RN's Vs. LPN's

[hsieh]

i'm an rn former lpn. the only diff is the seamester of managemanet classess. as far as being in charge - you call the doctor or 911. i don't think it matters if you're an rn or lpn to do that. in charge of what? a nurse follows orders. you follow the orders of the doctor, physical therapist, occupational therapist, management, facility, state laws, case manager, etc.

[hsieh]

Nursing does not mean any thing when you spend years in college and have to deal with an idiot of professor?

How many of you have had to deal with some thing so stupid as this?

i don't think i had an idiot nurse instructor but some of the test were stupid in that some of the questions were ambiguous. now that's stupid.

[busy-bee]

I work in a LTC and all the unit supervisors at this point are LPN's. I would much prefer to have an RN with experience in those positions. Much depends on the facility and the education of the staff in whole. The RN's that work our facility I know are very educated as well as have many years experience. However, some choose not to utilize their knowledge. Whether RN or LPN, I believe it depends on attitude and work performance.

[Marie_LPN]

what are some of your attitudes concerning RN's Vs. LPN's?

That the energy that some people use to degrade others' career choices would be better used in combating outrageous nurse-pt. ratios, skeleton staffing, and low pay.

If you are a registered nurse, do you like working with LPN's? Same question to the LPN's.. do you enjoy working with RN's?

I enjoy working with nurses, RN or LPN, that are competant and pull their weight.

If you are a LPN do you feel inadequate when you are working alongside a registered nurse?

No way.

I get the feeling in my workplace that no matter what you are, LPN's get treated better because of the fact that most of them are older and have many years of experience behind them.

There is something to be said for experience.

Why is it that many LPN's didnt go on to become RN's?

If most of them had a dime given for everytime they were asked this question, it would have covered the cost of tuition and books. Some don't want to go back to school. Some can't afford it and others had other things that came first in their life.

[cougarnurse]

You have some valid points, Marie. Thank you for sharing them.

[CatGoverness]

Where I work, the LPN to RN ratio is usually 5 to 1. However, our nursing staff for any one day is of course reliant on the current patient load. There are usually 2 or 3 RNs on duty on Med/Surg and the rest are LPNs. Recently, the law was changed to allow LPNs to do IV pushes, with additional training, which will take the load off the RNs who, until now, have had to stop what they were doing to give IV meds such as pain meds. We do primary care and except for blood and central lines now, most of us can work independently of each other with occasional requests for help outside the scope of nursing that is required for LPNs.

[sierra_lpn]

Personally, I wanted to be a rock star.

[NavyJim58]

This is just my opinion (freedom of speech) based on being an LPN and RN over 25 years........I think the LVN/LPN license should be gotten rid of......nurses should be RN's.....some of the other posts here talk about giving LPN's more responsibility and authority with additional training......at some hospitals LPN's can do everything an RN can do......why have LPN's?.......at all?.........LPN/LVN's just drag nursing down.........if the reason is the nursing shortage as in "we can't do without the LPN's because we don't have enough RN's".......convert those LPN programs to RN programs......is the education substandard to an RN education?.......if so then that's another reason not to have LPN's doing RN responsibilities........I see the LPN programs as an easier route to a job.......nursing should be all RN............:39:

[cassioo]

This is just my opinion (freedom of speech) based on being an LPN and RN over 25 years........I think the LVN/LPN license should be gotten rid of......nurses should be RN's.....some of the other posts here talk about giving LPN's more responsibility and authority with additional training......at some hospitals LPN's can do everything an RN can do......why have LPN's?.......at all?.........LPN/LVN's just drag nursing down.........if the reason is the nursing shortage as in "we can't do without the LPN's because we don't have enough RN's".......convert those LPN programs to RN programs......is the education substandard to an RN education?.......if so then that's another reason not to have LPN's doing RN responsibilities........I see the LPN programs as an easier route to a job.......nursing should be all RN............:39:

You're correct the "line" does become more muddy with responsibilities being farmed out and who can do what with an extra class (ie IV training) I don't think there should be medication aids more then LPN's. I like and respect all of the LPN's I work with (ok all 5 of them) all but 1 would be great RN's only 1 wants to go back to school (the one that wouldn't be great barely made it through LPN school and failed RN twice). I don't think the LPN education is substandard but it's more to the task oriented but then if they go into a hospital setting they do many of the RN tasks or the RN still has to sign off behind them or be responsible...with ADN being 2 years it's really not that much longer and the pay is that much better in the long run.

PS...happy late Memorial Day

[sierra_lpn]

I love all these "let's beat a dead horse" threads....

So much fun...so much love...so much pointless banter...

Okay, GROUP HUG!





:frustrated: