I started as an LPN and then went on to earn my BSN and MSN. When I say EARN, I mean EARN! I recall many snide remarks when I went from LPN to RN. I once overheard an LPN who was working on her ADN after a test she had failed remark “I guess I am not dumb enough to be an RN” I have heard many remarks and “battles” between LPNs and RNs such as this. Has anyone else found this? Why can we not all get along.

In the first place, that's why she failed the test, she is focused on the wrong things. Your dumbness are smartness has nothing to do with it. What matter's, do you study? Good study habits is very imperative in nursing, I mean long hours of studying, name calling show signs of ignorance.

My first start in healthcare was my secretary/tech job in an ED. I worked with a variety of nursing staff, LPN's, ADN & BSN/RN's and found on the whole that were willing to teach and encouraging in my pursuit of nursing

Once I started my BSN program I did get the feeling LPN's were looked down upon as we were constantly reminded of our duties to supervise and delegate tasks to them as RN's. Even then, we always got the talk about how we as RN's needed to pursue higher education and get away from lowly bedside nursing as quickly as possible.

I never worked with LVN's in the hospital, but when I took my new job I was told there were a few LVN's on staff. I think they are great, since I am new, I have spent many days learning the charting and little things about the job from them, they are helpful and respectful of my position and vice versa. What's worse is the older RN's looking down on me because I am young and thinking that I am not incompentent... It is true that "older nurses eat their young!"

I think RN's feel threatened by us LPN's. When in fact, they should be glad to work side by side. It would ease so much of their stress and cut way down on the patient/nurse ratio. When I did my clinicals only one hospital paired up an LPN with an RN and divided the work load. When I asked the LPN how that was going he said "great" he had been an LPN for over 20 years and just had no desire to go back to become an RN. He said it was because the only thing they had that he didn't was the ability to do an IVP, hang the 1st unit of blood , not to mention the major stress and paper work. As I have stated before" they make more money but at what cost!

I worked with an LPN who decided to go back to school and get her RN, and did. She was an EXCELLENT nurse all along, and worked very hard to go back to school while working full time to get her RN. When she was finally done, the hopital we worked in offered her ONE PENNEY more an hour as an RN. The rationale was that even though she had 14 years of experience (in that hospital--on that unit) it was not as an RN and so she would have to start at the bottom of the pay scale as an RN. We were all proud of her when she quit. We didn't want to loose her, but that was just abusive to ignore all her years of excellent nursing experience just because she was an LPN. She went to a competitor's hospital and became a leader in critical care in no time, with a pay check that reflected her true skill. It's up to us nurses not to tolerate discrimination, or abuse, no matter what form it comes in, and especially if it involves our pay checks.

Schull. Bravo! I tell my nursing students to never underestimate the knowledge of the CNAs and the housekeepers.

CDnurse, now that I know you are also an instructor I might be asking for advice throught the year!!!! HA!

It's hard to demand respect from the rest of the professional world when we can't even respect each other.

CDNURSE, We here at your old school miss you!!!! It is so silly the competition that we as professionals have. It is rediculous the competition and animosity between students in the nursing school have toward one another. I am beginning to understand why we don't have many males in this fabulous profession of nursing. Why would anyone want to put up with the catty female back biteing and remarks women make to and about each other! It's the women who learn to work together and appreciate everyones imput that can change this problem! Jealousy is a bitter monster and fuels many of the bad feelings. I am a tech in the ER to pay my way through school and am learning the difference between GOOD and BAD nurses by the examples they set and the way they treat me (because I am in school) and the way they treat my co-workers(who are not in school). I agree with Buddy, they need to get over themselves!

Buddy, many times in my old psych hospital I would help houskeeping with cleaning rooms and beds. In turn, the housekeeping would let me know who they thought needed to be looked in on.

Nursing's biggest problem is 1) we eat our young and 2) we can;t get along. Think if we could get along and harness our collective voice, as the biggest group of health care professionals, we would also be the most united and we could make changes for the betterment of clients and nursing. This is one instance where we need to take a clue from the docs, the AMA is united, they get along (even if just in public). But so many other issues fit into this dicsussion. We had a whole 6 week class on this topic! Fascinating. bottom line, it's so sad that nurses try to better the,selves at the expense of other nurses.....

cdnurse said:

RNS should not feel threatened by LPNs but respect their bedside skills. For bedside care and for knwoledge of medications, LPNs rock!

I am a RN wannabe! But I started out at the very bottom of the totem pole (as a CNA), and I will NEVER forget that. I know what it's like, and I respect those who do their job compassionately, and thoroughly. I have no patience for laziness, and the lack of willingness to learn. I have worked with a number of AWESOME RN's too, but then there have been a few who, for the life of me, I can't see why they even got into nursing. I think it's a matter of respecting each other as human beings, and working together without looking so hard at the "titles". We all have very specific protocols to follow in our professions, but the goal is always the same...isn't it?!

Buddy, you said it all !!! Gretchen some males do enter this profession and do their best to to stop the cat fights and back-biting, I know i've been doing just that for 16 years. I think that the finest lesson that I ever learned was on the second test in Nursing school the last question asked for the name of the cleaning lady that cleande our lecture hall every day, we had all passed her three times a week for eight weeks and only three of 123 students knew her name I am prod to say I was one of them her name was Helen. A wise old friend of mine told me at the age of 16 that you can learn something form everyone, and even the village idiot can have a great idea if you bother to listen.