What my DON said about getting rid of LPN's

[Future LPN Sheryl]

She said, in 1985 she started as an LPN, and when she was in school, they were told they would Graduate without a job! That was 1985, she is now an RN.

She said "LPN's are licensed by the state!! Who's going to get rid of them?? If the state doesn't do it, the hospitals can't. She said there is "talk" of grandfathering LPN's to RN's.... She said she LOVES LPN's she was one, and has LPN's in management. She added there will ALWAYS be work for LPN's.

[ May 04, 2001: Message edited by: Future LPN Sheryl ]

[leesonlpn]

I'm confused. All this talk about grandfathers and trained monkeys. I thought this was a nursing site. I'm an LPN who could be grandfathered but I think the surgery would be expensive, and training monkeys should be left to the specialists. Nurses week should be holding each others hands, not slapping them away. We are all connected together in some way because we are nurses. The caring we provide for our patients is like an invisible bond between us. Kind of like superglue, which makes us tenacious on some subjects. Maybe that's what makes us such great nurses - our super sensitivity. leesonlpn is sending a hug out to each and every one of you. No strings attached, ('cept for a little glue)

[Chellyse]

Thanks Leeson LOL :)

I have to say this post is ripe with emotions, but Tim making a public apology deserves attention because it shows that he is willing to accept a mistake and admit it.That is admirable enough to offset the "Monkeys" which he apologized for. I appreciate Hotspam because as stated the debate began with no boundaries, free for all was aptly termed. It is Nurses Week (even if we do not advocate the sappy happy quotes,)we could take a moment to focus on the unity issues. :) :)

[Chellyse]

Thanks Leeson LOL :)

I have to say this post is ripe with emotions, but Tim making a public apology deserves attention because it shows that he is willing to accept a mistake and admit it.That is admirable enough to offset the "Monkeys" which he apologized for. I appreciate Hotspam because as stated the debate began with no boundaries, free for all was aptly termed. It is Nurses Week (even if we do not advocate the sappy happy quotes,)we could take a moment to focus on the unity issues. :) :)

[res04lly]

I am an LPN and i was pretty taken back by the Monkey statement.I have a problem with some of the comments and i accept Jason's apology also. Jason I have a question just for you? Have you ever really researched and LPN's practice and based it against the nurse practice act in your state? Point here is know what we can and can't do by researching it out,okay end of subject above. Now I think the point here is that the grandfathering IDEA was a concept of Something that Might come to pass. It was talked openly as i see in previous posts WAY back into the 70's and it's now 2001 and it has NOT happened. I feel that each level of education teaches skills that are useable to all, I have learned alot from ADN,BSN, and NP, but that does not mean that I would use any of it if it were outside the scope of my practice.The answer is NO. Professional behavior starts with everyone, giving the respect to each other and I really don't understand why we have to have all this trashing-a wise instructor once told me that when you trash one branch you trash the whole tree. Lets use the negative energy and channel it to something that well make a change for the better for everyone. We all can make a difference IF we try

[res04lly]

I am an LPN and i was pretty taken back by the Monkey statement.I have a problem with some of the comments and i accept Jason's apology also. Jason I have a question just for you? Have you ever really researched and LPN's practice and based it against the nurse practice act in your state? Point here is know what we can and can't do by researching it out,okay end of subject above. Now I think the point here is that the grandfathering IDEA was a concept of Something that Might come to pass. It was talked openly as i see in previous posts WAY back into the 70's and it's now 2001 and it has NOT happened. I feel that each level of education teaches skills that are useable to all, I have learned alot from ADN,BSN, and NP, but that does not mean that I would use any of it if it were outside the scope of my practice.The answer is NO. Professional behavior starts with everyone, giving the respect to each other and I really don't understand why we have to have all this trashing-a wise instructor once told me that when you trash one branch you trash the whole tree. Lets use the negative energy and channel it to something that well make a change for the better for everyone. We all can make a difference IF we try

[duckie]

I have sat back and read all of the posts and have not commented until now. I am so very sick and tired of the LPN vs. RN debate. We are all nurses and we are supposed to be professional, caring people! It makes no sense to me to keep beating this dead horse. I became an LPN in 1981 and was told at that time that LPN's would soon be eliminated, well guess what, we're still here and I seriously doubt with the nursing shortage that we will ever be "kicked out" of the profession. Now, as an LPN, I want to state loud and clear, I am fully aware that I have not had the formal education of the RN. Depending on what field of nursing the LPN goes into, we can have many skills that once only RN's were trained to do. We have been trained to do many of these things because there are not enough RN's to handle all of the patients that need care. If I were placed in a position of taking my assignments from an RN, I would do so and remember that I choose NOT to proceed forward and change the initials behind my name. BUT, I want every nurse, RN and LPN to realize, we are all important to the people we care for and we should all respect each other and stop putting each other down because none of us can do it all and we are supposed to be working as a team, for the best interest of our patients. I make no excuses that I am an LPN because "I am a damned good nurse!" I have coded and helped save lives, I have held the hands of many that were about to die, giving them comfort and dignity. I have comforted and prayed with many families as they cope with life without that special loved one. Maybe I cannot do all the technical proceedures that some RN's do, but I am still a nurse, giving care, love, compassion, understanding and kindness where it is needed. Yes, I wipe butts, make beds, and do all the lowly but necessary duties that come with my job but I do them with pride because I am good at it. Every RN I work with treats me as an equal, I do not feel put down or inferior. Maybe in their minds I am not an equal, but I am not looking for a "sign" of disrespect. I also work with some LPN's that think their S*** don't stink and tell the aids they didn't go to school to wipe butts. That's when I step in and tell them that all the nurses before us wiped butts and what makes them think they are so much better. To me it all boils down to whether or not you are secure within yourself, well yes I am. I don't need anyone to validate that I am a good, caring and hard working nurse that makes my residents laugh and feel loved. I'm certain that someone will think I'm way off base here but this is how I feel and I am proud of who I am. I am also proud of all of you, for you work very hard, everyday in jobs that stress you out and break the spirit, but when you stand before your maker, you will do so knowing what you did mattered and you DID make a difference!!! Why do we continue to stress ourselves out with this conflict, don't we have enough stress at work???

[duckie]

I have sat back and read all of the posts and have not commented until now. I am so very sick and tired of the LPN vs. RN debate. We are all nurses and we are supposed to be professional, caring people! It makes no sense to me to keep beating this dead horse. I became an LPN in 1981 and was told at that time that LPN's would soon be eliminated, well guess what, we're still here and I seriously doubt with the nursing shortage that we will ever be "kicked out" of the profession. Now, as an LPN, I want to state loud and clear, I am fully aware that I have not had the formal education of the RN. Depending on what field of nursing the LPN goes into, we can have many skills that once only RN's were trained to do. We have been trained to do many of these things because there are not enough RN's to handle all of the patients that need care. If I were placed in a position of taking my assignments from an RN, I would do so and remember that I choose NOT to proceed forward and change the initials behind my name. BUT, I want every nurse, RN and LPN to realize, we are all important to the people we care for and we should all respect each other and stop putting each other down because none of us can do it all and we are supposed to be working as a team, for the best interest of our patients. I make no excuses that I am an LPN because "I am a damned good nurse!" I have coded and helped save lives, I have held the hands of many that were about to die, giving them comfort and dignity. I have comforted and prayed with many families as they cope with life without that special loved one. Maybe I cannot do all the technical proceedures that some RN's do, but I am still a nurse, giving care, love, compassion, understanding and kindness where it is needed. Yes, I wipe butts, make beds, and do all the lowly but necessary duties that come with my job but I do them with pride because I am good at it. Every RN I work with treats me as an equal, I do not feel put down or inferior. Maybe in their minds I am not an equal, but I am not looking for a "sign" of disrespect. I also work with some LPN's that think their S*** don't stink and tell the aids they didn't go to school to wipe butts. That's when I step in and tell them that all the nurses before us wiped butts and what makes them think they are so much better. To me it all boils down to whether or not you are secure within yourself, well yes I am. I don't need anyone to validate that I am a good, caring and hard working nurse that makes my residents laugh and feel loved. I'm certain that someone will think I'm way off base here but this is how I feel and I am proud of who I am. I am also proud of all of you, for you work very hard, everyday in jobs that stress you out and break the spirit, but when you stand before your maker, you will do so knowing what you did mattered and you DID make a difference!!! Why do we continue to stress ourselves out with this conflict, don't we have enough stress at work???

[Brownms46]

I have been requested by an NFLPN member to post this here, as they don't wish become a member, but feel the need to respond. The poster's name is Bob.

I just read all the nasty-grams on allnurses.com. Damn. One thing I've learned from working in health care is that life is finite, and the time we have on this earth is far too short to waste bitching at each other over who can outnurse who. I just want to be the best person, nurse (regardless of the letters after my name) and (most importantly)the best father to my children that I can be. That whole discussion on allnurses.com really sucked the lifeforce out of me, so I suggest that the next time anybody out there feels like jumping into the ring over the whole RN/LPN thing, take that energy and go hug your kid or think of some way to better care for your patients or run out and get your hair done. We all know life's way too short for this kind of crap. That's why I said I felt sorry for that guy. People go to bed hungry every night, kids are born with AIDS every day, innocent people are hurt...let's just do our jobs and do the best we can as nurses and as human beings.

© 1995 NFLPN. All rights reserved.

[Brownms46]

I have been requested by an NFLPN member to post this here, as they don't wish become a member, but feel the need to respond. The poster's name is Bob.

I just read all the nasty-grams on allnurses.com. Damn. One thing I've learned from working in health care is that life is finite, and the time we have on this earth is far too short to waste bitching at each other over who can outnurse who. I just want to be the best person, nurse (regardless of the letters after my name) and (most importantly)the best father to my children that I can be. That whole discussion on allnurses.com really sucked the lifeforce out of me, so I suggest that the next time anybody out there feels like jumping into the ring over the whole RN/LPN thing, take that energy and go hug your kid or think of some way to better care for your patients or run out and get your hair done. We all know life's way too short for this kind of crap. That's why I said I felt sorry for that guy. People go to bed hungry every night, kids are born with AIDS every day, innocent people are hurt...let's just do our jobs and do the best we can as nurses and as human beings.

© 1995 NFLPN. All rights reserved.

[NurseAngie]

Just ONE little question for Jason. Where did you get your statistical data from? I really doubt you can honstly say you BELIEVE your own post. I doubt there is a LPN alive that would disagree that education is most beneficial to ALL NURSES. To say that we're not capable is what we disagree with. I'm sorry for you. I feel fine about me.

"Living life and LOVING it"

Angie

[NurseAngie]

Just ONE little question for Jason. Where did you get your statistical data from? I really doubt you can honstly say you BELIEVE your own post. I doubt there is a LPN alive that would disagree that education is most beneficial to ALL NURSES. To say that we're not capable is what we disagree with. I'm sorry for you. I feel fine about me.

"Living life and LOVING it"

Angie

[kennedyj]

hi,

I have yet to see a bridge program from LPN to RN. I am suprised they do not have one. Most nursing schools will waive the nursing fundamentals course if you are an LPN but this is only one course. They could do a bridge course with a condensed med/surge course,then do peds, ob etc after the general studies are done. I guess it's easier to bridge ADN to BSN because more of the courses are the same. In an LPN program many schools have shorter courses that differ more. Still a university could do a bridge program after gen studies are complete and make some serious $$$$.

Jared