sandybrackenrich

Amen to that... where is the compassion?

I did the LPN nursing for 15 long years. While watching many others sitting at the nursing station, the LPN never seams to get a break. Not knocking other nursing professionals, but its true. I've worked in many different facilities, long term care, acute care and its always the same, the LPN is the work horse of nursing. I have seen other LPN's complain about the same thing, as I look at their legs, swelled up with so many busted veins our legs look like road maps. I know 3 LPN's that have had knee replacements, all at one place. Severe back problems, hip replacements, knee replacements. They don't tell you in nursing school that you have all these things to look forward to. As we hobble up and down hallways because we never get to sit. While the State and facilities have unrealistic nurse to patient ratios, 36 patients to 1 LPN. You have admissions coming in, your medication pass to do, your treatments to do, people on the floor, your vitals, supervising your staff, families to talk to, Doctor constantly needing you and on and on, while you work through your breaks and never get to sit down and if you cant get it all done, the powers that be will have the nerve to tell you that you are not managing your time appropriately just to add insult to injury. We run our bodies into the ground, our ankles, knees, hips, backs, in so much pain I have seen LPN's cry. Of course, we can't take any pain medication, we cant be under the influence of any narcotic, so we suffer in silence. Day after day, year after year until we can no longer take the pain anymore. We are left with a broke down body and no way to support our families. I would love to know what I could turn my LPN degree into? I am disabled and have end stage arthritis in my ankles and my back is shot from L 5 down. Picking 200 to 300 pound people off the floor constantly will heap havoc on anyone's body. I would still love to work, but I don't know what I could turn the credits I already have into some other career. I think all nurses should have a back up plan and this discussion is necessary. Most of our bodies will not make it to retirement. So, what can we turn our nursing credits into? Something where we could use our minds and not our backs and feet, mine will not take anymore abuse. I have over a 100 credits (a lot RN) and I don't want to start all over, so I was thinking I will put this question out into the void and see if anyone else knows. What do you do when your body is broken down and you can no longer be a nurse? What career can your nursing credits be turned into? Most nurses depend on their bodies to last through out their careers, but the reality is, your body wont. What will you do? Most or all of us need a paycheck, so what happens next? When you have worked until your body said "I have had enough". You can't work one more day, the pain is too much. I have called around and no one seems to have an answer. What can I turn all the nursing credits I already have into. I have invested about 60,000 dollars into this profession ( a lot is for out of district rates), I cant start over with a new profession from the ground up. It's going to take a life time to pay off the loans I already have so, going into a new profession just wont happen, especially at 48 yrs old. I am the only pay check coming into my house hold. With all the advances in technology, you would think it would be easier to figure out, what one can turn one degree into another. I know the powers that be are getting rid of the LPN. I would expect that nursing homes will always have the LPN around. But this is for all nursing staff because the reality is your body will not take the abuse we go through everyday until your 62 yrs old so, what will YOU do then?