LPNs Supervising RNs

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I am a "mature" RN who left the field of long term care after nearly 30 years. After several years off,I decided to return and took a job with an agency. My first day back was with a LTC facility and my job was to pass meds. I find that my direct supervisor, who was the unit charge nurse was an LPN. Back in the day, this would never have happened. I have always had great respect for LPNs but their area of practice was not equilivant to mine. I found it quite uncomfortable to digress to a young woman who frankly didn't know what she didn't know. I refused to carry out an order that I felt was a detrement to my patient. I felt I was within my scope of practice. My question is: Has this happened to any one else or has things changed so much that we now have LPNs supervising RNs.

Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.
if you went to the top lpn school in the country and you didn't take all of those courses then i think your school does not qualify as a top school.

i went to lvn school a long time ago and i took all those courses plus additional courses not normally in civilian curriculum...to include leadership and supervision courses.

just curious ladyj. how long did you practice as a lpn before becoming a rn?

good one!!! :yeah::yeah::yeah: maybe she (ladyrn) needs to get her bsn too so she can look down on adn nurses as well and she can yet be again "above" somebody. i am sensing some low self-esteem issues here. :devil::chuckle

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Specializes in Emergency, LTC, Med/Surg.

Let me ask this question. Do any of the RN's that were at one time LPN's feel like they are more of a nurse now that you are "real nurses"?

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Specializes in LTC.
That is unacceptable! LPN's are not equal and will never be to RN's and I would never work under an LPN EVER!!! I worked too long and too hard to be an RN and that to me is demeaning. Not only that, but LPN's should not be in supervisory roles especially in LTC. They are just there to give meds and do treatments and help the aides when needed.

Wow.

Uh...you're not gonna start randomly killing off LPNs now, are you? Are we gonna see you on the 11 o'clock news? :down:

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Specializes in LTC.
When I went to LPN school, I didn't take all the courses listed because they were for the RN's not the LPN's. These classes are not offered for every LPN course - I went to the top LPN school in the country, I should know.

And you are the most arrogant person I've met on this board. :yawn:

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Specializes in LTC.
Piece of advice - if you are given an order by an LPN or ever told anything about a patient or resident by an LPN, double check it yourself or call an another RN or your DON. LPN's love to burn RN's especially when they are wishing they could be an RN themself.

So sad.

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Specializes in med/surg/tele/neuro/rehab/corrections.

Here LVN students do not take the same classes as do the RN's. My books were not the same as the RN students in the community colleges. I"ve sat thru anatomy in LVN and taken A&P1 and 2 in the CC and they are very different courses. I am a brand new LVN so this is relevant to today.

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Specializes in LTC.
After reading this message I felt I needed to respond. As an LPN that works in both LTC and emergency I find these comments insulting. The idea that an LPN can't possibly be as skilled or in some settings more skilled than an RN is appauling. At the LTC facility that I work at, we never allow agency workers to act in a charge role, regardless if they are LPN or RN. One reason is that it is unreasonable to expect that an agency RN would have enough knowledge of a resident to make a informed decision. LPN's that are aware of the past of a resident, would be better equipped to make decisions regarding that residents care.

:yeah:

And what of that just-out-of-school-twenty-something whose name tag is still so shiny you can clean your teeth in it? She the one you want to be "in charge", or would you feel more comfortable with the 30-plus years experience LPN?

I think we can all sus-out which one LadyJRN1 would want...

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Specializes in LTC.
Piece of advice - if you are given an order by an LPN or ever told anything about a patient or resident by an LPN, double check it yourself or call an another RN or your DON. LPN's love to burn RN's especially when they are wishing they could be an RN themself.

Right.

Let's change the names to protect the guilty a bit...

Piece of advice - if you are ever told anything about a patient or resident by an RN, double check it yourself or call an another NP or [the] Doctor. RN's love to burn NP's especially when they are wishing they could be an NP themsel(ves).

Hmmm...

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Specializes in LTC.
If you went to the top LPN school in the country and you didn't take all of those courses then I think your school does not qualify as a top school.

No kidding! :chuckle

My LPN school was nowhere NEAR the top of ANY list and I had to take those courses!

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Specializes in LTC.
We are all free to say what ever we think....however, each state has its own regulations. Read the Nurse Practice Act in your state. In MY state, LPNs cannot supervise RNs...it is as simple as that.

And yet, as we all learned very early on in nursing school, there are things according to the book, and there is the way it is done in the real world. :eek:

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Specializes in LTC.
I don't remember burning RNs to be part of my curriculum.

:bdyhdclp:

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Specializes in LTC.
I never thought my original question would start WWIII. I only wanted to know if the rules had changed since I had originally retired from Nursing. The reason for the question was that I was a bit shocked to see the situation. I noticed that most of the replys came from Nurses and yes I include LPNs in that sisterhood,who are either early in their practice or are youngish. And apparently things have changed. In my day LPNs could not practice anywhere but long term care and did the same things as a CNA with a bigger pay check. When I was a student nurse we stood when a doctor entered the nursing station and offered him our seat. Yes there was a pecking order and it wasn't built on experience.It was built on education. Some of that still holds true. I don't care how the cake is cut. There is still a big difference between a 14 month LPN program and 5 year BSN. Now ADNs require 3 years.In the Medical Fiels its the Sheepskin that counts. It's unfortunate but true. Can't be the CEO of IBM without at least a Masters:redbeathe:heartbeat

Hi Aloha,

Everything you said is true, to one extent or another. Many of us have gone the LPN route since it is the ONLY way to avoid the HUGE waiting lists one finds for BSN programs these days.

Still others have found their niche in LTC as LPNs, attracted to the bedside care or geriatric aspect. Some simply decide that they are happy with where they are in life, and that, as they say, is that.

One thing that has changed (and one that hasn't) is that LPNs are utilized across the spectrum these days. You will find MANY LPNs working hospital acute care sttings (E.R., ICU, NICU, etc), doctor's offices, and hospice. The can be found as school nurses, in the business world and in the "corner" med centers.

Education is still king, Aloha. And education still dictates where in the "pecking" order you might fall, but the lines have certainly blurred over the years, dear! :chuckle

Unlike our sour sister, here, most LPNs and RNs are hugely supportive of on another, both on this forum and in their work lives, and we rely heavily upon one another for emotional, experience AND educational support.

Some, unfortunately, still walk around with a huge chip on their shoulders, but I am afraid that this will never change.

Peace and goodwill to you,

Michael

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