I had my first shift last night on a Med-Surg Oncology floor. I was shocked to find out that I was being oriented to the unit by a LVN. Now I realize that we do a lot of the same tasks as RNs but there are other things that I would be doing that they don't...
Has any RN out there been trained by a LVN? I am a new graduate, and I know I have A LOT TO LEARN but this particular LVN was engaging in unsafe behavior consistently--she seriously only used gloves twice the entire shift.
I was thinking about meeting with the nurse manager because I told the charge nurse and she didn't seem too concerned. Everyone seems very lax on this floor and I did have a great time but I know that is not what is important. Do you think it would be too ballsy for a new grad RN employee to meet with the nurse manager this soon?? The LVN was extremely nice and was trying to be helpful but she gave me incorrect information multiple occasions as well.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
right answer off the record, wrong answer on the record. you can learn from others, but not in orientation. if you were ever pulled into court, and they (the lawyer on the other side) saw that you were trained by an lpn and you were an rn, --you're instantly on the defensive.
you can learn from anyone and everyone. but not while paperwork and legal documents are in question.
get another preceptor stat. today. now. yesterday. go!!!!!!
i think that would depend upon what exactly she's learning from the lpn. if she's learning things that are within the scope of practice of both rns and lpns, i don't see a problem. i would think that she'd be learning things that are strictly in the rn scope of practice from an rn.
I worked with an LVN who was charged with orienting a new RN. She said over and over, "I don't orient RNs". (This LVN was on the mean and nasty side anyway). The RN was so put off by this and I assume other things about the place, that she didn't even last for one week. I would have thought that the bosses could have picked a better preceptor, whether LVN or RN, and they knew it.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
4581929[/size]]i'm pretty sure the lpn will not want to continue the relationship so likely problem solved there.[/quote']
and it's a shame -- the op had a chance to learn from a nurse she admits was really nice to her. now she's already got a black mark -- or two -- against her at that job. those are much easier to accumulate than to live down.
I have read afew of the posts hope I'm not restating. The best advice I can give u is this. Think about WHO you are reporting ( cause that is what you are doing) not the title the person. Is this the most loved nurse in the building? Does all her peers think she's great? If this is the case you might want to think twice. Your life could become a living hell. You work nights and we are a different shift all together. We had a CNA who was best friends with the supervisor at the hospital. She did NOTHING except take smoke breaks for like 10 yrs. If you even thought to say anything you had the supervisor all over you. As it has been stated you know your standard of care. Now the other wrong information. Was this information the type of thing that could have killed someone? If an RN had given you this information would you still want to say something? The REAL reason I say this is what do you think the nurse manager's response will be. In both cases RN/LPN she probably going to tell you that you have a license and YOU are responsible for YOUR actions. In time you will probably do charge and you may be in a postion to educate her in respectable way. I'm in no way tell you to let it go. Wrong information is wrong. You could say something in a nice way like "I thought or I do it this way" or even "such said you do it this way, I really want to learn how to do it the right way, so which way is correct?" All you night nurses know how this could play out badly if handled incorrectly. There is a reason why they say "Nurses eat their young" . Lastly I have trained both the RNs that work with me. Why cause the other LPN and I were the best choices. All the day training in the world does not prepare you for 11-7. I hope it all works out for you.
Lastly the RNs were trained on days by RNs so they were trained by RNs then put on nights. In my part of the country we can train RNs as it is in the union handbook for both sides. So no legal issues on my end. I should have stopped reading the posts and now I will
she may be an LVN and you're an RN but guess what: an LVN with years of experience can do more than an RN with no experience. you may not get to utilize all your nursing skills, but no one will do every skill everyday. things like not wearing gloves is on her... we wear gloves for our OWN safety. but you, wear your gloves. and if she's doing something like giving the wrong meds, that definately needs to be brought to someone's attention. that has absolutely nothing to do with being an LVN or RN.
they probably only placed you with her because they were under staffed and had no one else. learn what you can from her for the shift. but if you work with her everyday bring it to the manager's attention, as you will never learn all your skills and responsibilities.
Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
i think that would depend upon what exactly she's learning from the lpn. if she's learning things that are within the scope of practice of both rns and lpns, i don't see a problem. i would think that she'd be learning things that are strictly in the rn scope of practice from an rn.
from the op, that is not what i am understanding. i truly think she is officially being trained by an lpn. i agree with you as long as that is written and clearly stated. but then why is she with her all day?
i'd just get the preceptorship in situ with the proper preceptor, and then go on and learn/choose/pick from those around her. as a new nurse, you learn to figure out who is really good or not....regardless of the title--but officially, i would cya.. cya.. cya...
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
DON'T SAY ANYTHING. When in Rome....do as the Romans. The most important thing you have to learn is politics. You will get blacklisted and lose your job. Who are the LPN's friends? Do you know that? She was nice to you - thank your lucky stars! The MANAGER knows she assigned an LPN to train you. Are you questioning her logic????? This is the reality of it - which is wrong, but reality.
Good luck.
I hate to sound like someone's Mom (and I don't even have kids) but really, "when in Rome"? So if everyone else jumps off a cliff, the OP should jump as well? "She was nice to you, thank your lucky stars"?
This isn't about being nice. This is about a new nurse getting the right training from the get go. She's a new nurse, but she seems to know well enough to know her preceptor has bad habits. Darned skippy she needs a new preceptor.
I will say that after working in health care over 25 years (I started at 15- CNA, QMA, LPN, and now nearly RN) I have worked with many a nurse. I will say that I have learned that the "alphabet" doesn't mean as much as everyone would like it to. I have worked with LPN's who had so much experience and knowledge they could have trained the DON 2x over- and I have come across some RN's who felt it was beneath them to do more than sit at the desk and dictate- actually touch a bedpan? No, not them! By the same token, my favorite nurse in the world is an RN- with many, many years of experience- I only hope I will know as much as her one day. I guess in our little corner of the woods, for the most part we simply work together- those that have the experience and knowledge are the ones who lead- If that means the new RN gets trained by the LPN with 20 years experience, then I say the RN is the lucky one- by simply listening she may gain much. We may learn the basics in school, but you truly begin to learn when you go out on the floor. So much cannot be taught in a book! "Booksmart" is great. But experience counts for much more. If it were my mother, I'd take the LPN with 20 years in a heartbeat to care for her. We are allowed in our area to function much like an RN- because so many RN's refuse the LTC/SNF route- even in my current classes, I hear repeatedly "Why would you ever want to waste your time there". I guess my advice would be to continue on, be enthusiastic, ask ALOT of questions, and quit worrying about who has what initials right now. I would guess after you have the basics down, you will be asked to learn about/take on new responsiblities. A wise employer will feel you out a little before handing over the "big stuff". All our nurses learn about the CNA's responsibilites, the QMA's responsibilites ( and yes, today I watched a QMA of 10 years train our newest RN on the med cart- and it went well!) the Charge Nurse's responsibilites......an effective leader will be able to clearly understand what her staff is capable of- and how to know better than to learn/do it yourself! Take heart, realize that what we are taught in school is usually considered "Utopia". The real world is much more practical and efficient. Remember your infection control, be professional, kind and courteous. Do not alienate those who may be "beneath you", as those are the very people you will want to respect you down the road. Good luck to you.
Not the popular opinon, but I'd ask for orientation with an RN. It's got nothing to do with education vs experience or an LPN (or anyone else) being "beneath" an RN. The RN and LPN scope of practice is different in my state and as a new grad RN, I need to be with an RN who can teach me what I need to know within my scope. An LPN can't teach me what they can't do. Also, at my facility not all of the documentation for the RN and LPN are the same so even though an LPN may have lots of experience and a ton of knowledge, they are missing out on the ability to help with one of the most basic (and significant) of my orientation needs. If I'm having to run to another RN for half my questions, it just makes sense to ask that I be put with an RN to begin with.
I'm all for learning what you can where you can but my orientation was for my benefit and no way was I going to short change myself by being put in situations where I couldn't learn everything I needed to do my job safely.
What this pretty much boils down to is the mode of training in RN classes. These instructors consciously or unconsciously give out these vibes that LPN are below nurse( which in degree they are, true), but the vibe is more of LPNs being lowly and an RN should rise above them.
Then you go into the real world and realize it is not exaclty so, but the nuture one has recieved from instructors makes it hard to easily shake of that feeling of the "unjustness of being precepted by an LPNs".
It is what it is. The poster should not be faulted- she will adapt. To solve this issue, we need to start at the crux of the matter.
With that being said though, I'm still of the firm belief that RNs should be precepted by RNs!
Ruby Vee, BSN
17 Articles; 14,053 Posts
i think that would depend upon what exactly she's learning from the lpn. if she's learning things that are within the scope of practice of both rns and lpns, i don't see a problem. i would think that she'd be learning things that are strictly in the rn scope of practice from an rn.