Let me start out by saying that I have been an LPN for 13 years, and in that time I've chosen to work in long term care. I've always loved what I do, and am happy to be able to follow a calling I've had since I was 5 years old. With that being said, I'm so ticked off with the attitude of one of the RN nursing supervisors that works at my job. She actually stated yesterday that "we are just LPN's, we're not important". I was so shocked that I didn't say anything. How long are we-as professionals-going to continue to be belittled for what we do? I thought that we are all working together to take care of the residents, from laundry all the way up to administration.
I understand that as LPN's we don't have as much book knowledge as a RN has. But more knowledge doesn't necessarily mean better nursing skills. To me, a title on a name badge doesn't mean anything to me. My main concern is how you work, and how you care for your patients.
I'm not wanting to get into a nurse war, but am curious how any of you would've handled the situation. I went up my chain of command and notified the ADON/DON. I want this supervisor's attitute straighted out before she either says it to the wrong person, or maybe says it to a new graduate-who will then maybe believe it themselves.
I can't tell you how many times the LPNs at our facility hear from family members: "Oh, you're just an LPN. Aren't there any real nurses around? You know, an RN?" So many times I have seen the look on my co-workers faces of that of a whipped dog, the hurt in their eyes. I have experienced that rudeness myself from family members. I have been trained to do every thing an RN can do, with the exception of hanging blood. I passed the PNCLEX, I have a degree in Science and I am a certified pharmacy technician. I do not understand where people get off treating us like that. No, I did not take the last semester. No, I did not specialize, as RNs do. No, I do not have RN after my name. BUT, I did graduate. I did pass the exam. I did clinicals. I continue to learn, and yet, somehow that makes me NOT a "real nurse". My education is lesser than their Google medical degree. Would I like to become an RN? YES! (but maybe for the wrong reasons). I don't want to be treated like crap anymore. I don't want to be belittled by RN bullies for being "less qualified" to take care of people. I don't want people to treat me like a glorified CNA anymore. Sometimes I am ashamed to admit that I am an LPN. Apparently people view us as something less than a nurse. I worked very hard for my LPN degree and license. But we are made to feel that we don't matter and that we aren't good enough to be nurses. What a horrible way to treat the men and women taking care of your loved one. Why do people have that view about LPNs? I don't understand.
LPN's and RN's are nurses! Be proud of your knowledge and skills. You learn from each other. LPN's and RN's can use the title of "Nurse". Unfortunately, "Nurse" has been misused by so many professionals and patients. It really ticks me off when I hear MA's calling themselves a "nurse", as well as an MD calling their MA's nurses. They are NOT nurses and do not have the right to misrepresent themselves to patients. They should be corrected out in the open. LPN's and RN's education, skills, knowledge gives them the honor as "nurse". Shout at the top of your lungs "I am a NURSE"!!
Saying an LPN is just an LPN is belittling to the entire Nursing profession LPNs and RNs alike. What RNs who take up this kind of attitude needs to realize is that LPNs are NURSES. Licensed Nurses. Yes we may work under the guidance and supervison of the more educated RN but we are Nurses. Nurses who are accountable for our own actions by regulatory board of nursing. As LPNs not all of us work under the direct supervision of an RN. There are many LPNs and LVNs like myself who work in an environment such as LTC where we are the primary nurses for our patients and we independently provide nursing care to our residents without an RN fully aware of the day to day changes with our residents. Sure the RN/DON is in the building, but is very busy in her own job that she sure doesn't have time to be all up in patient care on the floor all day. With that being said its up to us LPNs to use our judgement, assessment skills, and physical skills, under the direction of our residents Primary Care Physician to be the primary Nurse for our residents. Yes we might be just LPNs but the N stands for Nurse just as it does in RN and in many environments clinically we are the Primary Nurse for our patients who make all the nursing decisions about there day to day care under the physicians direction and orders. No we don't always work in a task oriented assistive role under an RN. Saying LPNs are just LPNs is like saying Nurses are just Nurses. And this should be demeaning to RNs and LPNs alike.
It is what it is, everyone is just something unless they are an RN or Physician, period. When I was a CNA, RNs and LPNs were quick to say oh dont say you're just a CNA but when something wasn't right, they blamed it on the unskilled, low level CNAs or if the boss wanted to give the CNAs more responsibility, the nurses would say oh they're just CNAs they cant handle that, etc. I've also seen it done between LPNs and RNs and now as an LPN I am experiencing it again, but overall I just dont care, I am just an LPN and when I'm an RN I'll be just that, so what. Take care of patients and disregard the outside bs, because lots of job fields are like this, not just the nursing/healthcare field.
cuppa_tea
27 Posts
I can't tell you how many times the LPNs at our facility hear from family members: "Oh, you're just an LPN. Aren't there any real nurses around? You know, an RN?" So many times I have seen the look on my co-workers faces of that of a whipped dog, the hurt in their eyes. I have experienced that rudeness myself from family members. I have been trained to do every thing an RN can do, with the exception of hanging blood. I passed the PNCLEX, I have a degree in Science and I am a certified pharmacy technician. I do not understand where people get off treating us like that. No, I did not take the last semester. No, I did not specialize, as RNs do. No, I do not have RN after my name. BUT, I did graduate. I did pass the exam. I did clinicals. I continue to learn, and yet, somehow that makes me NOT a "real nurse". My education is lesser than their Google medical degree. Would I like to become an RN? YES! (but maybe for the wrong reasons). I don't want to be treated like crap anymore. I don't want to be belittled by RN bullies for being "less qualified" to take care of people. I don't want people to treat me like a glorified CNA anymore. Sometimes I am ashamed to admit that I am an LPN. Apparently people view us as something less than a nurse. I worked very hard for my LPN degree and license. But we are made to feel that we don't matter and that we aren't good enough to be nurses. What a horrible way to treat the men and women taking care of your loved one. Why do people have that view about LPNs? I don't understand.