!!! i haven't seen you on here in a while and i was worried about you....

still around. i read way more than i post here anymore lol.

AprilRNhere · Sep 1, 2007

I think it depends on the hospital where you work. I've heard of some that treat the LPN's poorly, and others that there's little difference between RN and LPN. (am I allowed to respond to this forum as an RN? lol) At our facility the RN's and LPN's work together as a team. The RN's do the assessments and IV meds, the LPN's do vitals and oral meds, then they share the workload for cares.

P_RN, ADN, RN · Sep 1, 2007

Glorified Techs? NO WAY.

Valuable NURSES yes!