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

Nurses LPN/LVN

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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.

The few hospitals my family members have been admitted to usually have an RN, LPN and a CNA that takes care of patients. Their names would be posted at the foot of the bed so we would know who their nurses were.

There are colleges here that offer for you to get your RN after LPN and you can also do it in a few hospitals. I am doing this because I love the medical field and want to make a good living for my family. So what if I am not making $30/hr, making $18/hr is fantastic considering I would be making $7/hr without an education.

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I've been an LPN for a year and work in a doctors office. I get patients who ask me why I didn't just get my RN to begin with. Personally I am glad that I went this route and I will be an RN someday soon. I have 3 kids and a husband in the military so I wanted to make sure I could do LPN school before emersing myself into RN and now I can work and go to school. LPN's rock :)

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I just became and LPN while in school for my RN. They are 2 different careers and both are good. For some people being an LPN is more practical and is great. Others, like myself, use being an LPN as experience as a nurse to prepare for a career as an RN.

However, unlike like other posters, I have heard this "why stop at LPN" comments from LPNs I work with! These are often nurses who used to be able to work in hospitals and had more opportunities and now see themselves limited to home health care or LTC. Even in the past couple of years the LTC facility I work at had phased LPNs out of management to replace them with RNs.

I think it's wrong for any nurse to look down on another (they have a similiar postings about med-surg vs. "specialty" and RNs in LTC). We all play our part. As a new LPN I know that I am a nurse and am proud to FINALLY be one! :nurse:

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Specializes in Geriatrics/Family Practice.

Like I've said before if we all were RN, BSN or had our masters, or were nurse practictioners, then who would be left to take care of the patients? I do know some RN, BSN's who love bedside nursing, but most get the experience and head to mgmt. With the healthcare field the way it is today, not all of us can be chiefs, we need Indians (RN, ADN, LPN, CNA, phlebotomist, housekeeping, maintenance, etc) Why keep questioning someone's choice? We all could have our RN, BSN and up if you wanted, but due to what we want and what our families can sacrifice for our schooling (mom's) we are who we are, and we are a great contributor to the healthcare field. Also in the state of Illinois where I live, since they won't allow LPN's in the hospitals (Magnet status's their all working on) we are mostly in clinics and LTC. So now lets considering eliminating the LPN programs, who's gonna take care of our elderly? RN,BSN's, NOT!!!! We have our roles in healthcare and everyone should just leave us the he!! alone if they don't have anything positive to say. And by the way for those that don't like LPN's or don't think we are real nurses, than god help you if you ever need help outside of a healthcare environment, because I'm gonna plead stupidity and that I'm a just pretend nurse, so you just wait here until I can get a RN (real nurse). Yes RN's have more schooling and yes we are definitely different in our scopes of practice, but I can't wait for the day that we can all just get along and when we are all just considered people helping people, but some just with more of an educational background than others. I look to RN's for certain understandings of disease or processes, because I am a fairly new LPN grad, but I am not stupid, I just didn't go to school for as long and do not know everything and I like to learn something new everyday, from either a seasoned LPN or a RN. "Can't we just all get along?" So the answer to your question is "There is nothing bad about being a LPN", except uless you let other peoples comments get to you, which unfortunately, I still do, mostly because I want to be considered a team player and not an outcast of the medical field.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

Well said, kstec!!

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And that wonderful ad campaign by Johnson & Johnson doesn't do the PN professionals any good.

By all means promote nursing BUT focus on the nursing TEAM.

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Specializes in LTC.

If there are any RN's here that were LPN's first, can you PLEASE tell me what the difference in education is? There must be some reason a few RN's feel they are "above" LPN's in ability to assess patients. By all means I am not picking on all RN's. In fact, there is only 1 I work with who always seems to look at my badge, seemingly at the LPN part, when I update her about a patients' condition, only to explain to me why I'm stupid. There was another who treated me in a similar way when I first started, but I guess I've earned her trust as a nurse, as she now pays attention when I speak. I also work with a BSN who values my opinion on HER patients, and will ask me to assist her in assesssing a patient that's "going bad". Is it truly a RN over a LPN thing, or is it more a matter of respect of ability as a nurse? Please forgive my ignorance, as I am still shiny and new at this nursing thing. And, for now, still hold out hope we can all work together toward our common goal: excellent patient care. Call me silly, but that's what I chose this career for.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I have noticed that there was a bit more detail in their texts and sometimes, I saw that the tone (for a lack of a better word) was different. What I do notice, is that all new nurses, may they be LPNs, Associate or Bachelor Degree RNs, are wet between the ears and are basically scared to death. It takes experience to grow into the role of a nurse. The difference I see for sure is that the accountability and responsibility goes a great deal deeper for the RN.

There is an RN I work with who I get her to show me all that she can, and she asked me once, why did I want to learn so much. I told her that I want for whomever I inform that a patient has a problem, I want them to trust me and take my word that something needs to be addressed. The only way I will know is to learn as much as I can. That seemed to satisfy her, because the nurses I work with in my clinic respect me as a NURSE, not a 'lesser than'.

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Specializes in Long-term Care; Geriatrics; Pediatrics.

It almost upsets me that people could bash LPN's so much. I'm an(young) LPN and to me this is my stepping stone... Yes, when I went to school to be an LPN I knew that I wanted to be an RN... But in order for me to achieve that goal (being an RN) I needed financial stability... Thats why I became an LPN!! Being an LPN has been a very rewarding career for me (eventhough I've only been an LPN for 1yr.)!!

Now that I know what I'm capable of... I'm back in school getting my RN (Associates degree)... and from there I'm going straight into the Masters degree program to be a Nurse Practitioner!!

All this being said just to say... "Sometimes people need to take baby steps to get where they want to be (no matter their age)!!" :yeah:

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I have been an LPN for a little over a year now and I still hear comments about it. I am 40 years old now. I am confident in my decision to become an LPN first. Every one has their path in life. "To walk in my shoes"! No one person can assume what may be the best for another. I have noticed that nursing is not the only job that someone comments "why didnt you...". Live for yourself and your family. Try not to let anyone make you feel inadequate about your decision. Life is short. If I were to become fatally ill and on my death bed, I am not going to say to myself " I wish I would have become an RN, BSN, MSN, ARNP, MD. I want to know that I touch as many lives as I could while I was here on earth. Good luck and God bless.

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Specializes in LTC, Management, Hospice, Private Pay.

I became a NURSE, OH I MEAN LPN, 25 YEARS AGO!! When I was in nursing school, they said they were going to get rid of US within the next 10 years and Grandfather the LPNs in. All nurses would then be titled by #'s Nurse 1- You have it all to Nurse #4 Just an LPN. Well 25 years later it hasn't happened. The funny thing about being a licensed nurse, you will most likely make more money than all those people who spoke up. I have made more money than my husband, brothers, etc. Now for the RN. Could you imagine being a brand new nurse and having to be RESPONIBlE :angryfirefor so much. For anybody under you, you as a regitered nurse, your license is at risk. So, I would rather be a LPN for many, many years, learn the business, then maybe become the RN responsible for anybody else.

(I'm not talking patients) I can tell you that I have had a wonderful time in many disciplines as a licensed nurse. I have taken 6 pre-reqs since I was in my 30's for my RN. If I become a "real nurse" by the time I am 55 I will be happy, but for now, I will continue to play Lo paid Nurse:twocents:

God Speed Nurses!!!!

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Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.
i became a nurse, oh i mean lpn, 25 years ago!!

:lol2:

:bow::bowingpurlpns rock!!! :bowingpur:bow:

:yeah:

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