DaneluvinLPN

oops didnt see this before I posted

As someone who recently went back and got my RN I can appreciate the ocasional getting out a little early but what you describe is rediculous. Many others have pointed out that you aren't getting the education you should be which is true. But if that doesnt bother you maybe this will. Each state requires that each nursing student meet a minimum number of clinical hours before they can sit for licensure. Having said that imagine that you say nothing, life goes,you graduate and get your license and the same thing happens to the next class and the next etc. Then several years go by and finally someone comes along and does blow the whistle and then possibly the state board finds out. Next thing you know, you and anyone she taught has their license revoked because they didn't have enough clinical hours for licensure and you now have to go back to school. Not to mention all the nurses that graduated from the same program don't have the knowledge they need to properly care for their pts and one of them ends up caring for one of your family members. How do you feel about the situation now ? Also, as a nurse YOU are supposed to be the #1 advocate for your pt. That means you have to be willing to stand up to ANYONE, regardless of how anyone feels about it. That means other nurses, your boss, doctors, administration, family etc. Those situations are not private or secretive and can't be done by slipping a note under someones door. So if you can't stand up for yourself then how will you be able to stand up for your pts. Finally, your fellow students aren't paying your tuition and won't be sitting for licensure for you, and your instructor obviously doesn't care about you or your eduation so why in the world are you worried so much about them ? I understand you don't want to have to learn in a hostile environment, and if you can fic the situation with a simple note or email anonymously then fine, but if not you have to worry about YOUR future and your future pts. .............Hope this helps and that things work out for you :)

First to comment on the OP list of concerns, it would seem to me that the LPN orienting you could use some education on things. Having said that As an LPN I have oriented many RN's, and am surprised at the procedural things that new grads have only ever done on dummies in a clinical lab. As an LPN student we were required to perform just about every procedure a minimum of 3 times in the clinical setting before being allowed to pass that portion of our clinicals. Our instuctors would purposly find us patients on the floor that needed things like catheter changes etc. So again from the new grads I have oriented I've been very surprised how little they knew about how to perform most procedures. I live in Ohio and LPN's are not allowed to admin. TPN or blood products or IV push meds. But many new grads are unsure of how to even work an IV pump or how to mix TPN ect. and come and ask me. They ask me things lke how much saline should they flush before and after giving IV push meds or how to admin. certain IV push meds. LPN's in can hange fluids and antibiotics through a peripheral line only. We were allowed to hang them through a PICC until very recently when the laws changed. So again I'm surprised on how much procedural knowlege many RN grads don't have. After talking with a lot of new grad and LPN's that became RN's I feel this is because the focus of an LPN education is more patient based and and RN education seems to focus a lot on delegation. Now I know not all RN schools are the same just as no two LPN schools are. The other issue I feel is ( and someone else said it in an earlier post) RN's have NO CLUE what the LPN scope of practice is. I had a DON try to write me up a few times for doing things she said was out of my scope of practice, only for her to feel pretty stupid when I told her I wouldn't sign it because she was wrong and sure enough she was. So I think the biggest problem is many RN's come out of school with a preconceived notion that an LPN is basically an over glorified STNA/CNA that can pass meds. I actually had an RN tell me that LPN's are not taught critical thinking in school and I wasn't a "typical" LPN to be so knowlegable lol. The fact of the matter is that while some acceptions are out there LPN's are the redheaded step children among nurse and we get screwed CONSTANTLY. I see it all the time, inexperienced RN's are given charge of patients they wouldn't have the first clue of what to do if something happened and the pt. started to crash over an experienced LPN simply because they have RN next to thier name. I;ve seen SOOOOO many horrible and even life threatening decisions made by RN's that get over looked and the RN's gets babied and "it's ok mistaked happen" and then an LPN's that make a mistake 1/10th as sever and the LPN either gets written up or fired. Bottom line is that while I know several RN's that have a great deal of respect for LPN's, most do not and that I'm sorry to say will never change. That's why I'm back to school in Jan to get my RN's because I"m tired of most RN's treating me like I'm less before they even know my capabilities I have LPN after my name. But believe you me I suddenly because very capable when they need someone to work and there is no RN available lol.

I am a Central Grad and I'm sorry to say you are completely WRONG !!!! There were more black women and men in my class than whites. I know people with bachelor degrees that did not get into Centralso I don't think it had anything to do with color. You just didn't get in. Also are you sure when you called you spoke to a black women because their are 2 main receptionists and one is black. So before you assume it's them you may want to step back and re-evealuate things.

As a Central Grad myself I CHERISH the education I recieved from Central. I agree I would quit work TOMORROW and enroll if they had an RN program. !!!!

Sure have :). I am a Central grad and trust me when I tell you that if you are looking for easy Central is not the place. But if you are looking for a fantastic education then the only school you want is Central. I will soon be seeking my RN but will always be forever grateful for my days at Central. You will to I guarantee. Oh and just a hint. There will be 2 instructors that in the begining will scare the ever livin out of you but in the end you will count as your favorites. I still hear thier words in my head and they are with me with me thru ever patient. They have no idea the impact they had but I do lol. Good luck. Metro was my fav clinical rotation, I'm sure you'll love it to.

The truths is that ,in most cases, LPN's are not treated with any respect for thier knowledge or skills. LPN's are looked at as a step above STNA 's in the respect that we are only thier to be a work horse. ( I personally believe STNA's get abosolutely no credit for the part they contribute to pt. care and how important they are) We are treated as though we have no more knowledge base than how to pop pills out of packages and hand them out, and this line of thinking is DEFINITELY perpetuated from RN education right thru to managment and other RN's. I can't tell you how many new RN grads come on the scene with such and air of superiority and try from the first to tell me what's what. They haven't a CLUE but because they have RN next to thier name LPN's have to tiptoe around because we know when push comes to shove we will loose our jobs over the most minor of things while the RN can screw up BIG TIME and never have to worry for a second !!!! Most of the time I'm treated like a mindless med pusher whose only purpose is to get the meds out on time. I wish I would have known what I know now when I was in school I wouldn;t have tried so hard to get straight A's. What was the point of all that studying and learning if was never going to be taken seriously or given the chance to use my skills. I could have been a LOT less stressed and still passed the NCLEX