LPN'S are NURSES TOO

Nurses LPN/LVN

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We, LPN'S need to speak up more and grab the attention of administrators,Legislators, (State and Federal) Governors ,the public and anybody else who views the RN as the only true nurse. Just the same way the RN gained their respect in the 80's and 90's . The LPN is a well trained ,valuable member of the health care community. Patient and resident oriented health care provider. We observe s/s ,status change, improved or declining. organize and follow thru with presented problems . To insure the best outcome for that individual. Incorporating the the health care TEAM. I say LPN'S ARE VALUABLE NURSES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have always heard that LPN's are not true nurses, but reading these post I think that statment is very horrible. I am currently in school and trying to get acceptedin the program for RN but I have heard that it is easier to get acceppted into the LPN program. If there are any LPN's out there please shed a little light on my concerns. HELP ME...... By the way, A NURSE IS A NURSE REGARDLESS OF YOUR TITLE...if that's why you are a nurse than GET A CLUE......

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I find this thread interesting. I had never heard of this attiude before and Ive been a cna for 5 yrs and a cma during a period of that time. I just recently received my LPN. I had not hear of this attitude till while I was in school and a family member of a pt., of all people, had said to me several times "So will you be planning to go to school to be REAL nurse after you get your LPN" . I said to her "I WILL be a REAL nurse!" This got under my skin because I had never come across this and didn't realize that people felt this way. I don't know yet if I will go on to RN school or not , school has taken a lot out of my life and my childrens, we will see. But if I do go on its not going to be because I feel people are looking down on me, I don't care if they are. Im proud to be a LPN and it took A LOT of hard work to become one.

I have heard this for YEARS...but I didn't let it get me down. I currently work in a clinic and I have not been really treated as though I am not a viable member of the team by my co-workers, but I did have some casual friends criticize my decision to become an LPN rather than an RN and once, when administering a PPD implant, I had a patient ask me if I was an LPN or an RN. I know it was sort of inappropriate, but, I said "Does it make a difference to you?". I believe that when the commercials and advertisements stated "Get a REAL nurse", they neglected to state that Licensed Practical Nurses are nurses as well, and maybe it should have been stated that any LICENSED person that passed NCLEX-PN/RN IS, in fact, a NURSE.

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I believe that when the commercials and advertisements stated "Get a REAL nurse", they neglected to state that Licensed Practical Nurses are nurses as well, and maybe it should have been stated that any LICENSED person that passed NCLEX-PN/RN IS, in fact, a NURSE.

I saw those commercials as well but I definitely don't believe that they "neglected" to state anything in their message.

Their message was very clear to me.

There was no doubt in my mind that when they stated "You deserve to be taken care of by a real nurse" that they most definitely were referring to RN's exclusively.

I took offense to it because I felt that the implications were that if you were being taken care of by anyone other than an RN (i.e. LPN/LVN) that you as a patient "deserve better than that".

Commercials like that do little more than confuse the public even more than they already are in addition to being completely counterproductive in the effort toward advancement of the profession.

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I've never seen the commerical you all are talking about up here in Canada. But some of the provincial RN associations appear to be taking notes from it. "Educated, professional, caring -- Registered Nurses" That kind of thing.

Over the years, the only time I've ever been asked if I'm an RN its by family members never the patient and the family is usually taken aback when I say Licensed. When asked why I'm not registered, I usually reply that "I'm proud to be an LPN and I don't discuss my private life at work". I've then informed them that a PN has four semesters of education at college and pointed them to a brochure my union has printed up on LPNs. Usually keeps them busy and lets me finish my care.

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Specializes in geriactric and psych.

I agree with you of blatant reference in commercials that RN's are the only real nurses. It does present a mindset that is the only true worthy nurse.LPN's left out of equation thus the public ,corporate,legal view . Johnson and Johnson's commercial "I'm a nurse" and shows RN's only. Goes further to state be a nurse. Leaving LPN as floating around in the mind as just there and tolerated. But LPN's know there abilities and do a spectacular job and we make a difference in our residents /pts live

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Specializes in geriactric and psych.
I have to agree completely with the initial post with one minor exception. As an individual it is very difficult to get to regulators, this is the job of professional associations. As Jules put it, it is important to join your professional association. For example, an individual LPN will never be invited to attend and serve on a panel of all the boards of nursing, but we are.

Professional associations provide research, standards, and much more. While you may not recognize it in your daily work, your professional association is responsible for the fact that you are a "nurse" and have a career.

NAPNES (National Association for Practical Nurse Education and Service) has been around since 1941. We represent LPNs / LVNs, PN Schools, students and educators. We just recently created a new eMembership which is just $35.00 for LPNs/LVNs and just $10.00 for students.

Right now, NAPNES is working on updating National PN Education Standards, conducting a nationwide survey of the LPN/LVN and their role in infusion therapy, our executive director is a paenlist for the National Council State Board of Nursing's "Transition Summit" that will be held next month in Chicago.

Back to standards for a minute, when the association has approved the national education standards, NAPNES Council of Practical Nurse Educators will create new curricula standards. Rest assured, we are including assesment, infusion therapy and more. In fact, it was NAPNES that got pharmacology as part of every LPN program and that work began in the 1960s.

So stand-up because yes you are a nurse and your license says just that!!!! But remember, the best way for us to stick together and make sure that our profession grows and continues is to support your professional association.

To find out more about NAPNES, go to our website at www.napnes.org!

Reference that the professional organization is the only way to exact real change. Not so, we LPN's need to speak out in a loud voice what we want and we can call legislators ,media,etc. and put in motion what we want and deserve.This would be working with the organizations that can come up with policies for the betterment of the LPN ONLY.......

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

You have a point, there. It does imply that anything less than an LPN is garbage, and it can even make a person that doesn't know any better feel disrespected to obtain an LPN rather than an RN even partially responsible for their care.

I saw those commercials as well but I definitely don't believe that they "neglected" to state anything in their message.

Their message was very clear to me.

There was no doubt in my mind that when they stated "You deserve to be taken care of by a real nurse" that they most definitely were referring to RN's exclusively.

I took offense to it because I felt that the implications were that if you were being taken care of by anyone other than an RN (i.e. LPN/LVN) that you as a patient "deserve better than that".

Commercials like that do little more than confuse the public even more than they already are in addition to being completely counterproductive in the effort toward advancement of the profession.

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Wanna know what makes the public really think you aren't a real nurse? Hospitals that hire only RNs. Our hospital only staffs LPNs in retirement communities and the skilled nursing facility wing here. Like they are saying you are better qualified to work for the people that are more predictable in knowing their outcome.

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I am a GPN, and already am tired of not being seen as a "real nurse". I am proud of my accomplishment and have worked just as hard to get through the PNEP as anyone who has gone through the RNEP. although I don't have the "L" yet to go with the other two letters, I AM A NURSE!!!! And damn proud of it.

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yes... an LPN IS a nurse too! That's where the "N" comes from!

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Wanna know what makes the public really think you aren't a real nurse? Hospitals that hire only RNs. Our hospital only staffs LPNs in retirement communities and the skilled nursing facility wing here. Like they are saying you are better qualified to work for the people that are more predictable in knowing their outcome.

Well, actually, the main description for the LPN (at least here in New York State) is that we are to care for basically stable clients with predictable outcomes. That is what attracted me to practical nursing in opposed to registered nursing. I was not interested in ER, Critical Care, ICU, or really any specialties.

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Specializes in Surgical Nursing, Agency Nursing, LTC.

It's not just RN's that look down on LPN but it's MD's as well. I had an MD write and order for an RN to check NGT residual on MY patient. First of all who do u think put the d-mn thing in... duhhhh. So now u want an RN to check the residual. Give me a break... Needless to say that particular MD was not my favorite.... I truely believe now more than ever, we as LPN's have to be more proactive in our career's. Some LPN's I have came across have told RN's,"I'm just an LPN". STOP IT! :flamesonb If u act like ur worth nothing, they'll treat u like nothing!!!!! :bugeyes: I'm going back to school to be an RN and I would NEVER make an LPN feel like she/he is not a nurse. I was a CNA for 8 years and when I became a nurse, I treated my CNA's the way that they should be treated-part of the team.

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