I'm an LPN but am often called a medtech

[Shasha831]

I am a LPN and I work in an assisted living facility. Often times on the schedule the nurses are put on the floor as CNAs while the medtech passed medications. I feel this is wrong because even though LPNs can do patient care we hold higher credentials and therefore scheduling should follow a chain of command. What are the guidelines or input on this situation?

[Sour Lemon]

Your employer can assign any task to any qualified staff member. Feelings are irrelevant.

[malenurse69, MSN, NP]

Well, pay me my BSN RN salary and have me work as enviornmental services and see if I care. Seems like improper management and allocation of resources. If it's a regular thing I'd move to a employer who respects my education and allocates resources more efficiently because to me that's a major red flag.

Edit: i assume you mean nurses put on as CNAs as in LPN-RN license holding nurses put on the schedule for CNA duty only, NOT that they just have to do CNA work. As LPN-RNs we are expected to do everything CNAs do as well as everything else that came with our education; that's expected.

[Shasha831]

Yes I know that LPNs also provide patient care. This is not the case. LPNs are being put on the schedule to do CNA duties only. We are being put down to work under medtechs.

[Apples&Oranges]

Oh, that my hospital would pay me my wage to work as a tech. What an awesome responsibility free shift! No education! No care plans! No arguing with interns or pharmacy! No documenting that I did education, and care plans, and argued with interns and pharmacy! I'm going to wish on a star tonight that I will be scheduled that way tomorrow morning. I'll be holding my breath...

BTW, can I come work where you work?

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

I LOVE to work as an aide at my job. No med pass. That alone is a blessing. Then no MD issues.

I gladly get paid my nurse wage for little to no responsibility.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

What are the guidelines or input on this situation?

The guidelines would be largely dependent on the internal company policies and procedures at your place of employment.

[Shasha831]

LPNs do none of that at my job. We chart on a few residents transcribe orders and supervise. That's it!!!

[historylovinglpn]

When I did some agency work at a hospital,(and occasionally still do) they had agency Lpns working as CNA's. I was fine with that because I still got paid the agency LPN rate. My full time job was the hospital's outpatient clinic and one of our outpatient triage Rns also had a 2nd job working the floor where I was doing agency at. She was so busy and needed an EKG. That is what I did at the out patient clinic, in the hospital I wasn't allowed to even touch the EKG machine. I told her I could not. She was even more appalled that she couldn't delegate me to give her patient meds, again not allowed per hospital rules although allowed in outpatient. But if she needed some vitals and the patient cleaned and dressed, I was on it!

I wanted to help her and if I had it would have made her job SO much easier. Alas it was just CNA duties for me while being paid LPN wages. I am going to admit, it was great just doing vitals and ADL's. Later on at our outpatient job we got together and B**ched about how Lpn's aren't used appropriately. What else is new. But while we aren't being used to the best of our ability...I will be very happy to do CNA duties and get paid LPN wages while I wait for the hospitals to change their policies!

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

Are they paying you your LPN wage? If so, they can make assignments as they see fit. For the record, I've NEVER worked where there are med techs. Only nurses give medications.

Yes I know that LPNs also provide patient care. This is not the case. LPNs are being put on the schedule to do CNA duties only. We are being put down to work under medtechs.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

I am not super familiar with meditechs, but they are not licensed correct? In that case it means they are just passing meds. You (the OP) are not "under" them in a legal sense. All they are doing is passing the meds--but you are the licensed one. You are the nurse. You are "in charge," and the one that holds the responsibility for what happens on the unit.

[DeRob210]

A title is just a title. As long as you pay me what my credentials, education, and experience call for, then you can ask me perform housekeeping duties only.

I'll sweep a floor for LVN/RN pay.