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 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Specializes in Med/Surg, Geri, Ortho, Telemetry, Psych.
I was in orientation with a few RNs and one of them asked me if I wanted to become a nurse, and I told her "I already am".

OMG! How did you keep your composure? That would have made me so angry.:smokin:

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

I just can't believe the number of RN's who are put into positions to "supervise" LPN's and have this minimal level of knowledge about their education and/or scope of practice.

This bears repeating.

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Specializes in Geriatrics/Family Practice.

I've overheard RN's with their BSN ask RN's with their ADN if they are going to go back and get their BSN. I think that nursing in general is a big hierarchy of whose got the most education. If I did go back and get my RN ADN, then someone would ask when am I going to get my BSN, and then my Masters, and then my NP. You can go to school forever if you want. I started school after I had kids and I know I could go all the way, but that is not my priority right now or probably never will be. I like working prn and being home with my children when I want to. This is a career change for me to test out. If I like it, great, if not, I'll move on (either up the nursing ladder or out the door of nursing). But for now I'm content with the enormous responsibility that wee little LPN's have.

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Specializes in Dialysis, Emergency, Research, F. P..

Hey everyone, I too am proud to be a LPN:monkeydance: I work in a dialysis unit, where I have had all except one RN tell me that I was nothing but a PCA, to include the supervisor/clinical director. I've had the comments made that they have much more education and a better understanding of what's going on with our patients and the human body. You should have seen their faces when I told them I held a B.S in Biology/Psychology with experience in cardiology. Also, that I had over 15 hours in Health Care Administration.

I chose not to pursue my RN because I believed in patient care, most new RN's are in it for the money and spend very little time really caring for the patient, both physically and mentally/emotionally.

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Specializes in Internal Medicine/acute Med Surg/OB/Derm.

I have read every posting, and yes I too have met my share of uninformed RNs, ARNP and public. I believe that is the problem. People in general, as well as RNs and Advanced practitioners just don't know what we can do. Depending on our state, we can do many things. Some states are very restrictive, some more liberal. I don't think people outside the LPN/LVN community really know what , or who we are. WE ARE QUALIFIED CAPABLE NURSES.

I can honestly say that 3 days out of 5 I go home knowing that I made a difference in somebody's life. The pay ain't great, but the reward is so much better. I am content where I am professionally, until some uninformed individual verbalizes a slight against my abilities. Then, yes I question, should I go back to school to get that piece of paper that says I can do, what I am already doing. I am blessed enough to have people within my organisation remind me frequently what an outstanding job I am doing. I work with an amazing MD and a NP who started out as a LPN frm the same school I graduated from. Not everyone is as lucky.

I understand the frustration, but maybe we need to focus on educating the rest of the medical community as far as what we are capable of both legally and by performance. We know what we do, we know our own value, so maybe we need to let every one else in on this well kept industry secret!!

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I have been an LPN for 2 years, i am currently working at a nursing home. I worked at a hospital for a while but felt very unappreciated, because i am just an LPN. I have had people say, OH your a nurse, and when i reply yes an LPN , they say OH and change the subject. I am very proud of myself for my accomplishment. The only difference between and LPN and RN are pre-requisites, and i have taken all of them. All I have left to become an RN are 1 year of nursing classes. By the way I think if all of our prereqs are done we should be able to challenge the NCLEX for RN, I consider the clinical hours done from on the job training.

:nurse: Yes, I do consider myself a real nurse!!!

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i hate it when people find out that i'm a nurse and naturally assume that i am an "rn" and i'd have to explain that i am an LVN and their reaction is almost always "LVN? Whats that?". At my facility, LVNs do as much (if not MORE) than the RNs. LVNs truly deserve more credit AND better pay :D

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Specializes in LTC, cardiac, ortho rehab.

yeah ive only been in nursing for 6 months now and ive encountered my own frustrations. My mom and i also run a residential care facilty. one of our residents had an emergency soi called up 9-1-1. i got our residents paper work ready, positioned the patient on his uneffected side, and got him ready for transport. when the emt was reading my writing he said that i had the writing of a doctor. i said that i was a nurse, an lvn. one of the emt guys said "oh, your about to be a nurse." i responded by saying, no, i am a nurse, im the real deal and my lvn is so much more than your 6 month emt course... i know i shouldnt have said that much but at that point, i was just furious. the emt guy just disrespected me, my mom, my brother, and the whole lvn profession. i worked really hard to be an lvn, to be a nurse, and i wasnt gonna sit around to let some emt disrespect me and my passion. i was gonna say more to him but i had to control myself. well, the emt ended up walking away after i said what i said. i felt pretty horrible when they left. =(

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

I had a situation where I went to an army base with an RN to give immunizations and I was specifically there to also draw blood. A solider sat down before me and asked me if I was an RN and I said "LPN". Then, he said "Oh, I want an RN to help me...don't they have more skills?" I then looked down at the roster and saw that he needed blood to be drawn (that RN didn't have a clue how to take blood on a vein the size of a water hose) as well as checked to see what shots he was supposed to get. I sent him to her. She stated that she didn't have time to check, but told him and me that he was supposed to get a tetorifice shot. I told the solider that he had his dT shot two years ago, and he was due his second Hep A and third Hep B...and then, the RN told him that "That NURSE is better skilled to draw blood than I. Don't ever assume that I would delegate a person that is not educated in what they are assigned to do". I looked at that jerk and grinned. Told him that he is mandated to have his blood drawn, or I would contact his commanding officer. The idiot actually shook. I drew his blood gently, and told him not to ever make a comment like that again.

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Specializes in Day Surgery/Infusion/ED.

I chose not to pursue my RN because I believed in patient care, most new RN's are in it for the money and spend very little time really caring for the patient, both physically and mentally/emotionally.

If you want to be respected, you also need to be respectful of others. That was a grossly unfair comment.

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Specializes in geriactric and psych.
yeah ive only been in nursing for 6 months now and ive encountered my own frustrations. My mom and i also run a residential care facilty. one of our residents had an emergency soi called up 9-1-1. i got our residents paper work ready, positioned the patient on his uneffected side, and got him ready for transport. when the emt was reading my writing he said that i had the writing of a doctor. i said that i was a nurse, an lvn. one of the emt guys said "oh, your about to be a nurse." i responded by saying, no, i am a nurse, im the real deal and my lvn is so much more than your 6 month emt course... i know i shouldnt have said that much but at that point, i was just furious. the emt guy just disrespected me, my mom, my brother, and the whole lvn profession. i worked really hard to be an lvn, to be a nurse, and i wasnt gonna sit around to let some emt disrespect me and my passion. i was gonna say more to him but i had to control myself. well, the emt ended up walking away after i said what i said. i felt pretty horrible when they left.
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Specializes in geriactric and psych.

:roll Yes Yes .Most excellent action and reply to this tuff army man .Sounds like he was more afraid of the needle and having blood drawn. and the RN well she gets my respect because she's not afraid to point out the qualifications of the LPN. Therefore she does respect you for your abilities .Not in nursing for the money, control,power.

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