Rn being trained by lpn?

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What are your thoughts about this?

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Some of the best things I have learned came for the LPN who had the experience, patience and kindness to take a very green and young RN and "show her the ropes".....Thank you Louise....((HUGS))

They are not teaching you your scope of practice they are showing you procedural policies of your work environment.

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Specializes in Emergency, ICU.

Absolutely!

My first job out of school in the ER would have burned me out in a week had it not been for the most incredible preceptor. An LPN. I didn't even notice the title difference until one day when we had to give methotrexate and he asked me to do it because he couldn't by protocol. He'd been in the ER for 20+ years. Knew more than anyone and was always precepting new people.

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I used to train many of the new RN's when I was an LPN. Many of them I'm still great friends with to this day. I agree with previous poster- don't get hung up on the title wars. Learn the most from the ones that are skilled enough to teach you.

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Students, and many nurses, don't know the difference between education in professional responsibilities and roles and orientation/training to tasks, like drawing blood, doing Rapid-Streps, and how (not what) to document in the computer system, for example.

It is not just semantics to say that an LPN cannot direct RN practice, because anybody can learn to do a task from anyone who is competent to teach it properly. The RN's responsibility will be, in many cases, to decide whether that particular task is indicated and what its outcome signifies.

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I was trained by mostly LPNs! (I'm an RN.) At my job we do the same functions.

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Specializes in Hospice.

I agree with not getting hung up on titles, we used to have a RN with a MSN that the LPN worked circles around. Her assessment skills were better then the MSN and more than once caught mistakes made by the MSN. Learn from everyone around you when you are new. The PCA may be able to show you an easier way to change a patient or how to save your back from injury. The Unit Secretary may be able to teach you how to enter orders so that you can do this when he/she is not there. I watched the doctor, the RN, the LPN, the PCA, the US, the respiratory therapist, the speech therapist, well you get the point. You can learn very valuable information by watching other people perform their duties.

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I'm an RN and for orientation at my first job I was trained by both RNs and LPNs. I was on a rehab unit so we were basically doing the same job - LPN just couldn't do RN duties like work with PICCS, etc. It was a little weird though when I could do a clinical skill, and the nurse orienting me couldn't (because I lacked confidence and to me at the time, they were such good nurses, tht I felt a little silly), but it was fine. And honestly the LPNs they had training me were just as good as the RNs. No, an LPN can't manage/direct an RN but they can show you clinical skills and the running of the floor, etc. I'm lucky I got any orientation at all at that place lol

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Everyone is jumping to the conclusion I have an issue with this. I don't . I just thought it was weird. Anyways my preceptor is great and she has lots of experience

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

I was the only floor RN at a LTC rehab unit. I was oriented/trained by LPNs. They knew their ****. I was a new grad, they had worked for 20 years. I am extremely grateful for what I learned there. BTW the CNAs were fabulous, too and I learned a lot from them as well.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.

There was a new grad RN who was placed with an LPN on one of our med/surg units at a facility that I once worked for. This LPN oriented me when I started at the facility, as well as any other newcomer to the hospital. She was and still is the best nurse I have ever seen. Anyway, little Miss New Grad went running home to her RN mommy, mommy placed a call to the hospital, and this Super Nurse was no longer able to precept another RN. That new grad does not know just how much of a learning opportunity she threw away. This LPN had been at this facility since the foundation was laid (not really) and she absolutely knew the policies and procedures in and out and the physicians REALLY respected her opinions moreso than any of the RNs there. She did not mix words; she told it to you just like it was; and she was a warrior for her patients. If we had an IV team, she would be the leader of it since she was the go-to person for IV starts all over the hospital.

Anyway, when management did this to her, her reaction was the 'typical' her. She said, "No skin off my *** because I know how to be a nurse; this newbie don't know ****; she needs somebody to show her how to get to where I was before she was even born". Then, our nurse went down the hall to care for her patients.We could not do anything but applaud. Even the doctors sitting around stood up and started clapping. Score one for the LPNs!!! This happened earlier this summer. It is so unfortunate that some of these brand new nurses rode up out of nursing school on a white horse. It's gonna be very embarrassing for them when they ride up off the job on a donkey.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
As a nurse you will do well by not getting caught up in a title war. Learn from every source available to you.

I think she got the message the first time.

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There was a new grad RN who was placed with an LPN on one of our med/surg units at a facility that I once worked for. This LPN oriented me when I started at the facility, as well as any other newcomer to the hospital. She was and still is the best nurse I have ever seen. Anyway, little Miss New Grad went running home to her RN mommy, mommy placed a call to the hospital, and this Super Nurse was no longer able to precept another RN. That new grad does not know just how much of a learning opportunity she threw away. This LPN had been at this facility since the foundation was laid (not really) and she absolutely knew the policies and procedures in and out and the physicians REALLY respected her opinions moreso than any of the RNs there. She did not mix words; she told it to you just like it was; and she was a warrior for her patients. If we had an IV team, she would be the leader of it since she was the go-to person for IV starts all over the hospital.

Anyway, when management did this to her, her reaction was the 'typical' her. She said, "No skin off my *** because I know how to be a nurse; this newbie don't know ****; she needs somebody to show her how to get to where I was before she was even born". Then, our nurse went down the hall to care for her patients.We could not do anything but applaud. Even the doctors sitting around stood up and started clapping. Score one for the LPNs!!! This happened earlier this summer. It is so unfortunate that some of these brand new nurses rode up out of nursing school on a white horse. It's gonna be very embarrassing for them when they ride up off the job on a donkey.

Do we work together?! Hence why I chose to leave acute care.

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