My professor is an LPN in a BSN program

Hello everyone,

I am in my senior year in a BSN program in Tennessee. I just learned my professor for next Semester is not an RN she is an LPN. I'm curious to see if this is allowed?

Thanks.

That makes no sense when most BSN programs require that instructors publish as well as hold at least an MSN.

Are you certain of this? Did he/ she perhaps START as an LPN and you misunderstood? Does he/she teach something other than nursing and holds a degree in that area?

Nope I checked her credentials she has a PHD in her field with her LPN

This sounds like someone I once worked with. Fancy degree from an Ivy League school but only an LVN. The employer devised a "fancy" job title for this LVN to hold over the other LVNs, they were inserted in the supervisory chain over the others. All kinds of sensible since the fancy degree had nothing to do with nursing.

The Board of Nursing should address that in the Nurse Practice Act. While that seems really unusual, it's possible the PhD is what counts. What course is she teaching?

Mental health

Mental health

Umm, no.... I don't think that would fly in Michigan....

One of my former clinical instructors was an LVN with a masters degree in education (MEd). So, yes, this situation is possible depending on the state and the type of institution (community college, university, technical college, or trade school).

Unless she is supervising the clinical practice of RN students, I don't see the problem. Most nursing instructors have never worked in psych.

Unless she is supervising the clinical practice of RN students, I don't see the problem. Most nursing instructors have never worked in psych.

My psych professor worked in...you guessed it, pysch. Never realized this was unusual.

And what is her PhD in? If it's in psychology or something similar, then I think it's quite appropriate.

Education

Unless she is supervising the clinical practice of RN students, I don't see the problem. Most nursing instructors have never worked in psych.

She is supervising my clinical's

Believe me or not, there are people who can rightfully title themselves like "LPN, PhD" or "ASN, MSN". It happens pretty often with foreign-trained nurses, those who get another, frequently unrelated degree after entry-level nursing one and then return back to academia (which looks like the case being discussed), and those who go through "RN to MSN" type programs which never technically grant BSN. All that is perfectly legal.

In addition, some people just prefer to put their first and last degrees after their name for convinience sake. A title like "Dr. Mary Jones, LPN, ASN, BSN, MSN, MEd, PMHNP, PhD" tells quite an avesome lifestory but it is kind of awkward to use.

Edited Nov 14, 2016 by KatieMI