JOJOS

Hello! I'm currently an LPN. I initially went into nursing because I wanted to work in OB (L&D more so, but have to be an RN). I realized this after having my first child. Well nursing school was tough and I had some bad experiences w/nurses and other staff. I didn't realize how vicious the nursing field could be. Well I got through it and started working in the mother/baby unit as a nurse assistant until I could take my LPN boards. I was only there a couple of months. I was shocked to find that I could not trust anyone there. There was so much backstabbing that I couldn't take it anymore. The manager was pyscho, nice one minute then flew off the handle the next. She actually accused me of being slow w/no initiative because a "few people" told her so. I was sooooooo shocked because that is the COMPLETE opposite of my character! I just started crying, I couldn't believe that was happening. I felt fearful of being trained as an LPN after that. I need to be in a understanding and caring atomosphere to be able to learn and I had no idea who would train me. I felt scared to ask a question. I overheard a nurse say that she did not have time to train anyone after I had ask her a few questions. The nice nurses really didn't say much about anyone they just went about there business. I just felt that I couldn't work somewhere like that. I've been working at a wonderful Assisted LIving facility for over a year and contemplated going on for my RN. I just had my third child at the same hospital and had wonderful nurses and have an ache to do what I intended to do all along..L&D. I'm going back for my RN in August and hope the OB manager is retired by the time I graduate. SHE'S the main problem. The other local hospital never has any OB openings because it's not as busy, so I have no other choice but to go back to the same hospital. The thing is I want to have some experience before I start there so I don't feel "stupid" and feel more confident. I won't know what kind of person will be training me. I feel overwhelmed because I know there is so much to learn. I was thinking about trying to precept at a hospital 2 hrs away maybe a couple days a month (all the time I can spare). It's a university hospital so I would think they would be a little more helpful in the learning process. Do you think this would be a good opportunity? Melissa

I think that that when an RN poses this question it may be out of jealousy. The fact that LPN's make as much as RN's in some areas must tick some RN's off. One year vs two years of schooling and no justification. There are ALOT of different reasons LPN's do not go on and I think the reasons are COMMONSENSE. Everyone has different life situations obviously. I graduated last May as an LPN and have recently decided to go on for my RN. My take was "get out and work and see how this field exactly is. Why waste another year of your life if this field is not right for you? I've encountered the most horrendous nurses and often wonder if they are disgruntled because they HATE the field and feel that they are "stuck". I am soooooooooo tired of people in the medical field, a field that should be filled with warm, caring people, constantly at each other's throats. I am going back to school with the belief that I will find a job that is filled with nice, wonderful nurses, etc. I was so turned off to the nursing profession while still in school and with my first job out of school because of the "vicious" people. The LPN's at the hospital I worked at got treated like "nobodies" and the sad part was that they knew more in that field than the RN's (a new RN told me she would rather ask the LPN's on the floor a question over the RN's). These LPN's worked there for a long time. EXPERIENCE gives you skills not the classroom. Susie, I feel that you have a jealousy toward LPN's otherwise you wouldn't have posted that kind of question. Why do you care why LPN's don't want to go on for their RN degree? YES it is great to have your RN, there are more benefits........like not being belittled by bitter RN's! Iris was 100% right in her post to you. You didn't have to say LPN's are useless, you did a great job INSINUATING(sp.) it! I think everyone can "read between the lines!" Melissa