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

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jan 24, 2008

actually the roles of lpns vary from state to state, facility to facility, especially in ltc!! i work in ltc and i do all of the above, transfers, discharges, name it hun, i do it! it really varies from place to place, i know places where lpns dont even give injections!

what places do not allow lpns to administer injections? i have heard that some places have not allowed lpns to even administer medications...truly making them glorified cnas. i have asked many times where these places are, because it really shocks me.

PadawanLearner · Jan 24, 2008

Wouldn't it be great if it worked that way for doctors too?

"Oh, you're just a physician? Why don't you become a surgeon?"

rgroyer1RNBSN, BSN, RN · Jan 24, 2008

I became an LPN first and it was the best thing I ever did.

Xenawarrierprincess · Jan 25, 2008

What places do not allow LPNs to administer injections? I have heard that some places have not allowed LPNs to even administer medications...truly making them glorified CNAs. I have asked many times where these places are, because it really shocks me.

I trained in a facility that didn't allow their RPN's to do IM injections or insulin to scale... Truly ridiculous.

marryweather · Jan 26, 2008

I enjoy nursing. LPN's have a very broad scope of practice in North Carolina. In fact most of the limitations we face come from the facilities we choose to work for. In the Charlotte area most hospitals and even several LTC facilities prefer RN's. The higher ups that do the hiring don't really look at your experience or your knowlege they want the title. For me as a patient personally I say give me a nurse thats got sense enough to get in out of the rain I don't care what her title is. I've worked with nurses who couldn't even recognize an IV infiltrate.

ladyboyd · Jan 26, 2008

Hi,

I'm an RN, my mom is an LVN, and my sister started as an LVN, became a RN and is now finisihing up her BSN. My youngest daughter is graduating high school this year and wants to be a nurse. I am encouraging her to start out as a CNA, then go for her LVN license. This is to be sure that, number 1, she really wants a nursing career; number 2, in California there is such a long wait list for the RN programs that I can afford to send her to that she would probably be discouraged, and it makes no sense to me to go to school for 2 years for pre-reqs and then possibly get into a 2 year RN program for a total of 4 years! Number 3 reason is that I can pay for her program and then if she wants to continue on, she can pay for her own! 4 year college is not an option at this time because financial aid folks say that with my income, I should be able to pay for her college (NOT) I just went thru this with another daughter who graduated college and it was ROUGH!

Quite a few of the LVN programs here want the applicant to have their CNA license just to apply and it makes sense to me....seems that the same should hold true for the RN programs too or at least give preference to those who do have a CNA lilcense....well, just my 2cents.

mariahsmom · Jan 27, 2008

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.

There is definitely jobs to be found as an LPN, I have been an lpn for 9 years and never been out of work, and support my family with it now. I am taking prerequests now for RN, d/t fact that I do everyhting the RN's do at my job and make 5-7$ less an hour and i even do more than them, because they won't do everythingI do, they leave me the dirty work since I am a lpn. I have done this for 9 years and want better since I have support a family. But if you are willing to work, you can fin a job as a LPN all the time- at least in my area. Mostly LTC tho.

morris-lpn · Jan 27, 2008

i started out in the bsn rn program. wished i went straight into the lpn program instead. now $40,000 in debt and still only got my lpn. on the bright side, least i only have to work 6 months and reapply to bridge into the bsn program again.

garmon1966 · Jan 27, 2008

I just graduated in December 2007 and passed Nclex. I have had multiple offers for good paying jobs. It's nice to be able to pick and choose where I want to work and not have to settle for the first thing that comes along. Anyone that hasn't been to LPN school doesn't know how hard it is and surely can't appreciate the immense feeling of accomplishment one has with a nursing license in hand. If being an LPN is what you want then go for it. It's a very respectable, professional position.

jerseygirl01 · Jan 27, 2008

To be honest, LPN's/LVN's can have a limited career path as far as choices and some hospitals have few or no LPN's/LVN's at their facilities. I am currently an LVN who has had wonderful experiences and I have been very fortunate. Unfortunately over the years hospitals have taken away the many areas that LVN's work and some LVN's are working at what used to be seen at the CNA level. It is insulting and demoralizing. In looking back at my career I initially should have gone for the extra year of school and become a 2 year RN, but I didn't do that. Thankfully, I have finally obtained my BSN and I am now waiting to get my Board results. It was important for me to obtain my degree, but I have to admit that my fellow nursing students that were "nice" were the ones that were LVN's first. Students and nurses that have a passion for the profession and care about patients make the best nurses. Being an LVN/LPN isn't a bad thing. And I still loathe the question of "are you an LVN or RN?" Unfortuanately times have changed where limits are now imposed on nurses that don't have RN behind their names. Whatever nurse you are do your best and remember that everyone works together as a team.

JustLynn2U · Jan 27, 2008

I graduated from what is probably the top LPN school in the state of PA. I graduated 5th out of 36 students with a GPA of 3.76. I took my boards three days ago. It shut off at 85. Saturday morning, I checked the Everification site for PA... and I passed! However, even my fellow students who didn't graduate with honors and really had to work their butts off to pass school are also passing the NCLEX.

When I decided to return to school after 20 years as a medical transcriptionist, I was nervous to say the least. I checked into the local RN program and the wait was at least 3 years long to get in. On top of that, you needed an extremely high entrance test score and were required to be in the top of class for all science core credits before entering.

After serious thought, I chose the LPN school. I was accepted into the next class. It was the best decision I have ever made. As I became more familiar with school and the clinical experience I started noticing that compared to the local RN and BSN program, we had a minimum of twice as much clinical experience and in most cases, four times the amount.

The LPN is THE bedside nurse. I've watched LPNs run circles around RNs in terms of hands on patient care. I've seen new BSNs defer the insertion of urinary catheters and NG tubes to LPNs and LPN students and state "I'm not sure how to do that, I never did it in school".

Though I am in no way knocking RNs or BSNs, it is now my belief as well as the belief of all of my instructors who are BSN's and CRNP's, that nursing students should be required to start with a LPN certification and work their way up the educational ladder if they so choose.

Personally, I am continuing my education toward a BSN simply for better pay, but even upon completion of that, I won't take a job that doesn't allow me to continue to work with patients at the bedside next to the LPNs.

I will always consider my LPN education as where I learned to be a fantastic nurse and true team player and everything else will be icing on the cake.

bilog · Feb 1, 2008

Some LVN earn more than the RN