Lpn's

Originally posted by pettyfoot

Thanks for the reply to my question about an LPN to RN program without clinicals. In response to the BON'S requiring clinical time, most nurses, LPN or RN, at least in my facility, work side by side and perform the same tasks. RN courses do not even have a quarter of the clinical time as an LPN. Management is the main focus in most RN programs.

I disagree with two of your statements. That RN programs focus on management, which wasn't the focus of my RN program and my experience. And that RNs have less clinical time. RNs go to school longer and thus have more clinical time. Especially during the preceptorship, RNs do full time clinicals for weeks at the end.

It's true though that on a task-oriented level, the RNs and the LPN on the floor in the unit I work at perform the same tasks.

Originally posted by pettyfoot

Thanks for the reply to my question about an LPN to RN program without clinicals. In response to the BON'S requiring clinical time, most nurses, LPN or RN, at least in my facility, work side by side and perform the same tasks. RN courses do not even have a quarter of the clinical time as an LPN. Management is the main focus in most RN programs.

So, what's your point? Are you trying to decide which program is right for you? Whether you decide to be an LPN or RN then by all means just go for it. Oh, and by the way most RN's I know are at the bedside.

You missed the first part of my discussion. One of the replys stated that an RN's clinicals were different than an LPN'S clinicals. I have been an LPN for 11 years and yes the RN's do some bedside but mostly charge the floor. I am looking for an RN program that does not have clinicals. I will be taking the program online. :roll

Well go luck finding a program that you don't have to do clinicals. That doesn't make any sense why you wouldn't have to do clinicals in a RN program, just b/c you are already an LPN. Being a RN is more than charting and being in charge. At the hospital I am at, 98% of the floor nurses are RNs and the other 2% are LPNs and Aides.

And as far as LPNs having more clinical time.. I disagree about my program and everyother program I know about. We are in clinicals 3-4days a week (depending on semester), doing full shifts.. Then at the end of my 4th semester we were in clinical EVERY day of the week working 40hrs a week. Thats a bunch of clinical time to me..

You might be thinking of a BSN program where they do have a LOT more management type courses.. But they ALSO do tons of clinical time.. I would be interested to see a RN program with hardly any clinical time..

Pettyfoot, okay I must have missed your discussion. Hey, good luck on reaching your goals.

Well there is away to get around clinicals. If you do your program online, you spend a weekend at a designated facility and complete your clinicals in 21/2 days. This is the route I think I will take. It is more costly, but worth it. I have been a nurse on a cancer floor for 8 years, and it is a waste of time and money to have me go through clinicals. Wish me luck!

Originally posted by pettyfoot

Thanks for the reply to my question about an LPN to RN program without clinicals. In response to the BON'S requiring clinical time, most nurses, LPN or RN, at least in my facility, work side by side and perform the same tasks. RN courses do not even have a quarter of the clinical time as an LPN. Management is the main focus in most RN programs.

You are overgeneralizing. Maybe in BSN programs management is more of a focus, not 'the' focus. My RN program had plenty of clinical...it was a diploma/hospital program. In YOUR facility RNs and LPN's do the same job....not everywhere is this true. Their are differences in scope of practice and accountability/ liability issues.

You are referring to the Excelsior program (and similar). Many of my LVN coworkers have become RN's through this program. Good luck to you. The weekend clinical is an exam, not an experience...so you will be expected to demonstrate what you know under test conditions.

Do LPNs really go around thinking they do more clincials in school? I think in my ADN program we have about as many clinical days all toll as the LPNs have class days in their entire program.

I get in trouble for this all the time, but this "LPNs are just as qualified and do the same job as RNs" is irritating. We let it slide because we are RNs and know better. I mean, whatever gets them through the night.

I will grant you that in facilities that use a lot of LPNs, RNs may take on more of the charge and management duties, but on the stepdown unit where I work as an aid and will work as an RN, they don't have any LPN positions.

If I have to tell them they're just the same as me for political correctness, fine, but I'm not going to stand by while they tell me they do more clinicals in school...cause it just ain't so.

Originally posted by ADNRN

Do LPNs really go around thinking they do more clincials in school? I think in my ADN program we have about as many clinical days all toll as the LPNs have class days in their entire program.

IIf I have to tell them they're just the same as me for political correctness, fine, but I'm not going to stand by while they tell me they do more clinicals in school...cause it just ain't so.

I would like to know where you go to school-just how long do you think most lpn programs are? My program had more clinical hours then the adn program that was based at the same hospital...When I have time I will try to get some specific info...Any LPN with a lick of common sense knows we are NOT the same-however we are capable of filling quite similar positions.Each state's nurse practice act is different and in many areas LPN's are utilized to their fullest extent...Just because YOU have not seen a thing does not mean it does not exist...How many yrs of experience do you have?

In the year I went to LPN school, I spent over 700 hours in clinicals. A good friend of my got her ADN with just a little over 300 clinical hours! Go Figure!

WOW. Sure is alot of anger out there. I am an RN. I'm proud of it. I worked really hard to get my degree. Honestly, I simply prefer to work with a really nice nurse. I have come in contact with many different kinds of nurses. Nice, mean, hard working, lazy. kind, stab ya in the back. The education level didn't seem to matter.

Well thank you for that reply. I was trying to explain that an LPN does not go to school as long as an Rn, but, the programs here are 15 months and the adn program is 24 months. When we do clinicals, it is 5 days a week with a patient load of about 4. We dont have the luxury of 1 patient. In the facility I work in we do have alot of LPN's, but are expected to take care of our patients to the fullest. This is to include calling our own docs, and basically total care. We carry and average patient load of about 10-13 patients on a normal day. The only thing we dont do is take off orders and put in care plans. This was not meant to be a debate about lpn vs rn, but I get the same reply wherever I bring this subject up. Thanks for your support. :roll