Why is it so bad to be an LPN ????

[hair_tie]

I have posted in other parts of this site, and it seems like soon as I mention I am going to school to be an LPN there seems to be a few people that ask why in the world would you want to do that? Why do I want to waste my time being and LPN. No place hires LPN's anymore, its just a gimmick for the school to get money from me.

I am tired of it. I am becoming an LPN because I want to why not ask an RN why waste your time on that just go be a PA or doctor. We each have our own reasons for doing what we do. If no place is hiring LPN's then how come I see ad's in the paper and on the state job bank ? RN's may have more of a choice but there are opportunities for LPN's too. The government wouldn't pay for you to go to school for LPN if there were no jobs.

One day I hope to be an RN but for now I would like encouragement or at least don't bash LPN's when a question is asked about LPN's.

[tiredstudentmom]

I agree w/ many of the other posters I see here: if you mention that you are going for lvn or lpn they ask, "why are you wasting your time?" is usually other students aiming for RN (ADN) or BSN. I have talked to other nurses and they say go for it! Everyone has a niche and we just have to find ours. Plus if you want to, later on, there are many, many programs that you can transition to RN or BSN. If one should choose, LVN is a viable job as any.

[calalilly4]

I am about to graduate with my LPN. I hear the samething all the time why LPN...do you plan to get your RN? Honestly right now in my life no. LPN will be good enough for me. I am a mother of 4 young adults and working as a nurse has always been a dream. I heard that most LPN's have more clinical experience than RN's. I give RN's alot of credit 4 years of school is a long time but for me the 2 years I just put into my education will be good enough for now. I just hope that I can find a decent LPN job. :)

[Butterfly0328]

I also heard that the training for LPN is much more intense than RN. Besides, for those that have never worked in the medical field could "test the waters" so to speak by becoming an LPN first. I am not sure, but from what I have read and seen, being an LPN could be like having your cake and eating it to. They probably will not have the intense stress and responsibiltiy that falls on the RN. Like I said, I am not sure about this. I am almost done with my pre-reqs for the RN-ADN program but am really looking closer at the LPN program. I have always wanted to be a nurse, but I would hate to invest all of the time and money only to find out it is not for me. I guess you could say I am majorly confused:confused:. Bottom line is, LPN's are as important and pretty much as educated as RN's, and Yes you ARE Nurses!!!

[Chrissy Lou]

Licensed practical nurses (LPNs), or licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), care for people who are sick, injured, convalescent, or disabled under the direction of physicians and registered nurses. The nature of the direction and supervision required varies by State and job setting.

LPNs care for patients in many ways. Often, they provide basic bedside care. Many LPNs measure and record patients' vital signs such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration. They also prepare and give injections and enemas, monitor catheters, dress wounds, and give alcohol rubs and massages. To help keep patients comfortable, they assist with bathing, dressing, and personal hygiene, moving in bed, standing, and walking.

Go here if you want to learn more about what an LPN/LVN does http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos102.htm Since you are already a PCA and you like your job maybe you should look into becoming a nurse.

You could add to that list that LPN's also hold the hand of the dying, comfort the families, walk endlessly with the Alzheimer's patient who can't be still, save the dementia patient from the images of terror they face, finder of lost blankets, pillows and stuffed animals, fixer of the fax machine, patient advocate when dealing with the pharmacy, doctor's offices, and various consultants who think they know best. Cleaner of bedpans, and dentures, server of meals and snacks, if you can imagine, an LPN can do it!

[nicenurselpn, LPN]

I am d**n proud to be an LPN!!! I worked my tail off to work fulltime, take care of my family and go to LPN school fulltime as well!!! At one time, I had thought of getting my ADN so I could have more advancement oppurtunities, but have decided against it at this time. Where I work at (ltc for mr/dd children) RN's and LPNs do the same job, but they make a bit more money! Lol.... They are the best to work with!! I am not sure of the clinical aspect of the RN education, but I can tell you, that our LPN clinicals were brutal!!! As far as I am concerned, we are all NURSES and we should respect one another and help one another as well!!!! I am very content doing bedside nursing and seeing the smiles from "my kids" as they hear my voice or see me. I have comforted the scared, held the hand of a man dying from AIDS who would have died alone. I have laughed and cried with the people I have taken care of these last 4 years. I do believe I will stay an LPN till the day I retire. To me this is my niche in life.....:redbeathe

Wendy

LPN

[CLUVRN, MSN, RN]

You can add me to the list of career LPN's as well!

[andeocuvar]

To answer your comment about people saying there arent any jobs....

These days there are no jobs for RNs just as much as there are no jobs for LPNs so the RN students shouldn't think they are better off. I am talking only about the new grads of course(for both LPN and RNs). There are dozens of positions for nurses in my hospital, but not one of them is for a new graduate. They all want experience. My friend the newly grad RN had to look for a job for 3 months before she got a part time gig at a dialysis center (not her first choice by far). My friend's newly licensed mom LPN looked for a year before she found a position also at a dialysis center. I put in an awesome word in for them to my manager and they couldn't even get an interview. This is how it is in all of Florida right now. Both of them ended up with a position and are happy now, but it might take a little bit of time. I was talking to the placement manager at a nursing school where I work today and she said that about 82% of the students that graduated from us got a position "in the field" meaning in the healthcare field not necessarily as an LPN. Some of them are working as CNAs. Some of them got jobs right after graduation, but most had to wait a few months.

ADVICE TO ALL STUDENT NURSES: Volunteer in a hospital, get a CNA job somewhere if you can, in your clinicals be super nurse and shine... this way you can get noticed by the management and when it comes time to graduate they will give you a position because they know you.

[audiothologist]

or (and this is just me)

WORK IN HEALTHCARE BEFORE GOING TO NURSING SCHOOL

Every single nurse I have met who worked/volunteered in healthcare before they even started nursing school had a job w/i 3 months... some w/i 2 days, of getting their license. Few people even had gn/gpn jobs.

I am a strong advocate of knowing your future before you dive in.