kimmyz

Hello. I am taking the big test on the 30th. I am a little scared... OK alot scared. If you have any tips, knowledge about what to really focus on, any advice would be soooo much appreciated. :) Kim

Thanks once again everyone. I didn't mean to start a debate about gender stereotyping. (my professors comment, not mine) But anyway the great thing about debates is it makes us look at ourselves. I am sure I have been catty on occasion. I conciously try not to but sometimes we can all have a lapse in judgement. I think there are some women (and men too) that just are negative people, you might not notice it right away but when you think of conversations you have had they always seem to go to the bad point about anything. (hope this makes sense) I believe negativity feeds negativity. I bet you all are great nurses because you're obviously caring people to try to make me feel better about the profession. I love nursing school and I love the people who are in class with me. We have become like family, so I know there must be alot of great people who are out there, because we are a great group who will be joining you at the end of the year.:) One other ?... Why is it that nurses don't get together to advocate for themselves? Why so many different association groups? Why not one that comes together for all? I have heard about the flaws... underpaid, overworked?? This is confusing to me... without nurses who would take care of the patients? A doctor can diagnose and of course it takes teams of different areas give the patient what they need, but the nurse is the patient advocate. We are the direct care takers. I think one of the most important part of the healthcare team. Please educate me on the subject if you can. Thanks, KimmyZ

Thank you everyone who has commented. You have made some great points. I am usually the glass half full kind of girl. I know that every career has the ups and downs and positive and negative people. I am an idealistic person (my husband says too much so), and I was just surprised by the negative overtones. It could also be the stress of school that is making me look at the negative instead of seeing the positive here. My instructors are really great, but at the same time they are breaking us down so we will have the critical thinking skills we need. It can be an emotional roller coaster that makes you feel very confident in your abilities one minute, to feeling like you are a total idiot the next. This is not a course you can just get by on (not that I do that anyway), you really need to know your stuff and remember every step. I am loving all of it but it can make you a little crazy sometimes. I take everyone at face value and will go into the workforce with a positive attitude, expecting the best. Thanks once again for all your support. KimmyZ - SPN - SCC

Hello. I am just about to finish my first semester in an LPN program. I hope no one will take this the wrong way, but I never knew there was so much negativity between LPN's and RN's, and in the work place with employees and bosses. When I joined this site it was to meet other nurses and receive support. I had no idea there is so much disagreement between each other. It is almost like a prejudice against certain groups because of the letters behind the name. I want to be a nurse to take care of patients, I really enjoy helping people. I didn't know all the stress I hear about nursing would be compounded by my peers. I guess I just had rose colored glasses on. I talked with my instructor about this and she told me it's true unfortunately. Doctors stick together and have a special bond because they are doctors, but nurses eat their young. She said it could be because we are mainly women, and women are catty. The males I have seen so far don't seem to be this way. Right now we are doing clinicals in a nursing home, and do the same job as the nurses aides. I would never consider myself above them. I am happy to learn from them. When I first found out I would be doing clinicals in a nursing home I was scared. I thought ok I'll just get through it until I get to the part of nursing I really want to do. I found out that I love taking care of the patients so much that if I was just allowed to do that, I would be happy. It is very rewarding to be apart of their lives. We should all just pitch in where we can. (In our scope of practice) But certainly never consider ourselves above someone else. Maybe part of the nursing burnout is the lack of support from each other. I know there are alot of you who do not feel this way and express it here in your responses to the negative comments, but the fact that the animosity exists, I guess is just beyond my comprehension. Maybe it's because I am going the LPN route to get to my RN could be why I don't see it. I am just happy to be here till I get to the next step. I respect people where they are and the choices they make. Anyway just my 2 cents. Kim Z. -SPN - SCC (Just 2 more semesters to go!!! YAA!!!)

I am an LPN student and I have heard so much of the tension that exists between the RN's and the LPN's. I have also seen it with the RN students at my school when we are on break together. Before I visited this site I never even knew it existed. It has totally disheartened me to think that I will be of less value or treated differently because of my title. I am eventually going to transition to RN. I wanted so badly to become a nurse that I took whatever route I could get to make my dream happen. The bottom line was helping people. I always thought the stress of the job would come from the responsiblility of someone else's life in your hands, and not making mistakes. I didn't know it was more from your work atmosphere and coworkers. I just pray that I will find a place where I can help the most and be valued. Kim