Purgatory ain't got nothin' on nursing school.....

[SarahCeleste]

This is my first "thread" --wavey:--but I'm really impressed with this forum---I'm an LVN (I'm southern---or LPN, whatever floats your boat) student and that's one of the main reasons I finally decided to post a comment. While in LVN school, I've realized most people on here and actually most nurses I talk to are RNs. I feel a little discouraged when people tell me "oh, you're not an RN?" like, it's not real nursing. Is there anyone out there that has remained an LVN? I plan (of course, God willing and the creek don't rise) on going to Texas Tech for my BSN, but until then, I'm proud that I will be an LVN. It's an enormous amount of work, and I wish some people, even some on here, would realize that. Also, since I am at a really "impressionable" time in my nursing career, does anyone have any advice on specialties? I'm thinking OR, ER, or obstetrics....can anyone give me some different views on these particular specialties or others? It would be much appreciated...life in nursing school just doesn't seem like it will ever end---it is reassuring to hear from people who "survived" and went into their preferred field! Thanks and God bless....:kiss

[JBudd, MSN]

Welcome to nursing! Congratulations.

Yes, getting any level of nursing education is a lot of work... be proud of yourself. Don't let uninformed attitudes get to you, just smile at the commenter (you're not an RN? ) and say "I'm a PRACTICAL nurse" and leave it at that. If they want to know more, there's your chance to educate the public, if not, you've established that yes you are a nurse.

Speaking as a straight to the BSN RN type, I could have used more of the hands on stuff LPN students were practicing while I was pretending to be a charge nurse:rolleyes:

[stressednurse]

Any nursing school is a lot of work. If I hadn't had experience as a nurse aid, unit clerk in an ER and paramedic I think I probably would have started as an LPN.

I went to nursing school with 2 kids, got pregnant with the 3rd, worked part time plus I was 34. You can do it. (I had to take a year off because of a c-section mid august, couldn't do clinical) I was nauseated for my whole first year of nursing school LOL, I drove car pool cuz I had a big station wagon and could take the whole group from my area to clinical.

My stepmom decided to become a nurse about 6 years after I did and she chose LPN. She loves her job, works in a hospital mostly in med/surg but gets pulled to all units when its her turn.

My first job as a nurse was at a facility that utilized team nursing, I was really empressed with the LPNs I worked with, they knew much more about the patients than I did. I got stuck with paperwork, doctor rounds, phone calls for orders and the IV's. I got tired of that and transferred to ICU where I had more hands on nursing.

:nurse: