laughingrose

i have been an lpn for 38 years, having gone to a old time hospital program. I have worked in numerous areas, as a floor nurse, med nurse, charge nurse, treatment nurse, and an office nurse. i started my career as an icu nurse, then went to a large hospital as a burn unit nurse. after the birth of my last child i returned to find out i was pushed out of the unit as lpns would no longer be there- i would be in the float pool but was told i would float to the units all the time but would lose my specialty pay and would still need to attend icu classes. that was thirty years ago and we have been loosing ground ever since. it may be unpopular to say, but the quality of the graduates and depth of knowledge from the adult education centers that replaced the hospital schools has been the death knell to our profession and our place, as the bedside nurse. i can hold on for another few years but then when i say i spent my life as an lpn, it will mean so much less then the nurse i have been.