Not a real nurse??

PHTLS · Mar 10, 2005

My OB instructor told us something on our last night of clinicals that I will not ever forget, she said no matter what our title, ADN, BSN, LPN, we are "all" nurses. :nurse: :yelclap:

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You forgot CNA's

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Mar 10, 2005

To say a CNA is a nurse is a false statement.

xmaxiex · Mar 11, 2005

I am in Connecticut . And the newest thing going on with the whole scenerio is the fact that although I operate in the capacity as "charge nurse" I cannot do my own admission assessments . This entails having the ADON called to my floor to do this , she often gets upset at this . As this is not my policy I let it blow right past me . I am not in control of these things , why take it out on me? And I have contacted my local state boards no less than 28 times in regards to clearing up an LPN's scope of practice in Connecticut and have yet to get a response . I am sure I am not the only one who would like to have this info ! No longer a newbie I have learned to not take anything personal , give the best that I have to my pt's , and when problems arise deal with them to the best of my ability and let it go . I must say this though I am agahst at the lack of support you recieve from your local boards! (naive I know) But one would actually like to think they would be there when needed !

Mandylpn · Mar 12, 2005

A CNA is not an actual nurse, a nurse is an LPN, ADN, BSN. A CNA is a certified nursing "assistant". :nono:

pediatriclpn · Mar 26, 2005

I understand your frustration. I read these boards and read about what other states allow and don't allow LPNs to do. And alot does fall on the facility as to what other restrictions they put on you. I found at one job that there were restrictions placed on LPN to do stuff with the MDS because the old DON was a "RNs are the only real nurses" sort of person. With time, and talking with the new DON we were able to release this restriction facility wide. There were other things also, but I can't remember them now. But if something is in your nurse practice act, but is restricted by facility policy, you need to talk with your DON, and find out if there is a way to get that policy changed. Sometimes those policies have been standing since the stone ages, and no one has noticed, or has seen the need for change. Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!

BAtoLPN · Mar 26, 2005

I am not really responding to any comment, just to the "general" title of this thread. I admit I WAS guilty of thinking that LPN's were not "real" nurses. I was on a waiting list for an ADN program, but discovered that if I entered the LPN program, I could get in earlier and thus finish my ADN earlier by doing the LPN to RN route. (The ADN program here is 5 semesters - the LPN program is the same as the ADN program, the LPN's just graduate after 3 semesters instead of 5.) I work full time and have a 7-year old daughter. I also have my BA, so I already had a lot of the "pre-nursing" classes.

ANYWAY! I was taking 3 classes (pharmacology, nutrition, and anatomy and physiology) AND starting my clinicals. Well, I had to drop the clinicals - it was too much to work, take 3 classes, be a decent mom, AND do well in clinicals! The thing that REALLY grated my nerves was that just prior to dropping clinicals (I am re-entering in the fall),my mom asked me if my clinicals were "boring" because I was just doing "LPN stuff." AHHHHH!!!! I wanted to choke her! Yeah, mom, "REAL" nurses (aka, RN's) don't wipe butts, and FAKE nurses (aka, LPN's) don't have to know SQUAT about medications, doing assessments, taking vitals, etc. GRRRR!!!! :madface:

Anyway, just wanted to apologize to all of you LPN's out there and let you know that I respect you and CAN'T WAIT to be one of you. I plan to work as an LPN while I pursue my RN, and you know what? I will be getting NURSING experience! I think that will look just lovely on my resume.

LPNer · Mar 26, 2005

I am not really responding to any comment, just to the "general" title of this thread. I admit I WAS guilty of thinking that LPN's were not "real" nurses. I was on a waiting list for an ADN program, but discovered that if I entered the LPN program, I could get in earlier and thus finish my ADN earlier by doing the LPN to RN route. (The ADN program here is 5 semesters - the LPN program is the same as the ADN program, the LPN's just graduate after 3 semesters instead of 5.) I work full time and have a 7-year old daughter. I also have my BA, so I already had a lot of the "pre-nursing" classes.
ANYWAY! I was taking 3 classes (pharmacology, nutrition, and anatomy and physiology) AND starting my clinicals. Well, I had to drop the clinicals - it was too much to work, take 3 classes, be a decent mom, AND do well in clinicals! The thing that REALLY grated my nerves was that just prior to dropping clinicals (I am re-entering in the fall),my mom asked me if my clinicals were "boring" because I was just doing "LPN stuff." AHHHHH!!!! I wanted to choke her! Yeah, mom, "REAL" nurses (aka, RN's) don't wipe butts, and FAKE nurses (aka, LPN's) don't have to know SQUAT about medications, doing assessments, taking vitals, etc. GRRRR!!!!
Anyway, just wanted to apologize to all of you LPN's out there and let you know that I respect you and CAN'T WAIT to be one of you. I plan to work as an LPN while I pursue my RN, and you know what? I will be getting NURSING experience! I think that will look just lovely on my resume.

Thank you!

CHPN1680 · Mar 26, 2005

My mom has been working in CT for many years. I have heard her speak of this ridiculousness of having an R.N. co-sign orders. This is something fairly recent. Not only has she been charge nurse for many years, but often the only IV certified nurse on her shift requiring her to run to the sub-acute floor to check IV's and complete the flowsheets every hour per facility protocol. Mind you, there were R.N.'s on the floor but were not IV certified. Does this make any sense?

I realize that practice acts vary from state to state. I was an LPN in LTC for many years. I am an R.N. now but cannot imagine having to co-sign a fellow nurse's orders. I do think that it is degrading. You can be trusted to pass cardiac meds but can't take a simple lab order for a PT/INR? Come on! What a poor use of resources.

This has motivated me to do a bit of research now.l I wonder if it is a facility interpretation or a change in the practice act.

LPNer · Mar 26, 2005

My mom has been working in CT for many years. I have heard her speak of this ridiculousness of having an R.N. co-sign orders. This is something fairly recent. Not only has she been charge nurse for many years, but often the only IV certified nurse on her shift requiring her to run to the sub-acute floor to check IV's and complete the flowsheets every hour per facility protocol. Mind you, there were R.N.'s on the floor but were not IV certified. Does this make any sense?
I realize that practice acts vary from state to state. I was an LPN in LTC for many years. I am an R.N. now but cannot imagine having to co-sign a fellow nurse's orders. I do think that it is degrading. You can be trusted to pass cardiac meds but can't take a simple lab order for a PT/INR? Come on! What a poor use of resources.
This has motivated me to do a bit of research now.l I wonder if it is a facility interpretation or a change in the practice act.

I don't know what state she is in, but I have never worked in a state where signing orders was against the LPN scope. I have worked in facilities where it was an RN job, but that was back when we did team nursing and the team leader was responsible for taking off orders. That of course was the RN. Hospital policy, as I remember, did not say the LPN could not sign orders off, just that the team leader was responsible fot it. Kind of gray now that I think of it, but we were so busy back then caring for 12 or more pts, there simply was not time to even think about signing off new orders!

I would like to know how her facility handles it if the Doc calls, wants to know this and that (which nobody would know if they weren't there) and leave an order. Does the charge nurse, the LPN, take the order then call the RN to sign it off?

sickbay · Mar 26, 2005

just wondering.......lpn's in other states just wondering what lpn's can & cant do in other states.... im in mass.
been a nurse for 8yrs now :balloons: and have done alot in my "short" career
so far. ive been a wound nurse, mds nurse, add-on nurse and a shift supervisor in an 150 bed snf/ltc facility as well as being a cna instructor(state certified) and of course a floor charge nurse. currently im a floor charge nurse (myself and the other nurse are charge (ltc unit) ) i have 23 pts on my wing ..total of 43 on the unit with 6 cna's
total for my 3-11 shift... how are the ratio's elsewhere? how is the pay in other areas? i made just over $55k last yr with very little overtime...
like i said....just wondering.................
i was also reading the beginning of this thread and i'm like...........what ???? lpns cant do assessments? md orders? im thinking , are these ppl from mars? the only thing i cant do as an lpn is sign the rap's and pronouncements....im sure there is a bit more , and iit depends on the facility....

i agree on u, i'm working as mds coordinator too and to tell u, i do everything , head to toe assessments, but rn has to countersign it and they got the credit for that... :rotfl: :uhoh21: kinda shame on my part but that's how we lvns are being treated when it comes to job scope i guess....

sickbay · Mar 26, 2005

just wondering.......lpn's in other states just wondering what lpn's can & cant do in other states.... im in mass.
been a nurse for 8yrs now :balloons: and have done alot in my "short" career
so far. ive been a wound nurse, mds nurse, add-on nurse and a shift supervisor in an 150 bed snf/ltc facility as well as being a cna instructor(state certified) and of course a floor charge nurse. currently im a floor charge nurse (myself and the other nurse are charge (ltc unit) ) i have 23 pts on my wing ..total of 43 on the unit with 6 cna's
total for my 3-11 shift... how are the ratio's elsewhere? how is the pay in other areas? i made just over $55k last yr with very little overtime...
like i said....just wondering.................
i was also reading the beginning of this thread and i'm like...........what ???? lpns cant do assessments? md orders? im thinking , are these ppl from mars? the only thing i cant do as an lpn is sign the rap's and pronouncements....im sure there is a bit more , and iit depends on the facility....

i agree on u, i've been a charge nurse and i carry out doctors orders, fall assessments, neurocheck and now working as mds coordinator too, and to tell u, i do everything , head to toe assessments, yup , but the sad part is rn has to countersign it and they got the credit for that... :rotfl: :uhoh21: kinda shame on my part but :crying2: that's how we lvns are being treated when it comes to job scope i guess....

char-rn · Mar 30, 2005

I think it's great that you are going to work as an LPN first. I have been in healthcare since 1975. I started as a nurses aide in LTC; went to school and worked as an LPN for 14 years before I decided to go back to school to become an RN, and graduated 10 years ago. My youngest child will be 21 this summer and I hope to graduate next spring with my BSN and a start on my Masters. I am the DON in a LTC facility and I love to hire RNs who have been LPN's or LPNs who have been nurses aides first. I think these nurses understand and can empathize with the staff they supervise. They can say "look, I've been where you're at, I understand how you feel, but this is the situation we are dealing with and this is what I need from you. I'll help you anyway I can because we're a team." LPNs definitely are real nurses! I depend on them in my building to be independent within their scope of practice, to use critical thinking skills, and to be "charge nurses". I like to think that I'm a better DON for having worked in so many different positions and capacities in LTC. :)

I am not really responding to any comment, just to the "general" title of this thread. I admit I WAS guilty of thinking that LPN's were not "real" nurses. I was on a waiting list for an ADN program, but discovered that if I entered the LPN program, I could get in earlier and thus finish my ADN earlier by doing the LPN to RN route. (The ADN program here is 5 semesters - the LPN program is the same as the ADN program, the LPN's just graduate after 3 semesters instead of 5.) I work full time and have a 7-year old daughter. I also have my BA, so I already had a lot of the "pre-nursing" classes.
ANYWAY! I was taking 3 classes (pharmacology, nutrition, and anatomy and physiology) AND starting my clinicals. Well, I had to drop the clinicals - it was too much to work, take 3 classes, be a decent mom, AND do well in clinicals! The thing that REALLY grated my nerves was that just prior to dropping clinicals (I am re-entering in the fall),my mom asked me if my clinicals were "boring" because I was just doing "LPN stuff." AHHHHH!!!! I wanted to choke her! Yeah, mom, "REAL" nurses (aka, RN's) don't wipe butts, and FAKE nurses (aka, LPN's) don't have to know SQUAT about medications, doing assessments, taking vitals, etc. GRRRR!!!!
Anyway, just wanted to apologize to all of you LPN's out there and let you know that I respect you and CAN'T WAIT to be one of you. I plan to work as an LPN while I pursue my RN, and you know what? I will be getting NURSING experience! I think that will look just lovely on my resume.