I'm tired of teaching RN's their job. It's time we lobbied our congressmen to stop this. Stop the RN only staff at hospitals!  Email your congressman and tell him it does not take an RN to pass meds and monitor patients.  By all means let an RN be the charge nurse, but you dont need 15 other RN's passing meds for christ sake......

BRAVO!!!! I am tired of teaching the RN's too. They come to me when they don't know how to do something. Yes, I have been a nurse for 20+ years and I do have the experience and I can teach them but sometimes, it is the silly things that is nursing 101. Then everyday, I have to have an RN approve my assessments. These are the same nurses, who can't draw labs from central lines, irrigate foleys or colostomies or even simple computer data imputing.

I think that my favorite RN was when my dad had his spleen removed and I gave report to the nurse that was going to get him from ICU. I gave this nurse a report (even though I wasn't the transferring nurse) and I told him 3 or 4 times that my dad was allergic to Tylenol. That night, my dad spiked a temp and the nurse gave my dad a tylenol suppository because he decided that my dad must be allergic to codeine  (the allergy band said Tylenol with Codeine, even after they were told it was not the codeine) because no one is allergic to Tylenol. He never bothered to ask my dad or even call me to ask which med he couldn't have. Needless to say, I went totally off on the nurse and told him that it was a first year med student mistake. Two days later, my dad was returned to OR due to a collection of blood clots in his abd. He had a liver needle bx and the liver started bleeding after the tylenol was given because my Dad's liver infarcts everytime he gets any type of tylenol. Sorry I just had to share all that.

Anyway, we LPN's are an important part of the Medical team, we know our patients just as well as the RN's and we are more than able to do the jobs we are given and when at the end of the shift, it is usually the RN's who are sitting there still charting when most of the LPN's are done with their care, report and charting and leaving the floor usually on time.

When hospitals don't use LPN's they are just causing their own nursing shortage. There are so many wonderful LPN's who can do anything that the RN's can, if they would just let us.

Morning,

    I am totally on YOUR band wagon. There are over 1.2 million LPNs in the United States, and I feel the way to accomplish your goal (and mine too) is to be a member of the National Fedration of LPNs, become current in LPN issues, support LPNs in order to be able to looby against the under untilization of LPNs. We NEED to be united, stand tall and inform the public and employers of the GREAT work LPNs can and will do. Consider checking out the www.nflpn.org we site and become part of the solution to this long time problem LPNs have been experiencing over the years. JoAnn Shaw LPN in Wisconsin and member of NFLPN

Dear Allana,

    My goodness did you go through the ringer with the situation with your Dad....I hope and pray he is alright!!

   I truly believe there are GREAT LPNs in the United States and we (LPNs) need to band together to make our voices heard. There are over 1.2 million LPNs in the US and if united together could get things done, and be heard, LOUD and CLEAR. I have also been an LPN for over 37 years,facing the same issues that you have (even today I come across the same problems with LPNs teaching RNs what to do, so our patients can be safe). I have been a member of the National Federation of LPNs for 34 years, and always been active on the State Level. However only recently (past 7 years) have gotten actively involved on the National Level in this TREMENDOUS orgainzation for LPNs, run BY LPNs.

   I invite you to visit the NFLPN web site at www.nflpn.org, and join your professioanl orgainzation which is based on a 3 tier level. National Level (NFLPN), State Level (which ever state you are from. If your state is not a constiuent state, you can still join an an Individual member), and Local Level (each state handles this division uniquely). NFLPN has many many benifits, not only in legislative monitoring on National, Stae and Local levels, but also Continuing educational opprotunities (at reduced rates for members) at the Annual Conventions,  Seminars, Workshops , through the magazine "Advance for LPNs" and online CEUs. NFLPN has it ALL!!! Sincerely, JoAnn Shaw LPN

Sherri,

    I have only recently found this message board from LPNs, and have been writing to each of the LPNs, trying to get the word out to all LPNs around the country about the National Federation of LPNs, which is the only professional orgainzation for LPNs, run by LPNs. Please visit the website at www.nflpn.org to find out all the benifts, and to join. NFLPN is based on a 3 tier consept, National Level, State Level (what ever state you are from, New York is now a constiuent state. If an LPN belongs to a non- constiuent state of NFLPN, they can still join as an Individual member) and Local Level (each State does their own division of local levels). Benifts of being a member are endless, starting with Legislative monitoring on National and State Levels, Continuing Education via "Advance for LPNs" a magazine that you recieve quarterly, CEUs at Annual Conventions, Seminars, Workshops, Certification in IV Therapy, Gerintology, and Wound Care, and online CEUs. CEU data bank, reduced rates to attend the Convention, Seminars, Workshops, and Cerifactions, access to Liability Insurance with NSO Orgainzation, networking with LPNs from across the United States and Canada, and much more.

   You are so right when you say, that you would rather trust your care to an experienced LPN, than a RN right out of school. I would go a step further and say I would trust my care to a NEW LPN rather than an new RN (LPNs are better trained on the on hands care of patients). I hear you loud and clear.So please take a few minutes and visit the web site for NFLPN, and join the NFLPN now. There are over 1.2 million LPNs in the US and we need then ALL!!! I have been a member of NFLPN since 1976 ( 3 years after I became an LPN), and always been active on the State level. Only recently (7 years ago) have I become active on the National Level, and have learned so very much about legislation, licenseure, scope of practice, State Boards of Nursing, and about othe LPNs in the same boat that I have been sailing....so join me and become a member. Sincerely, JoAnn Shaw LPN

You are absolutely right. I have trained some RN's over the years who had no idea what they are doing and then after I trained them they become my supervisor.

These young new RN's coming out of school now have no idea what a nurse is and what it takes to do the job.

This RN thing is getting out of hand. We can do the same job as a RN even better most of the time.

I am on the band wagon as well.  I am struggling with this thing about letting non-medical degree holders go thru accelerated nursing programs.  When in fact 1.2 million LPN's are in the united states, Why won't we stand-up and do something.  Why is it that these non-medical degree holders can get an accelerated degree and alot of LPN's including myself, are having difficulty getting into programs due to waitlist etc.

I think LPN's should have a school strictly for us.  We should be recognized 1st.  We have the experience and we have been in this game before this nursing shortage was spoken of.

I have been an LPN for 20 yrs and I had to share just one of my many experiences with incompetent RNs. She is an older lady, fresh out of school, and was about to administer ORAL Chloral Hydrate elixir 10 cc that was packaged in a oral syringe and asked me where she could find a needle to attach to the syringe and administer. Chills ran up my spine as I corrected her. I also had to show her how to give a flu vaccine.

By the way, I have trained (in 18 yrs) the last 5 of my supervisiors.

Is this how they are coming out of nursing school?