CLPNA Writes Rebuttal Letter to the Editor
(updated April 20, 2010)
Linda Stanger, Executive Director of the CLPNA recently wrote a Letter to the Editor of the Edmonton Journal. She rebutted some misinformation published in an earlier letter and clarified the roles and responsibilities of LPNs in delivering high quality professional nursing care. Other letters on the same issue were also published in the newspaper on April 4, 9 and 18, 2010. “Read on…” for the links. 
- Letter to the Editor (published Mar 29, 2010) – “Nursing degree makes difference”
- CLPNA Rebuttal (published Apr 4, 2010) – “Health care delivered by a team”
- Response by LPN (published Apr 4, 2010) – “Attitude needs fixing”
- Response by RN (published Apr 4, 2010) – “Student will learn”
UPDATED (April 20, 2010):
- (published Apr 9, 2010) – “RNs, LPNs vital to health-care team”
- (published Apr 9, 2010) – “Nurses better trained”
- Response by College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (published April 18, 2010) -
“RNs, LPNs, RPNs all valued members of health-care teams”
I’ve been in the LPN profession for over 30 years. From CNA to RNA to LPN.
It would seem nothing really changes in the way people think. I have been told that LPN’s have no place on the nursing floor.
Of course RN’s are proud of their education and strive to continue it.
But it is the varing backgrounds and experience that we gain along the way that make all of us better nurses.
We learn from each other. And as a team we make the best healthcare providers.
I work with a great lot of RN’s we share our knowledge. We learn from each others experience and to me that is what nursing is ment to be.
You have to forgive students. They are proud and sometimes lack vision.
What is most important if I can not confer with other nursing staff on a unit because of attitude. Then the patient suffers.
I’m a bit surprise to see a student nurse belittling our profession as an LPN. She has not come to her actual world as healthcare team, she will realize what a embarrassment she made once she actually worked with other professionals. I’m proud to be an LPN, patients/resident doesn’t look at your title, as long as they get the best health/safe care, they will appreciate an LPN for the work they done. My first year of work was an acute care, I can’t forget the words some patients tell me “here’s my angel”, just by seeing an LPN, doing the best quality care for them, they don’t care if you are an LPN or an RN. I’m at long term care now, I can see the value of LPN in our facility, without the LPN’s skills some RN’s are disabled because they can’t function well without an LPN, each one of us is part of the team to give quality care for each one we look after.My employer values our presence, just make it sure when you “jenna” get a job you do your best and worked with the team of health professional, treating them as equal, or you’ll just feel sorry for yourself if you’re alone in your world.
After only being an LPN for 4 years, I am in the process of a complete career change. I honestly do not beleive that the LPN’s will ever get the credit we deserve. Our own governing body can be partly to blame as they do not do enough, in my opinion to let the rest of society know what we really do. It is the ignorance of people to automatically assume that unless you have an RN after your name, you are not competent enough to care for them. It is completely frustrating and embarrasing at times to have most of the people that we care for automatically think this way. But if you pay attention to the media and did not know any better, it is pretty easy to see why people think this way. All I can say in parting is I will always stand behind my fellow LPN’s and give them credit for sticking it out. I hope that in time we will get the credit and backing from our governing body that we deserve.
I have been an LPN for 30 + years. It seems like the RN-LPN mentality has not changed.
It takes a team to provide the care that is required. Lets concentrate on providing the best care we can for patients and less time on what the initials are behind our name.
Wait a minute here- do you guys know this student????? For all you know she is a very hard working individual that values all members of the healthcare system. Again, and hopefully you might start to understand this, that their letter was taken directly from evidence based research that was conducted from Health and Wellness and posted on the CARNA website. This did not contain personal opinions – it is just unfortunate that it struck a cord in some.
I have been a LPN for six years and have experienced working with all health professions. I am glad that I have not worked beside any of you who have posted distasteful comments. Now we all know we cannot please everyone, but this seems to be getting out of hand. Some of these comments are embarrassing to the LPN profession.
Not too long ago someone, in the health profession, asked me if it was true if “nurses eat their young”? I was so offended by this statement because I felt, up to that point, that professionalism and kindness was all that I experienced. Well, unfortunately that is no longer true. This is what he was talking about. First hand I see judgement and ridicule beyond reason. Is this how we mentor and accept? Where are your values and morals? Stop harassing this young lady and forget it already because there are more important things to talk and gossip about.
I feel sorry for her. She doesn’t know what she is saying. I agree with some of the people that have said that it is definatly something that the instructors have grilled into her. I good instructor will tell her students, whether they are RN’s LPN’s or HCA’s, that everyone is impotant to the team. My instructor told me that no matter what I know, someone will always know more. I find myself “shamed” out of wearing my LPN title, not by my amazing teacher but by my employer. I work in a team. It doesn’t matter what letters you wear behind your name.
Debbie
Hello to all fellow LPNs…..we meet all kinds, don’t we?
I see everything in a much more compacted manner. It all boils down to this……
How many Wayne Gretsky’s does a real team need? One! One very qualified, non-threatened RN. One that understands she can not do it all. Give me an RN like this and I’ll/we’ll have a great day. Give me Jennah and I’ll be considering retirement.
Let little, and obviously young Jennah cut her teeth on a floor surrounded by LPNs. Let her earn their respect. You have to wonder how she did in her course of “Professional Growth and Development”! Or perhaps they have deleted this oh so obviously important course.
The wages Registered Nurses haul in today are so high that Stephen Duckett has had no choice but to look at staffing ratios. Who can afford all those RNs? Certainly not Alberta Health and Wellness or it would be named Alberta Wealth and Wellness. Do we really need a lock out or can we learn from the National Hockey League? Fiscally, an increase in LPNs is a no-brainer.
It all starts with the instructors. We all know what rolls down hill starts at the top. Personally, my registered nursing instructors were fabulous. Once asked what the difference was between the two designates they said the extra stick on the “R” that the “P” was missing.
Dear Jennah Campbell,
Thank you for writing the letter to the editor and opening up this debate. I am proud to say that I have been an LPN for the last 4 years.
In your letter you had mentioned “Registered nurses are the only profession in the health-care system that patients are in contact with 24 hours a day”. I completely disagree with your statement and I am sure you will see the real picture when you step into the work place. LPN’s work days, evenings & nights, have the same patient load as an RN, therefore RN’s are not the only profession that patients come across within a 24 hour period.
You had also mention that “RNs are the early detectors of changes in patient condition”. In the past four years I have worked in Long term care, Assisted living and Occupational Health and Safety. I am currently caring for patients on a very busy acute care unit and I am the one DETECTING and REPORTING CHANGES IN PATIENTS’ conditions EVERY DAY!!!!!
FYI “Patient safety is a registered nurse’s No. 1 priority”. HELLO OPEN YOUR EYES!!! “Patient safety is also Licensed Practical nurse’s No. 1 priority”. All other health-care providers including RN’s require patient feedback from LPN’s.
Both RN’s & LPN’s play a very important role in providing quality care to the patient. I agree that RN’s have a 4 year degree as compared to LPN’s 2 year diploma, however the 2 year diploma for LPN’s is dedicated to patient safety, assessments, clinical and direct hands on care. In addition to the 2 year diploma, LPN’s require training and certification for speciality areas such as Management, Immunization, Dialysis, Intradermal, Foot care, Intravenous and etc.
I invite all RN’s, other health care workers and people reading this post to visit http://www.clpna.com to educate themselves on LPN’s competencies and full scope of practice.
Kunal
Licensed Practical Nurse