RN's attitute toward the LPN

[shoegirl28]

Hi just a brief post here. Does anyone else get attitude from RN's? It makes me angry. When I work on certian floors of the hospital RN's refuse to do or assist the LPN with basic nursing care things such as changing briefs. It angers me to no end when an RN is chatting with another nurse at the nurses station, when you request assistence with a heavy patient and they just say I'll be there in 20 minutes....So I guess your conversation is more imporatant then cleaning up a patient who is covered in urine or stool....Sounds like you are a great nurse..

Grrr does this happen to other people?

[Simplepleasures]

Hey! Let's really get a discussion going. I worked with a lot of LPNs because nurses aides weren't utilitized. Know what I experienced? LPNs who had a lot of attitude towards RNs! Some openly mouthed off that they were better than us RNs. They refused to help the RNs and would sit back or disappear when help was needed. They congregated in groups and talked about how bad the RNs they worked with were and never did anything for them. Some were absolutely miserable to work with. Your turn.

Wow.........

[nurseaboveboard]

You know, my entire career I have never understood this nonsense. I have worked with so many LPNs and RNs who have taught me so much, and I hope I have taught them also. I just kind of figure we're all in this together and have always tried to be a team player. I have worked with some who were not team players, which has made me miserable more than a few times!

[labvampire]

I totally agree with your statement. Some LPN's are already on the defense without giving them a chance. I felt the same way in clinicals, gosh we were treated like crap. Forgive and forget, I am a better nurse because of it.

[Starr1966]

it shouldn't matter what initials are behind your name. no employee is better than the next one because they have a higher degree. all staff should be willing to help another staff member with the patients or residents. we all are in this field to provide care for them.

i have never refused to help anyone unless i was busy with my patients. even then as soon as i was free i was happy to help those that needed it.

teamwork is a must and without it, that makes for a very unpleasant working environment.

[MzMouse]

I am another in agreement that it depends on the individual.

[dadusmom]

I agree with some of the posters here, It's not an "RN attitude", it's just a person with an attitude. I worked on a floor with both RNs and LPNs and we all worked very well together as a team.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Hey! Let's really get a discussion going.,,,,,,,,,,LPNs who had a lot of attitude towards RNs!........ Your turn.

Let's not. Rather let's be respectful of TheCommuter's resquest above that we not go there. Let's let the LPNs have their forum where they can vent their frustrations constructively on how to deal with RNs with attitudes and let's take the high road since this is their forum.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

Attitudes are across the board. I don't think this is an LPN versus RN issue all the time. One of the things I have observed with all of the disciplines is that the grass tends to look greener on the other side until you get there. Aides may be under the impression that the LPNs and RNs are just behind the desk chatting on the phone or using the computers, LPNs may think that they have the same responsibilities and do the same thign as RNs, however, that is not quite true, either. There is a reason why this nurse has a higher degree and license than we do.

I am not saying that those with higher degrees automatically function better than we do; we can go into many stories demonstrating this is not true. However, there is a higher level of responsibility and accountability that is involved, and when people get there, they then realize "Wow...I didn't know it was all of THAT..." What I would like to see happen is that we try to educate each other as to how our job impacts another person's position. Also, we need to comprehend how important our particular position is relating to the care of the patients. True, there are some people who will never place themselves in the shoes of another, but we should try, anyway.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

Let's not. Rather let's be respectful of TheCommuter's resquest above that we not go there. Let's let the LPNs have their forum where they can vent their frustrations constructively and deal with RNs with attitudes and let's take the high road since this is their forum.

I agree; the post did seem very confrontational. I welcome input from the RNs, though, because I always feel that hearing what they are experiencing can make me a better person, a better nurse and better teamplayer as long as it is done constructively.

[marryweather]

I think it depends on the individual. I've shocked several CNA's when I've offered to help give a bed bath or put a patient on a bedpan and changed a brief. It just depends on the person. I've come across nurses who wouldn't help who were LPNS and some that were RN's but I've worked with some RN's and LPN'swho were more than willing to help me. I just try to keep an open mind for everyone. I tend to not pay attention to titles because we are all there for the same purpose and thats to care for our patients.

[flwannaB]

I have been an LPN for a year now. Before I became a nurse, I heard all about the RN hating LPN debate. I work on a very busy medical surgical floor that has both LPN's and RN's. Here is the conclusion I have come to. In my hospital, the RN's have to do ALL the pushes with the exception of a few meds. They are busy with their own patients so I feel very bad asking them to do so. I can understand it can be a frustrating for them. Nursing is a very stressful job. I have come to the conclusion that it is not that RN's give attitude. Its that we are ALL overworked. I have worked with some amazing RN's and some not so amazing RN's. I have also noted that LPN's give the same attitude when asked to help. Try not to take it personal. We are overworked and stressed. That is what it boils down to.

[Woodenpug, BSN]

http://vsmarts.vo.llnwd.net/o1/aacn_june/pages/webcast.html was posted in another thread, but I think it applies here. All members of the health care team offer something unique and valuable to patient care. I include housekeeping and dietary as well as CNA's, LPN's, RN's and even MD's;-). These different perspectives contribute greatly and it's a shame that many hospitals are going all RN.