Prefering RNs to LPNs

litbitblack, ASN, RN · Apr 10, 2008

THe debate about hospitals going all rn has been going on for a while. I think its along the lines of getting rid of pt techs. RNs basically look at the how and why and develop care plans while lvns are trained more task oriented. i was an lvn for 5 yrs when i got my rn and i noticed about six months thru school it was taking me longer to get out off my shift. I guess i was thinking like an rn. I always thought I could do the rn work as an lvn and then it wasn't till i hit the floor as an rn that i noticed the difference.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Apr 10, 2008

I was told that the hospitals are perfering RN's to LPN's and I would be better off taking the RN route for the long run. Is this true?

Remember that there are more stimulating workplaces in existence for all levels of nurses that don't involve hospitals. The hospital doesn't need to be your ultimate destination as a place of employment (it surely isn't mine!).

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Apr 10, 2008

.....

PsychNurseWannaBe, BSN, RN · Apr 10, 2008

I thought that was strange....I kept looking for when somebody called something 'crap'...

Yeah...it was weird. I was like...oh no... my comment is going to be taken out of context. I don't know where that thread went. It was someone who wanted to know about RN and LPNs but they were from Canada. Posters here gave typical replies about scopes of practice. One said it was crap that LPNs got paid less. OP implied they didn't want legal things but more opinions. So I posted mine with a little sarcasm like..."is this what you are looking for as a reply..." :) I saw it go to that thread but then it hopped to this one.

LOL... That's what I get for trying to be funny and sarcastic at the same time. :chuckle

I had it removed...so now your reply is going to look strange. Sorry...

Mexarican · Apr 10, 2008

yup...it's true

Mex

tirednursedude · Apr 10, 2008

LPNs are going to go the way of the dodo in a hospital environment anyway.They belong in a SNU or nursing home,not a fast paced hospital. Between having to do all of their IV meds,do their charting,do their consents,do their discharges,asses their patients as well as yours,they are just more of a liability than they are helpful. Unless you totally trust your LPN to do the assessment well,you have to do it yourself.Then if anything happens to this patient down the road and the LPN didnt see it or didnt tell the RN,the RN covering the LPN is the one who gets popped. I would much rather have 7 patients on my own than have 5 and cover 2 LPN patients.

They just don't belong in a hospital where things need to get done now and fast that an RN has to do for them.I hate to say all this,but it's the truth.

Spend the extra year in school,become an RN,you will make twice as much and be much happier for it. LPNs dont make much more here than a patient care assistant/nurse aide, but you have 1000x the responsibility.Frankly most of the LPNs we have are lazy,they wanted a fast way out of school to make more than they could at wal mart.Again,sad but true.There are some dedicated LPNs,but at my hospital at least,1 of 5 is actually worth having there.

nurseby07 · Apr 11, 2008

LPNs are going to go the way of the dodo in a hospital environment anyway.They belong in a SNU or nursing home,not a fast paced hospital. Between having to do all of their IV meds,do their charting,do their consents,do their discharges,asses their patients as well as yours,they are just more of a liability than they are helpful. Unless you totally trust your LPN to do the assessment well,you have to do it yourself.Then if anything happens to this patient down the road and the LPN didnt see it or didnt tell the RN,the RN covering the LPN is the one who gets popped. I would much rather have 7 patients on my own than have 5 and cover 2 LPN patients.
They just don't belong in a hospital where things need to get done now and fast that an RN has to do for them.I hate to say all this,but it's the truth.
Spend the extra year in school,become an RN,you will make twice as much and be much happier for it. LPNs dont make much more here than a patient care assistant/nurse aide, but you have 1000x the responsibility.Frankly most of the LPNs we have are lazy,they wanted a fast way out of school to make more than they could at wal mart.Again,sad but true.There are some dedicated LPNs,but at my hospital at least,1 of 5 is actually worth having there.

Ouch! You're gonna get nailed for that one. I shall sit and watch...

PsychNurseWannaBe, BSN, RN · Apr 11, 2008

Ouch! You're gonna get nailed for that one. I shall sit and watch...

:lol2:

CHATSDALE · Apr 11, 2008

if you can afford to go the rn route first it is preferable because it opens more doors than you could ever get as a lpn

going to schooll as an rn is , at least in this area, is easier than going to lpn school because in lpn you have to keep pace with the rest of the class

in rn school if you find that you are being overwhelmed by the amount of study you can drop one class and concentrate on the others and pick up a class later

pay will be much better which never hurts

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Apr 11, 2008

LPNs are going to go the way of the dodo in a hospital environment anyway.

Ehh, that's been said for years. I doubt it will ever happen. It will probably happen the day that ADN nurses are eliminated...

Otessa, BSN, RN · Apr 11, 2008

I was told that the hospitals are perfering RN's to LPN's and I would be better off taking the RN route for the long run. Is this true?

Back in 1992 when I got out of nursing school as an RN the hospital where I worked was phasing out LPNs-they weren't firing LPNs but they were basically being demoted to CNAs.

I have worked in 4 states and haven't worked with any further LPNs in a hospital setting that hadn't been there for years and were working toward their BSN or decided to be a CNA-they weren't hiring ANY new LPNs.