When someone asks you what you do for a living, do you say "nurse" or "RN" or "LVN"?

[HHN2472]

I always say "I'm a nurse" and only today has anyone asked me "RN or LVN?" When I worked in the hospital it seemed nobody thought there was a difference and we are all just nurses, as we are, but in the community people seem more curious.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Unfortunately some states have not passed title nurse protection.

Do you know which ones, Esme? Could you post it on this thread so it's always searchable?

[LightMyFire]

I just say nurse. My patients are usually the ones that ask RN or LPN. I think they are generally just making conversation when they do ask me.

[Misskala]

Been asked a couple of times if I had a bsn, my reply is that i'm working on it as my other degrees don't count at the bedside.

That's pretty funny! We might as well expose the sham to the general public. I'm working on my BSN too :-P

[tcooks7]

I say nurse then sometimes they ask if I'm an RN. Like being an LVN isn't a "real" nurse. Then when they hear I'm an LVN I always get the "Oh". Ugh![/quote']

I get that, too! My aunt, who's an RN, actually dissed me when I told her I got into the PN program a year or so ago. She told me I wouldn't be able to find a job in a hospital! How rude?! I have no desire of working in a hospital, I enjoy PDN. When ppl ask what kind of nurse, I just say 'a good one"!! LOL

[sharpeimom]

I'd say that I'm a psych nurse, and now that I was a psych nurse. If the type of nurse thing ever came up, I'd tell them that I was an RN. I'm married to a college professor and it amazes me how many people just assume that I have a PhD because he does, instead of the masters that I do have.