[brian]

The ongoing shortage of hospital workers and nurses could change the way South Carolinians get health care, the head of a trade group says.

"If we don't have an adequate supply of nurses, then we're going to have to redesign how care is delivered to a lesser level of staff," said Thornton Kirby, president of the South Carolina Hospital Association. Kirby said Friday the problems will only get worse as the state's population ages.

He told a meeting of reporters and editors from The Greenville News that care quality won't improve until the numbers get better.
"That's not going the right direction," Kirby said. "We want to increase quality, not provide care with lesser-trained people."

According to data from the State Board of Nursing and the South Carolina Budget and Control Board, the number of registered nurses in the state grew to 32,319 in 2003 from 23,440 in 1994. About half of the 3,100 nurses hired in South Carolina each year come from out of state.
Kirby said increased funding for universities and technical colleges with nursing and health professions is needed.

Full Story: http://www.charleston.net/stories/?n...on=stateregion

[SouthernLPN2RN]

As of the last shift I worked, our hospital had 43 RN openings, including part time, resource, etc. Absolutely NO LPN openings. SC hospitals have made a mistake by trying to fill formerly LPN positions with RN's. It has been said at my hospital that the push is for no LPN's. I know I called several formerly LPN friendly units in the past six months and they wouldn't even consider me for a resource position, much less full-time. They didn't know my name, just my title.

[FroggysMom]

Originally Posted by southernlpn

As of the last shift I worked, our hospital had 43 RN openings, including part time, resource, etc. Absolutely NO LPN openings. SC hospitals have made a mistake by trying to fill formerly LPN positions with RN's. It has been said at my hospital that the push is for no LPN's. I know I called several formerly LPN friendly units in the past six months and they wouldn't even consider me for a resource position, much less full-time. They didn't know my name, just my title.

Yes, I see it happening in several places. As the institutions go to all RN staffing their costs will go up, salary demands will increase. It's only right as many RNs go to school for many years to attain degrees and they are within reason to ask for reasonable salaries accordingly.

But I can't help but wonder what will happen to the American health care. The cost of EVERYTHING is going up - pharmaceuticals, technology, etc. and with these changes, nursing too.

We have some of the best health care in this country right now, but fewer and fewer citizens are able to avail themselves of it. The population is aging. People are already choosing between paying their utility bills and buying food or medicine. As the cost of care rises entire segments of the population will be left without.

It seems it would be more reasonable to keep all levels of staffing at least in an attempt to keep costs down. LPNs have been working in nursing in this country for years and have proven themselves to be capable and caring members of the health care team. The problem is that there are those out there who would exclude members of the 'team' for others more like themselves. Yes, they will get the larger salaries but at what cost - and to whom?

Sorry for the rant but there have been so many threads that in spite of their original subject, have turned to bashing LPN's. I'm just getting very tired of it.

[SouthernLPN2RN]

Originally Posted by FroggysMom

Sorry for the rant but there have been so many threads that in spite of their original subject, have turned to bashing LPN's. I'm just getting very tired of it.

Please understand that is not my intention, just my observation of what hospitals in my area (upstate SC) are doing.

[lee1]

offer better working conditions, better nurse/patient ratios, fair salaries, the nurses will come. Most have just gotten sick of the working conditions and ratios and have bailed out. Make sure there are enough professors to teach which will also require better salaries for them and more openings to students.
It is not so hard, it is that the culture of nursing has decayed to the point where nurses are treated as a bottom line and nothing more.

[FroggysMom]

Originally Posted by southernlpn

Please understand that is not my intention, just my observation of what hospitals in my area (upstate SC) are doing.

No, no I didn't take what you said that way at all. I was just voicing my feelings from other threads.

[Judee Smudee]

Am in total shock about this trend towards all RN staff. Where is the evidence that this is the best policy?

[elkpark]

Originally Posted by Judee Smudee

Am in total shock about this trend towards all RN staff. Where is the evidence that this is the best policy?

I'm not trying to stir up trouble or get into any big debate about this, but, since you specifically asked, there have been several studies done in recent years that have demonstrated a correlation between RN staffing and better outcomes for patients (fewer adverse effects, fewer "failure to rescue" deaths, and shorter lengths of stay). The studies found that these results were related to RNs specifically, not to nursing staffing in general (i.e., LPNs and CNAs).

Here are a few citations:

http://www.nursingresearchonline.com...856145!9001!-1

http://www.ahrq.gov/research/nursest...nursestaff.htm

http://www.nursingadvocacy.org/faq/s...hberg_2005.pdf

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/...ct/346/22/1715

http://www.nursingcenter.com/library...icle_ID=517444

[MTBanRN]

Looking at the overall industry as a whole and speaking about it from a business point of view hospitals can not provide care to thousands of patients unless they have the needed staff. In moving from place to place I have found that it varies from state to state. In some states they have made due by using thsoe individuals with less education in order to get by. Then there are some states who are in drastic need and it is affecting the progression of work. All in all there needs to be changes made. I believe that the nurses who are receiving their four year degrees should be taught early on by two years enough so that while after they have gone for the two years they are able to assist in hospitals for the other two years. To be honest this is what they are doing anyway so why not try and reverse the four year program to the concentrations necessary for them to work after two years and then hospitals will have the educated nursing staff they want. Also they should invest some of the money that they are not using for a full staff of nurses in paying part of their education during the last two years. In Michigan the government has placed several millions of dollars into two year and four year nursing professionals. They will do this over the next 10 years to ensure that they have the staff needed in the coming years. All of the funds have been placed within the specialized area of nursing at all the colleges who offer a nursing program whether it is two years or four years. Also the two year colleges should be made to change their programs to ensure that those getting a two year degree have at least two years of adequate necessary training, if not they should extend the two year programs to three years or two and a half so that nurses are not partially trained. The truth is by there being a shortage a lot of hospitals are taking what they can get until they can get more.