Zoe B

LPN stands for Low Paid Nurse . An LPN does almost everything an RN does. RNs make more money but have a harder job, such as being responsible for their actions and the actions of those that are working for them - especially in nursing homes. They also give meds that LPNs are not licensed to give. (Other differences in job descriptions are too involved for this conversation). I don't understand why RNs and LPN tend to "eat their young" but I've seen it a lot in my 30 years. Any career field in the U.S. has a wag gap between men and women. Men usually make about 30 - 40% more then women for the exact same job. Although I haven't found that same kind of gap between the sexes in nurse. Experience, amount of education (even if it doesn't make the nurse have better skills or improved patient care), off shift work, holiday work, etc. can increase you pay. Where you live also affects you pay rate. I worked in Texas when I first started and the janitor made more per hour then I did. I moved to NC and instantly made $6 an hour more. Then I moved to PA and made $4 an hour less and a fresh out-of-school Occupational Therapy Assistance made $10,000 more a year then I did, even though I had 20 years of experience and worked in ICU. If we came into nursing to get rich we didn't last long. You have to really want to be a nurse and care for the patients from you heart, not your pocketbook, to stay in the career. You are so fresh out of school and there will be a time when you find the job that fits you well, although I wouldn't be bouncing around from job to job. It has been my experience that too many employers in a short period of time limits you hiring prospects. Give the next job a year. Get to know people and understand where they are coming from. Maybe the cranky nurses have similar frustrations as you and handle them poorly.

I learned about Pheochromocytomas in A & P class in 1976. The professor painted a vivid image of someone spiraling from a Pheo. He said a lab test (VMA) was used to diagnosis. Always thought that a Vanillylmandelic Acid test was a great name for urine test. It stuck in my head. In 1990, working in ICU, we had a patient that looked like what the professor described. The MD was at the nurses station scratching his head over the patient. I casually suggested he order a VMA test on the urine to check for a a pheo. He laughed, ordered it, and called a surgeon the minute the test came back positive. Best result was after this when I made a suggestion to this MD he always listened!

Years ago, when in Nursing school, my best friend and I were assigned to patients in adjoining rooms. During the day she came to my room with a worried look on her face. She had been struggling with a complication her patient had and was at a lost as to what to do. I wasn't able to help her but told her I would find the instructor and have him come to her room. We meet up a hour later and I asked if the instructor was able to help her. She said by the time he arrived another nurse had helped her figure out the problem. She wanted to thank that nurse so we went to the nurses station and inquired who that person was and were we could find her. The charge nurse looked at my friend in a funny way and asked why we wanted to find that nurse. We explained what had happened. The charge nurse said the nurse we were looking for no longer worked there and she had been the previous charge nurse, until she had DIED 3 years earlier. I will never, ever forget this.