Barbara Rose

Well, I started out as a CNA, then LVN, am now an ADN working on my BSN (for 15yrs.now) and plan to get a dual masters within the next 5 years. Nothing wrong with any of the education, or the jobs. I am getting the education to satisfy those who think only degreed individuals can think, but I will continue to work for the bedside nurse, and will always do some form of hands on nursing. That is what I do and what I love. Health care is changing and if we don't change with it, we will be left behind, lacking and fustrated once again. The fighting between us has got to stop, and the movement for recognition, control of our profession, better pay and working conditions has got to move forward. If you don't like something in your life, you change it (husbands, jobs, weight, hair color, etc.) well, nursing as a profession is no different. It will take all of us to work together to move into the future, a future we choose for ourselves. If this is it, then we are in real trouble.

Well, I started out as a CNA, then LVN, am now an ADN working on my BSN (for 15yrs.now) and plan to get a dual masters within the next 5 years. Nothing wrong with any of the education, or the jobs. I am getting the education to satisfy those who think only degreed individuals can think, but I will continue to work for the bedside nurse, and will always do some form of hands on nursing. That is what I do and what I love. Health care is changing and if we don't change with it, we will be left behind, lacking and fustrated once again. The fighting between us has got to stop, and the movement for recognition, control of our profession, better pay and working conditions has got to move forward. If you don't like something in your life, you change it (husbands, jobs, weight, hair color, etc.) well, nursing as a profession is no different. It will take all of us to work together to move into the future, a future we choose for ourselves. If this is it, then we are in real trouble.

I was told the same thing back in 1980 when I started LVN school. I then continued to RN school, realized I wasn't ahead anyway, and am still working on getting a BSN so I can be a real nurse. That was now 20 years ago, and I am still the same nurse I was then. LVN and RN knowledge are different, but LVN's with years of experience can (and some are) much better than RN's I know. I prefer some LVN's to care for me rather than RN's, it is in the nurse folks, not necessarily the education. I for one am for all the education you can get but the most important thing is the person behind the title and their committment to the profession as a whole. This may never take place anyway with the nursing shortage like it is now. Sooooo, don't worry about it!!!

jt, and others: I just returned from a meeting with TNA in Austin; among other things I found out that TNA has asked our legislators for $40million this session for education,including tuition with stipulation to work for at least 1 year. This includes both hospital and nursing homes. There are also negotiations underway with hospital association and Dept. of Health to make licensure/operation directly tied to staffing ratios controlled by panels with floor nurses setting ratios, and no ability to staff with mandatory overtime. This sounds like a good compromise and I am waiting for further details. Perhaps you all could suggest these types of solutions in your states as well.

I know some of you and I know you are active and not just venting. To the others of you I have to say, keep up the hard work. Nurses have to make our profession note worthy, we have to increase our visibility and worth ourselves. As more and more nurses become more and more vocal, the public and business will listen. Jt, just like your patient said about working conditions, the patients know when they are in the health care system, but once they are out or if they haven't been in, they don't know or forget fast. Nurses have to stay in the center of news, legislation, and work with each other, other groups, and even those we are fighting against to solve our problems. Write letters to not just the networks but your legislators both at the state and national level about your concerns. Get involved in other areas such as your state associations, new groups, unions, advocacy groups, etc. and keep nursing and health care in the lime light till a solution is found. It is the only way to ensure that our own futures are not plagued with poor care, misery, and unhappy endings. It really isn't that hard or that bad to get involved, and it will snow ball on you, so get out there and get going! We need some nurse leaders, not nursing leadership.

Wow! What a question. For alot of us, being a nurse was one of the few job opportunities available at the time. Now, there are so many choices out there. But I have to say that being a nurse becomes part of who you are and it has been a good choice so far. I have wondered myself what in the world pulled me in that direction to begin with and I think it was the idea of helping others and the caring nature of the job. It isn't exactly like that any more either but it does give you a sense of doing something constructive with your life, and that is changing every day. As nurses, we need to again regain the prospectative of being the patient advocate, caring for others and standing in the gap for our patients. As nurses age, we need to understand that there will be no one to care for us if we don't care now; care by promoting the profession, by raising awareness of nursing and raising the image of nurses, and by standing up for ourselves and demanding what is right, what is necessary for our profession. Guess I better get off the soap box, but it really gives you something to think about.

OK, I remember taking care of a patient in an iron lung! It was hectic to say the least since you had to be so fast to get them cleaned up, etc. and back "in" the lung so quickly. They were hugh, took up the whole room, and were noisy. I also remember the little old ladies who came in for the winter; usually came in about december and stayed till at least february. I don't think either will be happening any time soon again.

I did as an LVN and they still do in Texas. What do LPN's do in Canada?