"Just an LPN"....does anyone else get discouraged?

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Jan 24, 2005

HI THERE DUTCHGIRLRN! YOUR LETTER IS DEFINITELY AN INSPIRATION TO US ALL! YOU GO GIRL!!! :balloons: I AM 44 YEARS OLD AND IT'S TIME FOR ME TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL AND PURSUE AN RN DEGREE. I LOVE BEING AL LPN/LVN, BUT IF I WANT THE DOORS OF OPPORTUNITY TO OPEN I.E. CRITICAL CARE NURSING, THEN I HAVE TO DO IT. ADIOS AMIGA, 91C_ARMYLPN :)

Do go after your dream ArmyLPN, you'll be a great CCU nurse!

In my hospital RN's and LPN's have the same job description except that LPN's can't do the admission assessment. The LPN's that I work with have "awesome" assessment skills. I don't understand the rationale? Makes no sense. I would prefer either LPN to take care of me if I were in one of the beds. They are wonderful.

DeniseLPN · Jan 24, 2005

Thank you everyone for your replies and support! I do enjoy my career and WILL NOT let others get me down. DutchGirl, I have been looking at different programs to enroll in for a bridge program...when I find one fitting maybe I can move ahead! LPNs are needed and a valuable member of the healthcare community.

Denise--LPN (Licensed Professional Nurses :) )

Nabi · Jan 24, 2005

Just a little info....in Ontario, Canada, the word " nurse " is protected by the College of Nurses and may only be used to describe an RN or an RPN .

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Jan 24, 2005

Thank you everyone for your replies and support! I do enjoy my career and WILL NOT let others get me down. DutchGirl, I have been looking at different programs to enroll in for a bridge program...when I find one fitting maybe I can move ahead! LPNs are needed and a valuable member of the healthcare community.
Denise--LPN (Licensed Professional Nurses :) )

Go Girl ! You'll enjoy. There is a definate advantage to having been an LPN first

from both an educational and nursing experience standpoint. LPN's rock!

Roozeyk · Jan 28, 2005

ah, denise, i understand totally. i was an lpn for 12 years before going back for my rn, and got sooooo tired of being asked if i was an rn or 'just an lpn' - man, i could've punched them i was so annoyed. i'd say "yes, i'm just an lpn" and they'd tell me they didn't mean it that way. well, what way did you mean it then?
but now, with an associate degree, i have people ask me if i'm a two or a four year r.n. - aaaarrrggh! i wonder if people do that to m.d.'s - ya know, "oh, are you a neurosurgeon - or just a dermatologist? :rotfl:
i don't think people mean it in a mean way - they just don't think before they speak. but it does show how little the general public knows about the roles of all nurses.

however...i have worked with both d.o.'s and m.d.'s and there is some friction with those 2 titles as well..........potential patients will call the office and say..."now, is he/she a m.d. or a d.o.?......i've seen d.o.'s become m.d.'s.......sometimes i guess you just can't beat that silly title question.

medpsychRN · Jan 28, 2005

I went to LPN school (while in high school) for 2 years. You get sick of people asking about your title, when you were going back to school and at times, treating you like you were an idiot. When I finally got into an ADN program (after years of taking classes part time) I was divorced and raising 3 kids (no child support). I couldn't afford to buy the books for school. So I went without. Needless to say, with "just" my LPN I managed to graduate and pass the boards. This life lesson taught me to respect people for their knowledge not their initials. You're not "just" an LPN but a nurse and I'm sure, pretty damm smart!

CHATSDALE · Jan 28, 2005

at one facility where i worked [lpn] we did total care .. once i was going to start an iv when the family member said she would prefer an rn to be the one to take care of her mother..the don told be to switch with another nurse and i took her patient and she went in and took care of pt #1

later in the shift pt #1 was incontinent and here comes family member to tell me that 'mother needs to be cleaned up' i told her that i would tell her nurse and i stepped away to take care of my pt...dtr stared at me and asked if i was going to clean up her mother...i told her that i was busy but that i was on my way to tell her nurse..

she said 'no' she didn't want the NURSE to drop what she was doing to come and do that...and that if i didn't come at once she was going to report me...

i told the rn and went on to take care of my patient...don called me the next day to tell me that the family member had reported me to her and to the md...

don said i did the right thing that the neither nurse should be shuffled back and forth but that she was going to explain the situation to family

well next night i was working with a male rn ,,dtr didn't want her mother to be cleaned by male...another report...didn't not advance to write up but it can be a frustrating experience

LPN01112005 · Jan 28, 2005

at one facility where i worked [lpn] we did total care .. once i was going to start an iv when the family member said she would prefer an rn to be the one to take care of her mother..the don told be to switch with another nurse and i took her patient and she went in and took care of pt #1
later in the shift pt #1 was incontinent and here comes family member to tell me that 'mother needs to be cleaned up'

Had a similar situation as a student where the family didn't want a student taking care of their mother because they were afraid something would go wrong and I wouldn't be able to handle it. She was one day post open cholecystectomy and very stable. Even after having my instructor explain that in addition to the staff nurse that was still assigned to the patient, that she (my instructor) would be there to assist if any thing should go wrong, but still they insisted on having a real nurse. I was reassigned, but still had the patient who shared the room, so I was in and out taking care of the pt. in bed #2. The family of pt. #1 didn't have a problem at all with asking me to help them "find" their nurse when the IV pump was beeping, or helping get Mom on the bedpan because THEY didn't want her ambulating. I accomodated them as best I could, but the final straw was when Mom vomited all over herself and the family member came out into the hallway looking for ME to clean up their Mom. My instructor stepped in at this point and told the family that I was busy with the patient I had been reassigned to and that she would try to find Mom's staff nurse. Meanwhile, it takes staff nurse a while to find the CNA to go clean Mom up,(don't know why SHE didn't just do it) so Mom is there lying in vomit for quite a few minutes before I returned to the room to care for pt. #2. Needless to say, I have a heart for nursing, and I took care of cleaning this patient up, all the while telling myself that I was going into the profession to care for and hopefully bestow a blessing upon the sick, including those who sometimes are non deserving. And believe me, these people were non deserving because not one even said thank you. :angryfire I actually wound up taking care of everything for this patient that day except changing out the demerol in her PCA, which I wouldn't have been able to do anyway had I been able to be her student nurse for the day. Sometimes we just have to look past the ignorant and misinformed people in this world who refuse to be educated. I hope to handle those who say "just and LPN" the same way....if I can't enlighten them through education, I'll look past their ignorance and spread my blessings anyway!

Keepstanding, ASN, RN · Jan 28, 2005

yes ladies and gents, we are lpn's....we have worked hard to get there for sure. be proud and self assured that you are the best nurse that you can be...at whatever level. no one can make you feel bad about yourself unless you let them. so hold your heads high and do your best for the profession. people who tout their credtials like its a badge of honor need to eat some humble pie. nurses who are worth their weight in gold are the ones who treat everyone with respect. as a lpn i would never ask anyone to do something that i myself would not do. it's all about respect. go do your job proudly. you do make a difference in people's lives !! :)

jamie ann · Jan 29, 2005

I am a new nurse, but whenever i tell someone that I just graduated, they look at me funny when I tell them that I am an LPN. I tell them I dont care, it's what I want to do. Don't let other people get you down.....do this because you love it. :)

Hooray for LPNs!!!! I'm not an LPN...yet! Just about to graduate next month, and on the last leg of my clinical rotation. I feel like I've been through so many battles already. An LPN student? Double whammy! I've heard too many times, "You're a student? Why did are you studying to be an LPN, and not an RN?" And I ask back, "What's wrong with being an LPN?" LPNs get the same number of patients and responsibilities as RNs and BSNs (except for the IV, of course). We're all nurses, we all care for our patients, even if I'm still a student. Being a student is sooo hard. I don't care if I get the difficult cases, I just pray every morning when I go to reports that my nurse would be nice to me. That makes a huge difference. I've had nurses (RNs and LPNs alike) who were so helpful and so encouraging, they really inspire me to do my best and to do more. And most of them are thankful for the help, and some have even approached my instructor to tell him that I would make a good nurse. Some RNs have told us to pursue our education even after we graduate coz RNs and LPNs have the same workload, and the only difference is the pay. I love those nurses!!! But...I've also had a lot of experiences with the grumpy ones. Either they ignore you or they belittle you because you're "just a student." Hello!!! They've been students once too! And I bet they didn't know then what they know now. I've even had a nurse tell me and my classmates, "You're a stupid bunch, and your instructor is dumb too, and I feel sorry for the patients that you will get when you graduate!" Horrors!!! I felt so depressed that day, I started having some self-doubts. I'm doing really well in school and my instructor told me that my clinical skills are good. It was just a few weeks ago, and I was thinking that I dread graduation coz I might not be ready yet. I thought about all the long months of backbreaking and nervewracking clinical, and now it's almost the end and someone comes up to you and tells you you're no good. It's crushing, humiliating, hurtful and demoralizing! Nurses! Please! Be kind to us, students! Well, enough drama. The only thing that lifted me out of that gloomy mood was an incident that happened a week after that. I was walking to the parking lot and somebody tooted their horn at me. I looked and there was this lady waving at me from inside a car parked at the curb. It was one of my former patients. I was assigned to her only once on that floor, she was paralyzed from the neck down and needed total care. After that day, I used to stop by her room just to say hi and to ask her how she was doing. That was about 3 or four months ago. She remembered my name! She hugged me and told me she missed me and she's always praying for me and she thanked me for the wonderful care she received. I was tearful as I told her that patients like her are what keeps me inspired. I realize now that wherever I go, I'll encounter all sorts of people. Nice and kind, mean and hurtful. But I know I'll just have to trust myself and do my best. I may be "merely a student" now, or "just an LPN" in the future, but one thing I know, I'm here coz I want to make a difference in my patients' lives, no matter how small it is.

91C_ARMYLPN · Jan 29, 2005

Hooray for LPNs!!!! I'm not an LPN...yet! Just about to graduate next month, and on the last leg of my clinical rotation. I feel like I've been through so many battles already. An LPN student? Double whammy! I've heard too many times, "You're a student? Why did are you studying to be an LPN, and not an RN?" And I ask back, "What's wrong with being an LPN?" LPNs get the same number of patients and responsibilities as RNs and BSNs (except for the IV, of course). We're all nurses, we all care for our patients, even if I'm still a student. Being a student is sooo hard. I don't care if I get the difficult cases, I just pray every morning when I go to reports that my nurse would be nice to me. That makes a huge difference. I've had nurses (RNs and LPNs alike) who were so helpful and so encouraging, they really inspire me to do my best and to do more. And most of them are thankful for the help, and some have even approached my instructor to tell him that I would make a good nurse. Some RNs have told us to pursue our education even after we graduate coz RNs and LPNs have the same workload, and the only difference is the pay. I love those nurses!!! But...I've also had a lot of experiences with the grumpy ones. Either they ignore you or they belittle you because you're "just a student." Hello!!! They've been students once too! And I bet they didn't know then what they know now. I've even had a nurse tell me and my classmates, "You're a stupid bunch, and your instructor is dumb too, and I feel sorry for the patients that you will get when you graduate!" Horrors!!! I felt so depressed that day, I started having some self-doubts. I'm doing really well in school and my instructor told me that my clinical skills are good. It was just a few weeks ago, and I was thinking that I dread graduation coz I might not be ready yet. I thought about all the long months of backbreaking and nervewracking clinical, and now it's almost the end and someone comes up to you and tells you you're no good. It's crushing, humiliating, hurtful and demoralizing! Nurses! Please! Be kind to us, students! Well, enough drama. The only thing that lifted me out of that gloomy mood was an incident that happened a week after that. I was walking to the parking lot and somebody tooted their horn at me. I looked and there was this lady waving at me from inside a car parked at the curb. It was one of my former patients. I was assigned to her only once on that floor, she was paralyzed from the neck down and needed total care. After that day, I used to stop by her room just to say hi and to ask her how she was doing. That was about 3 or four months ago. She remembered my name! She hugged me and told me she missed me and she's always praying for me and she thanked me for the wonderful care she received. I was tearful as I told her that patients like her are what keeps me inspired. I realize now that wherever I go, I'll encounter all sorts of people. Nice and kind, mean and hurtful. But I know I'll just have to trust myself and do my best. I may be "merely a student" now, or "just an LPN" in the future, but one thing I know, I'm here coz I want to make a difference in my patients' lives, no matter how small it is.

HI JAMIE ANN AND WELCOME!!! ALTHOUGH I AM NOT A NURSING STUDENT, YOUR POST BRINGS BACK MEMORIES FOR ME. I HAD POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES, WHEN I ATTENDED LPN SCHOOL. :) :crying2:

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? I MADE IT! JUST LIKE YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE IT REAL SOON! DON'T BE DISCOURAGED! SOMETIMES PEOPLE FORGET WHERE THEY CAME FROM....NO ONE IS BORN A NURSE! SOMETIMES OTHERS ENJOY BEING MEAN AND JUST DOWN RIGHT NASTY...:argue: THAT IS THEIR PROBLEM! :nono:

YOUR POST SEEMS SINCERE AND FROM THE HEART! GO FOR YOUR DREAM AND BE WHAT YOU WANT TO BE!!! WE NEED MORE PEOPLE IN THE NURSING FIELD, WHO REALLY WANT TO BE HERE AND NOT PRETEND TO BE THAT THEY ARE. AFTER LPN SCHOOL AND WORKING IN THE ICU FOR A YEAR, I BECAME A NURSING INSTRUCTOR. I REALIZE THE STRESS, FEELINGS OF INADEQUACY, AND THE DEMANDS THAT AFFECT LPN NURSING STUDENTS. THAT IS WHY I TREATED MY STUDENTS WITH UTMOST RESPECT AND AS HUMAN BEINGS! RESPECT GIVEN IS RESPECT THAT IS EARNED AND ONE CANNOT LEARN BY INTIMIDATION AND HUMILIATION! BRAVO FOR YOU! :smiley_aa LET US KNOW WHEN YOU GRADUATE. AGAIN, WELCOME TO OUR BIG FAMILY OF NURSING!!! :nurse:

:cheers: :biggringi TAKE CARE, 91C_LPN

Keepstanding, ASN, RN · Jan 29, 2005

:saint: Hey Girl,

Your message was such an encouragement to me. God is going to do good things with you in nursing. I am sure you will be a blessing to all you care for.

Keep on shining Jamie Ann :nurse: