Are LPN/LVNs a dying breed?

Nurses LPN/LVN

Published

Hi all....

I know this topic has probably been around before, but I was hoping some of you seasoned LPNs could comment on what you think about the future of LPN/LVN nursing. I'm planning to enter LVN school this June, and am both excited and apprehensive! I do plan to eventually earn my RN, but earning a paycheck within about a years' time sure sounds good.

Also, what are your experiences with stress in nursing? I used to be a high school English teacher, but got out of that after three years because of UNBELIEVABLE expectations placed on my by parents/administrators, and the fact that I felt I was little more than a glorified babysitter....

I know these topics are nothing new to you, but I'm a newbie and anything helps! Cheers y'all.

Specializes in Geriatrics/Family Practice.

I think it depends on where you live. My area kicked LPN's to the curb a while ago. Your choices were either get your RN or get fired. I know when I was in LPN school we especially focused on geriatrics, which is predominately where LPN's are. I used to think or was convinced to think by especially this web site that LPN's were pretty useless and were only ltc material, and that RN's were hospital material. Well the longer I've been a nurse, I've found out that is incorrect. In the ltc facility that I work in half of our staff are RN's, which in most ltc facilities is just unheard of. That I know of we have 4 RN, BSN's, and 1 RN, MSN going for her doctorate. I of course asked why aren't you guys in the hospitals and they proceeded to tell me that working in a hospital does not make a nurse and working in ltc doesn't make you any less of a nurse. The only place that I can't work as a LPN is the hospital. I can work in clinics, hospice, homecare, ltc, insurance companies and rehabilitation facilities. I'm sure there is more, but I can't think of them right now. So no LPN's are not a dying breed. If you don't like what areas of employment that are available to you, then go back for your RN. But if you like being a LPN with our options, don't let anyone discourage you. When I save a residents life when they are a full code, they do not care whether I'm a LPN or RN and in reality it really doesn't matter. My theory is if everyone obtained their RN, BSN and up, who would be left to take care of the patients, not all of them are going to stay at the bedside where the burnout rate is atronomical (sp). We all have a place in healthcare and all contribute something. When the baby boomers hit retirement, it'll be to bad if all LPN's are banished. Who's going to take care of them? Not us LPN, because were underqualified, NOT......

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I hope not, but I believe that is what NY state is trying for..I became an LPN in 1993. My first job was for a Med/Surg Tele floor- It was the typical new grad hire time- there were 12 of us going through orientation - 6 new LPNs, 6 new RNs. As LPN's we were able to manage our patients with just the Charge nurse looking over our assignments. Three years ago, NY decided we had all been working "Above our scope of practice"- My Nurse Manager called me at home and informed me that as LPNs, we could no longer take our own assignments, listen to lung,bowel sounds, chart on much of anything- and to add insult to injury, we now had to be paired up with an RN, who would oversee us while working our shift. You have NO idea how horrible it is to suddenly not be capable of doing your job. The RNs resented what they saw as their increased patient load- it commonly caused hurt feelings, actually caused things to be missed,and all three of us LPNs that worked the floor got to the point where we hated going in to work. We would get paired up with nurses who at times were BRAND-SPANKING new- who were complaining about how horrible it was to be paired up with the LPNs- These were newbies who knew very little about floor nursing. Several times we worked a shift where there were two RNs and two LPNs, plus the CN. It was common to hear RNs complain about the staffing, saying that "It was SO bad, we worked with only 2 nurses last night!" Things like that rip your heart out.Out of the three LPNs from night shift, I'm the only one who is now an RN.I actually enjoy my profession again, but I still believe LPNs have a very important place on the healthcare team.Unfortunatly, those who make policy in NY and at my Hospital do not agree. The new policy is that NO LPNs, no matter what their experience level, can be hired to work on the Med/Surg floors. Nursing Homes only. It makes me sick to see practical nursing students coming in for clinicals...I want to warn them that they are in for a world of "discrimination" in NY.What a waste.

I'm curious to know where in New York this is; I have not had this experience in the Queens area. Hospitals out here are still hiring LPNs. They are being removed from places like ICU, ER, and L&D in some, or those working on the floors are given assignments that are within our scope of practice.

One thing I have learned, though is that while the RNs may feel inconvienced, I will do what I can to assist, but if it is not within my scope of practice, then, that is it...I have a license to protect as well. I want to support my family, eat, care for myself and my home. Sucks for those that choose to take it out on me, I refuse to let it get to me.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I think it depends on where you live. My area kicked LPN's to the curb a while ago. Your choices were either get your RN or get fired. I know when I was in LPN school we especially focused on geriatrics, which is predominately where LPN's are. I used to think or was convinced to think by especially this web site that LPN's were pretty useless and were only ltc material, and that RN's were hospital material. Well the longer I've been a nurse, I've found out that is incorrect. In the ltc facility that I work in half of our staff are RN's, which in most ltc facilities is just unheard of. That I know of we have 4 RN, BSN's, and 1 RN, MSN going for her doctorate. I of course asked why aren't you guys in the hospitals and they proceeded to tell me that working in a hospital does not make a nurse and working in ltc doesn't make you any less of a nurse. The only place that I can't work as a LPN is the hospital. I can work in clinics, hospice, homecare, ltc, insurance companies and rehabilitation facilities. I'm sure there is more, but I can't think of them right now. So no LPN's are not a dying breed. If you don't like what areas of employment that are available to you, then go back for your RN. But if you like being a LPN with our options, don't let anyone discourage you. When I save a residents life when they are a full code, they do not care whether I'm a LPN or RN and in reality it really doesn't matter. My theory is if everyone obtained their RN, BSN and up, who would be left to take care of the patients, not all of them are going to stay at the bedside where the burnout rate is atronomical (sp). We all have a place in healthcare and all contribute something. When the baby boomers hit retirement, it'll be to bad if all LPN's are banished. Who's going to take care of them? Not us LPN, because were underqualified, NOT......

I feel the same way...don't let anyone rain on your parade. I KNOW I make a difference each place I work at. I was on vacation, returned today, and EVERYONE of them ran to me and said that I should never go on vacation again, and they didn't realize what a difference I made until I was out for two weeks.

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I've noticed that HHC facilities still hire a lot of LPNs but I have not seen too many listings in private hospitals for the NYC/Metro area.

I'm curious to know where in New York this is; I have not had this experience in the Queens area. Hospitals out here are still hiring LPNs. They are being removed from places like ICU, ER, and L&D in some, or those working on the floors are given assignments that are within our scope of practice.

One thing I have learned, though is that while the RNs may feel inconvienced, I will do what I can to assist, but if it is not within my scope of practice, then, that is it...I have a license to protect as well. I want to support my family, eat, care for myself and my home. Sucks for those that choose to take it out on me, I refuse to let it get to me.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I've noticed that HHC facilities still hire a lot of LPNs but I have not seen too many listings in private hospitals for the NYC/Metro area.

I work at a HHC facility...:D. Jamacia Hospital continues to hire them, I understand, and New York Hospital of Queens-I have friends who worked there in the recent past. Beth Israel Hospital offered me a position in their clinic, but I don't want to commute to Manhattan. I would not be surprized if it did start to shift in the near future due to many hospitals wishing to apply for Magnet Status. We'll see how it goes, because I've seen it shift from one end of the pendulum to the other too often.

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I'm curious to know where in New York this is; I have not had this experience in the Queens area. Hospitals out here are still hiring LPNs. They are being removed from places like ICU, ER, and L&D in some, or those working on the floors are given assignments that are within our scope of practice.

I work in a hospital in Utica NY- It's about half way between Syracuse and Albany.It isn't unusual here- I lost a job I loved in Maternity in another smaller hospital in the area- I'd worked there 8 yrs, and I did a good job- BUT, they decided we werent worth paying the insurance. The entire situation makes me so angry:angryfire

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I'm curious to know where in New York this is; I have not had this experience in the Queens area. Hospitals out here are still hiring LPNs. They are being removed from places like ICU, ER, and L&D in some, or those working on the floors are given assignments that are within our scope of practice.

I work in a hospital in Utica NY- It's about half way between Syracuse and Albany.It isn't unusual here- I lost a job I loved in Maternity in another smaller hospital in the area- I'd worked there 8 yrs, and I did a good job- BUT, they decided we werent worth paying the insurance. The entire situation makes me so angry:angryfire

Thanks for the clarity! At least you are currently working in a hospital...there are so many that are not. I can certainly understand why you would be so angry, though.

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I feel as if we LVN/LPNs in florida, for that matter Miami-dade and Broward counties have the same problems. Most hospitals are or have already phased out lpns. What's left is, as someone already mentioned above, staffing (which has good pros and cons, depending on season and facility needs), home health care, nursing homes, etc. At the hospital were I work I can do almost everything an RN does except push iv meds, pull out cvps, and a few other technicalities. I've been hearing the term "Let's Play Nurse" or "Low Payed Nurse" used very frequently in my facility. And that's also another factor. At least here in south FL, and particularly my facility, I do almost everything an RN does for a fraction of the salary. Honestly? I don't think it's fair at all. Personally, it is my opinion that an aditional year of school is worth the over all upgrade you get when you became an RN. Besides, high specialty areas such ER/Trauma, Chemo, and others are not avaliable to LPNs. And if one has plans for further education, such as PA's ARNPs , or CRNAs, it's mandatory. But that's another story.

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Specializes in LTC, MED SURG.

During clinicals at the Hospital, you couldnt tell the RN's from the LPN's on many floors. They worked together, and the RN did any push meds for the LPN & Blood IV's. In this day and age I hope No Nurse is Phased out, lord knows we need every single Nurse we have, alot of Hospitals and LTC Facilities give incentives to LPNS ...To return for their RN.

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"...alot of Hospitals and LTC Facilities give incentives to LPNS ...To return for their RN"

Isn't that the same as phasing out? You might call it whatever technical term you want, but if for whatever reason hospitals decide not to employ lpns anymore then all we're left with is home health, nursing home, staffing agency, etc.

We're subject to an ever-changing environment. Specially how the economy is doing these days I ask you guys: what's better, to have a paycheck based on $15/hr as an lpn (at least where I'm currently employed) or go to school for one more year and have many more doors open to you? Let's face it, higher oportunities, as well as higher learning, are not available to lpns.

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Specializes in Geriatrics/Family Practice.

From what I gather, the scope of practice has been narrowed over the years for the LPN's, which contributes to the phasing out. How can we as LPN's ban together and get our scope of practice broadened back to where it used to be. Here in Illinois they just took our IV certifications away from us. I think the states assume that by narrowing our scope that we will go back and get our RN. But in realty, the LPN's who have been nurses for a long time and the ones of us who can't afford to, just aren't going to do it, or we're just going to quit nursing all togethers. Don't the states realize that by narrowing our scope and making us a burden on the RN's even though we have our own license to protect that they are only contributing to the nursing shortage. I've contacted the BON and got nowhere. Even they say if you don't like the scope of practice, go back to school. I wonder what legislators I would have to contact and what the process would be like to get some positive changes for the LPN's. It sad to think that years ago we were an assest, now to some facilities the BON has made us a burden. It would be interestng if all LPN's quit, what would the healthcare field be like then. I guess those places could replace LPN's with the imaginary RN's that there aren't enough of. Just a thought....... I, of course, don't want to be able to do everthing that RN's do, that's why I'm not a RN, but I want to be able to work to my (once was) full capacity.

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Specializes in LTC, MED SURG.

My encounter with being an LPN on a med surg floor found me & my coworkers answering call bells, giving bed baths, walking pts, feeding some, passing a small amount of meds, making beds...toileting, emptying urinals and bed pans....very sledom was there an acute case that required an RN to assit an LPN, Like I stated above you couldnt tell the difference, they worked as a team. On the note of higher pays I'm sure there are several seasoned RNs that arent paid nearly enough for their skills, If an LPN chooses to do ER Or another type of Nursing in that scope, she or he should go on for their RN...Naturally and most of the younger people that want those positions started as a LPN to decrease their costs of schooling. I'm hardly worried about being phased out as a Nurse, Im more concerned about finishing my RN degree & winding up behind a door and becomming a secretary, until Im needed by floor staff to help, Id much rather be an LPN and keep my hands on with my residents. Im practical in realising that I chose my family before my career and Im quite happy about that decision and will forever be. I can see the light and know its more of a concern to us older Nurses that eventually the Hospitals will have more younger RNs & less middle aged LPNs. Im sure life will go on and we'll be around for a while. In closing of all my years in this field I never did it for the money.:redbeathe

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