Nurse-pt ratios

laurakoko · Oct 21, 2005

My thoughts.. on LPN/LVN s

Coming from starting as a LPN, many years ago.

My theory in a nutshell......

The LPN/LVN is the "corporate" cheap way of hiring nursing staff. Nursing societies and organizations all over the country have tried to "grandfather" the licensed nurse, to the registered nurse, without success. (So they came up with "bridge programs".

WHY??? It is the larger corporations way of "fighting" for lower labor costs for nurses who do basically the same job. The larger corporate healthcare industries, with lots of dollars, speak lots of words.

Yes, the education of the LPN vs. RN is different, and so come different responsibilities.

But as a CNA, to LPN, to RN, to administration, to case manager...... Nursing is nursing. Caring, and compassion IS nursing. Experience and competence, morality, ethics all are components of nursing. ALL nurses, the licensed, the registered, the higher levels of education, are all nurses ....

(hence the web site name), and should equally be respected by our fellow nurses. If we don't respect one another, as different, but equal a profession, who will ??????????????????

GGodwinRN · Oct 21, 2005

On my tele floor, our nurses have 4-5 on a typical day with their pct's having 10-13. Some of your ratios scare me to death. I graduate next year and would be petrified to take on 7-8. God bless you all.

Jenniferhelene - I see you are in Central Fl. What hospital is it that you work at?

gtmoore · Oct 21, 2005

I work on a tele unit and the ratio is 5-1 regardless of shift. However, I work nights where there is often a shortage of nurses and the hospital administration loves to go on what it calls "the full capacity plan" which forces us to take an extra patient. Of course, this is with no extra pay and we are still expected to give the same level of care. On top of that, often we only have one or two PCTs for a 45 patient unit.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Oct 21, 2005

i dont understand everyone complaining about patient ratio of 4 5 or 6 patients. i am an lvn in a sub acute /rehab, i have 12 patients ,i pass my own meds, call doctors,carry out my own orders, do transfers, discharges and admissions,report labs , i dont rely on and rn to do my job, i have an rn as a supervisor , and sometimes and lvn supervisor to help,BUT NOT DO MY JOB , i also do my own iv's starting and hanging fluids, an rn iv nurse does pushes and abt,, i dont understand why rn's feel lvn's are substandard to them. my license is just as much on the line as an rn's

No one here siad LPNs were sub-standard.

I was an LPN for 7 years, and have been an RN for 5. No, your license is not just as much on the line as an RN's is. LPNs work under the supervision of RNs, and the RN is ultimately responsible for all of the actions of any and all LPNs working under her.

Sub-acute rehab is just that- sub-acute.

I have worked sub-acute rehab and I've worked med-surg. I had 28 pts when I was an LPN on a sub acute floor.

Your 12 sounds like heaven to me!

Having 9-13 on an acute floor (as I did on med-surg) is much worse.

Haunted · Oct 21, 2005

Wow, after reading some of these posts I would have loved to have been in the work situation where I had 7-8 patients, 4 pts.-never would have happened! At my last hospital type employment, I worked on a Nursing Home Floor at our VA Medical Center in Miami, Florida.I worked 2nd shift mostly and on each floor were two wings with a capacity for 26 beds and they were full 99% of the time. Staffing for the 2nd shift consisted of a Rn, Lpn and 4 NAs. I had, on a Regular basis, 23-25 Patients(you read that correctly) with 2 nursing assts.Two Very Lazy NAs. They, the NAs, can make or break your day, as one astute Nurse posted. They broke mine 99% of the Nights. As an LPN, I had to prepare and administer meds for 20-25 patients(that included Oral, injections, Aersol Treatments-Respiratory didn't come to our floor on pms-only for an emergency blood Gas draw or trach change or a Code). We had to perform our own BLood Glucose checks(usually a minimum of 6 on my floor--those old Vets, bless their hearts, I'm one myself, took lousy care of their health in their younger days and now are paying the price) and prepare and dispense the insulin. We had all the IVPBs(usually 2-3 bags at 5 pm and 9pm) We had tube feedings-usually 3-5 patients on feeding pumps at all times. The NAs would not Do the Blood Glucose checks or Catherizations, management did not mandate them to do it. We had to do our Charting, a narrative on each PT(every shift).,we had to call the Doc on any elevated temps or Blood Sugars for his NOW orders. Not to mention the calls to the Pharmacy for meds not in the Cart(seemed like this was a nightly ordeal and we could never get this situation rectified. If, we had any spare time, we were expected to help with the feedings at supper time.Right, if we had any spare time...Not mentioned was in case a Pt went Bad, we had to transfer him to the Cart/gurney for readying him for Transportation, who wheeled him over to the Hospital Wing of our Bldg. Sometimes we wheeled them over ourselves as transpotation were not the fastest actors. I know this sounds like one big BS Story and if I did not experience it myself, I would call the person a Liar. No one could be expected to do what I just wrote but I did. Maybe because I am a VietNam Era Vet I feel a Bond and Special Empathy for these old Vets(had some young gulf war vets but not many-I left before the Iraq Vets started to arrive) I lasted 1 yr at this pace, with 6 weeks out for sick leave as my system broke down. I remember a few nights as I left at midnight and walked to my car, put the seat back and thought, got to catch 10 minutes of a Nap and next thing I woke up with the Sun rising at 6 pm.That was how hard it was! If you ever find yourself in a like situation, bail out before you break down(healthwise) or make an error that costs you your license. I can never return to this type of work, I now work home health at a much slower pace(diabetic visits) and surprsingly, make much more money. I guess I was so concerned for our Veterans that I toughed it out but in the end it Out-toughed me! Take Care of Yourself First because your management for sure never will! A lot to be said for Unions fighting for safe staffing ratios!! Complain to management in the Federal Government system?? This is where Slackers get the rewards-been there, saw that! Its so True!

YOU SUMMED IT UP BEAUTIFULLY COMMRADE!!!! KEEP ON KEEPING ON!!!