[ktwlpn]

The 40 bed community hospital that laid off myself and most of the other L.P.N.'s last year is redesignating the 2 still on staff as this..does anyone have any experience with this? They were told that the duties(still need to "fine tune)would include phlebotomy for the unit(not much of a lab dept. now due to cut backs)med admin. I.V. starts and meds-excluding pushes..the role of the L.P.N. in this faculity has been continually changing in this facility which struggles along through financial woes...The R.N. now may have 10 pts with a C.N.A...that gets scary-especially since the calibre of the C.N.A. there has sunk to an all time low..say what you will about L.P.N.'s not belonging in acute care-what does a small hospital like this do to recruit R.N's and retain them?The L.P.N's that were laid off were often the continuity on the unit as R.N.'s came and went...the six of us from the med surg unit have 100 yrs of experience among us..excuse my rambling-it is almost a yr since the lay off-I am still not over it...but I am content in a new facility and happy to be out of the oppressive atmosphere of a struggling institution.We are in a profession that the public does not understand and often does not respect...and it is not getting better..bless you all for hanging in..

[JOY, RN]

A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THE HOSPITAL I WORK IN WAS "PHASING OUT THE LPN'S". THE LPN'S WERE NOT BEING LAID OFF BUT AS THEY WOULD LEAVE THEY WERE NOT BEING REPLACED. THE NURSING SHORTAGE WHICH WE ARE ALL SO FAMILIAR WITH HAS SINCE FORCED THE HOSPITAL TO NOT ONLY CONTINUE TO HIRE LPN'S BUT HAS FORCED LPN'S TO EXPAND THEIR PRACTICE. WITHIN THE STATE GUIDELINES THIS MEANS THEY NOW HANG BLOOD AND BLOOD PRODUCTS, START IV'S, HANG TPN, HELP WITH ADMISSIONS, GIVE SELECT IVP MEDS, ALL CENTRAL LINE CARE INCLUDING PICC'S, MEDIPORT CARE EXCEPT ACCESSING, AND THE LIST GOES ON. LPN'S ARE VERY CRUCIAL TO THE HEALTH CARE TEAM AND DESERVE A LOT MORE RESPECT THAN THEY RECEIVE! THIS IS TRUE EVEN BEFORE THE ROLE EXPANDED. GOOD LUCK.