Why is it LPN VS RN?

Love, love LOVE LPNs!!! Maybe it's the facility you're at, but I've always been fortunate enough to work with some great ones.Give me a good LPN over two crappy RNs any day!

They are a dying breed, unfortunately.I only know of two facilities that still employ them. Too bad for us, RN's. Nothing beats a third hand/eye.

Many, Many RNs used to be LPNs including myself. Thanks a million times over to all the LPNs that covered my back over the years. My best friend started out as an aide, got her lPN, got her RN, then her BSN. She has worked every kind of unit you can imagine. She has done homecare and managment and went back to the hospital bedside. She is 56 years old and still going strong, she is my hero and there are many like her.

I have alot of respect for the RN's I work with, call me lucky, they don't mind doing anything.

Originally posted by StudentSarah:

Sarah, I was an LPN for 5 years before becoming an RN which I have been for 14 years. Although there are great Lpns out there, to be perfectly honest when I find that I am paired with one, deep down I feel like Ugh!, more work for me. Please don't take this out of context. Nursing, in my opionion has changed so dramatically over the last 5 years. It just isn't fun anymore. The patients are so much sicker, and they expect you to take care of more patients. Yeh, sometimes you get a good aide to work with you. But if their lazy, then thats just more you have to do also. Bottom line is I have to cover my own ass. Back to the LPN issue., If you have 6 patients and I have 7 that's 13 people I feel that I am ultimetly responsible for. If your patient crumps your going to run to me for help.(But realistically, I know nothing about your patients really, so now I have to delve into the chart to get an idea of whats going on.) Your going to ask me to give your iv meds,ect. There is a big difference between 1 year of school and 4or 5.In my eyes there is no comparison and that is comming from experience as an LPN. I am never disrespectful or say anything negative to the LPN I am working with. I get annoyed at administration for putting me in this situation. There trying to save a buck at my expense.

I hate the conflict between the LPN's and RN's I've noticed so far in my 3rd year clinical experience. I've noticed it between the RN's and LPN's in some cases, the LPN's and student nurses, and between the student nurses and practical student nurses. IT DRIVES ME NUTS!

From RN's thinking that they don't have to get their hands dirty, to LPN's being on a power trip when shadowed by SN's, to my peers talking about how when they are RN's they won't have to do certain jobs anymore, to a pracatical nursing student constantly cutting down SN's!

I think that LPN's and RN's should work together, and not think so much of thier own status, and just of the status of their patient. I think things would run a lot smoother.

I think of LPN's as a very valuable part of a health care team, and communication between the RN's and LPN's is the only way things are going to work.

Am I alone?

In Tx we are called LVNs of which I have been for 13yrs. Over those years I have worked with LVNs and RNs. I don't worry about the title they carry. My main concern is are they a capable, caring nurse who can do the job. Are they someone whom I would trust my family member to as a patient. Most all of us became nurses for the same reason. But sometimes I think many nurses have forgotten the reason. Medicine is a team effort between the Drs, nurses and patients. So maybe we should all try and remember that.

Originally posted by StudentSarah:

I hate the conflict between the LPN's and RN's I've noticed so far in my 3rd year clinical experience. I've noticed it between the RN's and LPN's in some cases, the LPN's and student nurses, and between the student nurses and practical student nurses. IT DRIVES ME NUTS!

From RN's thinking that they don't have to get their hands dirty, to LPN's being on a power trip when shadowed by SN's, to my peers talking about how when they are RN's they won't have to do certain jobs anymore, to a pracatical nursing student constantly cutting down SN's!

I think that LPN's and RN's should work together, and not think so much of thier own status, and just of the status of their patient. I think things would run a lot smoother.

I think of LPN's as a very valuable part of a health care team, and communication between the RN's and LPN's is the only way things are going to work.

Am I alone?

I worked as an LPN for several years before going back to school for my RN... before LPN i was a CNA....It doesnt matter what title you hold as long as you are competent and love what you do. Granted I can now do or have to do alot more than I did as an LPN...but in the end there is only one thing that matters to all of us and that is the patients safety and well-being.... and as I had always heard.. just because someone has RN behind their name doesnt mean that they are a Real Nurse.... some of the best nurses I have worked with are LPN's... and as for student nurses... we all had to learn at some point.

Originally posted by StudentSarah:

....to my peers talking about how when they are RN's they won't have to do certain jobs anymore...

Well, let's nip that one in the bud right now. There is NO part of patient care that you won't have to do as an RN at some point. Attitudes like this in newbies should NOT to be validated or encouraged, because perpetuating them leads to the kind of conflict we've seen on these boards. Even in specialty areas, there will be plenty of distateful or boring tasks to do. As a bedside RN, it never occurred to me that there were some tasks that were "beneath" me or that I should try to shove off onto others.

You sound very level-headed, Sarah. Try to educate your classmates before it's too late, wouldja please? Do it for all of us.

Student Sarah - just wanted to let you know I always enjoyed having student nurses on my floor. Usually resulted in a decreased patient load for me. Plus, I thoroughly enjoyed calming the nerves of those with the jitters over a particularly demanding patient or assisting in any I could to better their learning experience. Whew! Some of those nursing instructors were scary.

I have worked with so many dedicated, wonderful people in my nursing career from CNA's to NP's. I've encouraged some CNA's to continue their education in the nursing field because they were so with it and hard working. Only had 1 problem with a RN - at the end of a shift, she was filing her nails at the nurses station while chatting with her friends. I was finishing up last minute charting and preparing to give report to the incoming shift. She told me to go empty the garbage in the Med room. I refused and explained I was too busy but it appeared one of her group might have some time. Next day she had me hauled into the Nurse Manager's office accused me of defying her direct orders and also stated I was prejudiced. Needless to say, the outcome was in my favor. I think the real nurses far outnumber the ones who stink!

To Sunbunz - I've never had the experience of an RN having more work because of me; usually, I lightened their load and I had more patients than they. Once I had established myself with my abilities, I can't recall ever being checked up on. My input was well respected by Psych, PT, OT, etc. Have been encouraged so many times to become an RN, but I'm happy where I am! Only regret I've ever had was not being able to work in L&D - I enjoyed my clinical rotation in this exciting area tremendously

Originally posted by sunbunz:

This is so sad, I feel like this if you all feel that way about LPN's you should be mad at the administration for changing things, because years ago LPN's practically ran the hospitals, the administration changed that. Don't hate the LPN hate the administration, and if you feel so strongly about working with LPN's maybe you should refuse to work with one since we are more trouble then helpful.