What is your favorite thing about being an Lpn??

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Hello everyone! What is your favorite part of being an Lpn? Also what about the parts of the job you don't like? ?

Thanks everybody!!

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I enjoy being at the bedside

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

The best I liked about being a LPN is the various different settings I was able to work in: Home Health (which includes home visits and private duty), Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon (I know how to put on casts :D ), Rehab (worked with TBI and SCI pts; traumatic amputations, vent dependent pts, and different wounds) Medicare chart reviews (certIy helped hone better documentation skills!) and a Pediatric Medical Day Care, where I saw a variety of complex pediatric conditions.

I also was able to educate LPNs and RNs, help create policies and be an agent of change. :)

What I didn't like: the specialties that I worked in-Rehab, Pediatrics-I couldn't become certified; having a certification in a nursing specialty exhibits the expertise in the specialty that a nurse is in; hence I have a ton of experience and cannot become certified in the specialties that I like; with that knowledge, that helped me decide to return to school to get my BSN; I hope within the next two -four years to get a certification due to me transition into my new role.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

What I liked: the flexible scheduling. I could work two 16-hour weekend double shifts every Saturday and Sunday, which enabled me to have Monday through Friday off. I was paid for 40 hours and received full-time benefits.

What I disliked: verbally abusive family members who displaced their anger on nursing staff when they were really angry at the fact that the patient had no real chance of ever improving.

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I like that there is so many different areas to go into for people who like to learn, and people who get bored easily:);).

I think when my kids are much older iI will bridge to RN but I think Ill worry about that later.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.

I love being an LVN because I get to do cool stuff like:

Change a wound dressing on a deep ulcer!

Send out a client was experiencing S/sx of a CVA, after an RN missed the warning signs. The CVA was later confirmed by the receiving institution!

Communicate effectively with the medical director at our facility-he's a tough guy to please but today we were meshing well!

Oh...and I got paid today and my check for half a month was twice what I used to live off of for a whole month!

Today was a great day!

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Things I enjoy-when that patient smiles and tells me I made a difference or that they appreciate everything I do. Also making great relationships with providers. (I worked originally in a surgical clinic, now I switched to prime care) A good provider can really help you learn a lot! I really enjoy getting close to my patients who come in frequently. And I really enjoy seeing different conditions and learning new things--I am constantly learning.

Things I dislike-Nasty providers, limitations on being able to help patients, angry patients who don't realize there is nothing more you can do, and seeing those patients that just pull on you heart strings.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Honestly, I love that the LPN program is structured to give students strong clinical skills. I came out of LPN school with a lot of fantastic experience, and it helped me succeed as a new grad.

Also, all that "you'll work underneath an RN/BSN" jazz doesn't exist in my workplace. The person with the most experience takes the lead, and that's that! As an LPN, I've gotten to train some wonderful BSN grads on vents/trachs, although I know life is probably very different in acute care settings (I'm home health/ppec/peds facilities). It's always amusing hearing my fellow BSN classmates talk about how LPNs are being phased out, lack competence, must constantly defer to others, etc. I just roll my eyes and chuckle; it is amazing how professors who haven't worked in the field for twenty years can be so wrong.

But honestly, scheduling is the best part! There is so much LPN per diem work out there that I can work whenever and wherever I want. I have my pick of clients, I can take all the vacation time I want, and I have no problem adjusting my schedule month to month to fit around school and hobbies.

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