RNs treat me like I'm not a nurse

mcrbsd02 · Jun 9, 2016

It's the environment you are in. This career field is a difficult one in the sense that we are responsible for people who are at their most vulnerable state. We're susceptible to these moments as well but are expected to just suck it up. Years of mishandling your personal emotions coupled with a few anecdotal experiences will foster that type of attitude. It's the "thinking your department is more important/tougher/does most of the work" mentality. Do some people watching, you'll see it everywhere.

happyspn, LPN · Jun 9, 2016

It's the environment you are in. This career field is a difficult one in the sense that we are responsible for people who are at their most vulnerable state. We're susceptible to these moments as well but are expected to just suck it up. Years of mishandling your personal emotions coupled with a few anecdotal experiences will foster that type of attitude. It's the "thinking your department is more important/tougher/does most of the work" mentality. Do some people watching, you'll see it everywhere.

Thank you.

I do understand that there will always be some bit of negativity no matter where one works, I have just dealt with this issue for many years in a few states. At the end of the day I do focus on myself and my learning but itdoes make it hard sometimes. Thanks again for you're reply.

NursesRmofun, ASN, RN · Jun 10, 2016

Oh yippee!- A chance to say something good about where I work.....The LPNS where I work are given a ton of work....they do miracles everyday, IMO....and they are treated like Gods because they really do so much and are actually allowed to do more than I have ever seen at my place of work!

NursesRmofun, ASN, RN · Jun 10, 2016

I worked on a subacute rehab floor for about 8 months as a new nurse. This unit had RNs and LPNs and only the RN could be charge nurse. So after 4 months on the job I was charge nurse. (It was not a full charge role because the charge RN had time to take an assignment). I never witnessed any disrespect between the LPNs and RNs however some of the LPNs did gang together. Power in numbers? Certaim LPNs also gave the RNs a hard time about accepting assignments. For an LPN it was a sweet gig however compared to a nursing home with ratios up to 7 during the day and up to 8-9 at night and since it was based in the hospital there was access to hospital services.[/quote']
I miss the days of having "hospital services", if you mean the services are written off and the employee is not charged. I worked for a hospital where any surgeries or "services" were written off after the insurance- so the remainder was free. That doesn't happen anymore in MY life. lol

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Jun 11, 2016

It's particularly bad with RNS because they are so insecure.

Well, that's a pretty broad brush you are painting with. "RNs" are so insecure? All RNs? Most RNs? Some RNs? Or along the same percentage as the general population?

ETA: I now see that the poster in question has addressed her comment.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Jun 11, 2016

Perhaps the facility is toxic, because this is not the mentality of nurses everywhere. In my facility, I don't even know the educational background of all the nurses and unlicensed staff. We all work together to get the job done.

I also have no idea whether the nurses at my facility are ASN or BSN. Our badges simply say "RN."

jennifer_gail · Jun 11, 2016

I think you may be in a toxic and hostile environment. I have worked SNF, HH, and Hospice as an LPN and the only time I got comments about being "just an LPN" were at LTC. I currently work HH, and with the exception of OASIS/RC/DC I do the same as my RNs. And they tell me all the time how great of a job I do. Don't let someone try to bring you down and lessen the license that you worked so hard for.

paradoxical · Jun 14, 2016

I have moved up in titles. It seems that no matter what title you do have, some people will always say, "why are you just this? Why don't you go back to school, and be that?"

Dont let someone else control how you feel about yourself. And it sounds like you need to find a new job. Most places I've worked never treated me one way or the other. I was part of the team.

TriciaJ, RN · Jun 14, 2016

Sorry, You're right. That was certainly a blanket statement. I meant that the field of nursing is rampant with bullying, hostility, unhappiness, etc. In fact, I just read an article about nurses who were interviewed regarding how they felt about their jobs relative to other jobs. One of the other jobs was an "anal wart inspector." Nurses said they'd rather do that than be a nurse.
What I am getting at is in this healthcare system that is absurdly hierchical, whereby nurses are at the bottom of the ladder; sadly, there is a "pecking order" so that many (not all) RNs (and this absolutely can't be anything else but insecurity mixed with anger and helplessness), will either viciously attack and bully other nurses (often the new ones), or those they manage; e.g., LPNs and CNAs. Numerous studies have shown this to be the case in nursing, or in any rank and file system, for that matter.

Workplaces like the ones described above are almost always a function of poor management. There is a bully, a snoot and a tattler in every crowd. A functional management will promote a culture where these behaviours aren't supported. When managers cater to the lowest social behaviours, this sort of thing spreads like wildfire. That is because higher-functioning people get out of Dodge and poor behaviour is increasingly tolerated.

This is true of all industries, not just healthcare. I think there is still some gender bias giving nurses a bad rap. Even more deplorable when we perpetuate this conception ourselves.

TriciaJ, RN · Jun 14, 2016

I miss the days of having "hospital services", if you mean the services are written off and the employee is not charged. I worked for a hospital where any surgeries or "services" were written off after the insurance- so the remainder was free. That doesn't happen anymore in MY life. lol

Actually, I think what Lev might have meant was that hospitals have more ancillary services at their disposal. Nursing homes have to make do without 24h availability of pharmacy, x-ray, respiratory, etc.

NurseOnAMotorcycle, ASN, RN · Jun 14, 2016

I'm actually an RN who just moved to a new ED where they use LPNs. I have never worked with LPNs before and I'm still learning what is allowed or not allowed. I have learned a bit from the LPNs on allnurses so I have always introduced myself and my partner LPN like this:

"Hi, I'm NoaM and this is XYZ. We are ER nurses and we'll get you started, ok? I saw that you're here for...."

Since I am unfamiliar with LPNs, I still don't ever ask for anything, but I love it when I am asked "do you want me to get that blood work?" or "hey do you want me to medicate that patient?"

downsouthlaff, LPN · Jun 22, 2016

As an LPN you are a Nurse. The N in LPN stands for Nurse.

1. You spent 18 months in nursing school and learned a lot of theory, clinical skills and concepts.

2. You passed the NCLEX-PN and obtained a License to practice nursing.

As an LPN I'm a floor nurse in at a SNF. I have never met this kind of attitude from RNs as we all respect each other. But some personalities are just set in. I've been a CNA. At my job I certainly don't feel like a CNA or PCT. I am the NURSE and assume responsibilities that a PCT or CNA can't. Just like an RN who is a NURSE in an intensive care unit may assume responsibility that I as an LPN can't. But we are both NURSES. We should all respect each other. Saying things like "So and so didn't pass the same test as RNs, or RNs are insecure this is all such immature behavior that will get the nursing profession nowhere. Why don't we just acknowledge that there are 2 types of Nurses. RNs and LPNs. LPNs are nurses and permitted To practice nursing and carry out many nursing tasks. RNs are Nurses who are permitted to practice nursing to the full extent of the profession. That simple.