Are LPN's being phased out?

Nurses LPN/LVN

Published

I know people have been saying for years that everyone would need a BSN and LPN's would be a thing of the past, etc. Well, so far, where I work (a large, magnet hospital) there are still many, many nurses without a BSN -but there are veeery few LPN's. I attended a meeting last week where my supervisor was lecturing RNs about signing off on LPN's charts and she mentioned that there are very few LPN's and even mentioned that some of those LPN's are about to graduate to be RN's. I overheard other RNs in the cafeteria complaining about LPN's basically saying, "what's the point when we have to go behind them."

They are definitely being phased out where I work. They aren't hiring LPN's anymore although the ones who are there aren't getting fired or anything. What is it like where you work? Do you think LPN's have a future?

I value the LPNs where I work. Even though there are many things they can's do by law they are fabulous nurses. A hospital close by however is laying off all their inpatient LPNs. I'm guessing it all comes down to cost somehow.

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Sounds like yet another insulting, flaming post. Your reasoning is baseless, one hospital out of how many? LPN/LVN's ARE NOT BEING PHASED OUT! Go find some other fairytale rumor. I do high tech pediatric homecare, guess what? They do not want RN's to do my cases, because LPN's are just as capable and the rate per hour is less. Your hospital may not hire LPN's, it doesn't mean we are being wiped off the face of the earth. Please do valid research before stating things that you perceive to be true.

I am a REGISTERED PRACTICAL NURSE which is your equivalent to an LPN only us RPN's work under pretty much the same scope as an RN with FEW differences besides two years of school, we are NOT going anywhere. Ty for standing up for us RPN's aka LPN's

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I work at a huge teaching hospital that employees a lot of LPNs. I hate when they are not "allowed" to do something and I have to do it when I can barely keep up somedays. They get short changed because they are given a similar assignment to the RNs but get paid a lot less. THan the RNs have to give the IV push meds, blood, etc..... i guess the point is that it costs the hospital a lot less.

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I guess I am most ticked off by this comment. And the attitude. RNs do not babysit LPNs. LPNs are members of a team effort who have specific job duties that in doing them frees up the RNs to do their specific job duties. By this same logic I could say that as an LPN I'm sick of having to go "behind" the CNAs and make sure they do their jobs, and how much that sucks because I can't handle my responsibilities because I always have to be watching them.

I don't have to "babysit" them; I respect the job they do and recognize that I couldn't do MY job if it weren't for them.

I've worked in the hospital setting and I can tell you that we LPNs run ourselves ragged, not only trying to do our jobs of passing meds, monitoring patients, monitoring lab values and vital signs so as not to give the patient a med that needs to be d/c or changed, doing trach and vent and PEG care, doing wound treatments, dealing with supply issues, talking to patients and families, filtering information to the appropriate people, charting, AND helping the CNAs, AND helping RNs and notifying them of patient issues so that they can do their jobs better.

If they have to sign off on it, so be it, that is their job. We're a team.

And the same holds true in SNFs and LTCs, except the number of LPNs is greater and the scope of practice much more broad. And also, a lot of RNs wouldn't deign to work in those facilities.

I'm also going to say that I think this quote represents a minority view among RNs. The majority of the RNs that I've worked with and spoken to and seen on this site respect the hard work that LPNs do.

Actually baby sitting the CNAs is one part of my job I especially dislike. When they don't do THE JOB THEY ARE PAID TO DO, I have to do it and waste time trailign after them. I don 't like giving certain meds LPNs can't give to pts that aren't mine and would prefer if my facility went to all RNs. I do respect the LPNs I work with just like I respect the RNs and frankly they get paid a lot less for the same job essentially.

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Not in Canada. There are hundreds of LPNs who work in acute care in my own mid sized hospital. And every hospital. There is constantly new training (paid by the employer!!) and new areas of specialty being opened up to us.

I personally know 4 LPNs who just completed the OR course and are now certified as OR nurses. Another 3 who just completed hemodialysis training and will be working as hemo nurses. All LPNs. All employer paid training and paid practicums.

We just got another email this past week to invite us to apply for paid training in mental health, emergency room, perinatal and nephrology specialties.

The future is bright for us! :cool:

That is terrific that the hospital not only encourages LPN's but pays for the extended education also. How is the weather there :0]~

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Specializes in Emergency, Case Management, Informatics.

I was an LPN for four years before getting my RN. I can tell you that no one ever had to "babysit" me as an LPN, and in many areas that I worked, I did the EXACT same job as the RN with the same work load, but for less pay.

As an RN, I do not "babysit" LPN's, and wording it this way is very disrespectful. My second job is a part-time position in a VERY busy ED. About half of the staff are LPN's. When I first started, I could not tell the difference between the LPN's and RN's without looking at their name badges, because they all worked at the same level and with the same professionalism. There are some things that require an RN, such as hanging blood (takes two nurses to do anyway), and accessing central lines (rarely done unless we just can't get access, and we use IO drills if necessary). On the med/surg and specialty floors, 90% or more of what is done can be accomplished by an LPN. The remaining 10% can be covered by a good RN charge nurse.

Are some hospitals hiring more RN's instead of LPN's? Sure.

Are LPN's being "phased out"? Absolutely not.

Will the fact that hospitals are hiring only RN's cause LTC's to hire only RN's? HAHAHAHA. Don't make me laugh! :jester:

I think that my "going up through the ranks", so to speak, has given me a different outlook on the various levels of nursing, and I'm thankful for that. So many new grads over the past several years have this attitude of elitism and entitlement, even BSN grads vs. ADN grads. Guess what? LPN, LVN, RPN, ADN RN, BSN RN. We're all nurses.

(Sidenote: If I could give any LPN's one piece of advice and have them take it, it would be to go back to RN school NOW. You're going to make a whole lot more money for doing the exact same job :D)

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Of course Lpn's are not being phased out, how many times do people have to ask this stupid question? Just because they are not using Lpn's at your hospital does not mean there are not a bunch of other places an Lpn can work, I don't understand why people think just because you don't work at the almighty hospital, you have no use. After I get my Lpn I plan to stay at my ltc facility or go to a different one and I have no plans to apply at a hospital, which btw I have seen a couple in my area which are still hiring Lpn's , because an Lpn can make more money at a ltc facility than at a hospital anyway.

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Specializes in LTC.
Of course Lpn's are not being phased out, how many times do people have to ask this stupid question? Just because they are not using Lpn's at your hospital does not mean there are not a bunch of other places an Lpn can work, I don't understand why people think just because you don't work at the almighty hospital, you have no use. After I get my Lpn I plan to stay at my ltc facility or go to a different one and I have no plans to apply at a hospital, which btw I have seen a couple in my area which are still hiring Lpn's , because an Lpn can make more money at a ltc facility than at a hospital anyway.

This is so true. LPN in LTC make more than RNs in the hospital. Ofcourse it depends on the nurses' experience. I'm a LPN and make 50 cent less than friends who are RNs in the hospita and sometimes I make more than them depending on where they work l and that is with having very little experience. Now my mother was a LPN for 5 years in LTC and took an 8 dollar pay cut as a new grad RN in hospital. So I'm sure once I become a RN in december will make less as a new grad just staring out.

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Specializes in Emergency, Case Management, Informatics.
Guess what? LPN, LVN, RPN, ADN RN, BSN RN. We're all nurses.

I unintentionally left out diploma RN's, only because we don't have any diploma programs in our area and I forget that they are out there doing the same exact thing that ADN's and BSN's are doing. :D

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I was an LPN for four years before getting my RN. I can tell you that no one ever had to "babysit" me as an LPN, and in many areas that I worked, I did the EXACT same job as the RN with the same work load, but for less pay.

As an RN, I do not "babysit" LPN's, and wording it this way is very disrespectful. My second job is a part-time position in a VERY busy ED. About half of the staff are LPN's. When I first started, I could not tell the difference between the LPN's and RN's without looking at their name badges, because they all worked at the same level and with the same professionalism. There are some things that require an RN, such as hanging blood (takes two nurses to do anyway), and accessing central lines (rarely done unless we just can't get access, and we use IO drills if necessary). On the med/surg and specialty floors, 90% or more of what is done can be accomplished by an LPN. The remaining 10% can be covered by a good RN charge nurse.

Are some hospitals hiring more RN's instead of LPN's? Sure.

Are LPN's being "phased out"? Absolutely not.

Will the fact that hospitals are hiring only RN's cause LTC's to hire only RN's? HAHAHAHA. Don't make me laugh! :jester:

I think that my "going up through the ranks", so to speak, has given me a different outlook on the various levels of nursing, and I'm thankful for that. So many new grads over the past several years have this attitude of elitism and entitlement, even BSN grads vs. ADN grads. Guess what? LPN, LVN, RPN, ADN RN, BSN RN. We're all nurses.

(Sidenote: If I could give any LPN's one piece of advice and have them take it, it would be to go back to RN school NOW. You're going to make a whole lot more money for doing the exact same job :D)

Yes in some places it works as you described. However, in others it is different. One hospital I did clincials at an RN had to do an assessment, give IV meds(not just pushes ). the lpn did an assessment, but if a rn is signing off on it he/she would be a fool not to reassess the pt.If the pts had been assigned to an rn to begin with you wouldn't have this extra work. it depends not only on your state law but the facility as well. Where I work now the lpns have their own patients and the only think they can't do is iv pushes, blood, chemo, a few others. Oh and taking telephone orders.

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Actually baby sitting the CNAs is one part of my job I especially dislike. When they don't do THE JOB THEY ARE PAID TO DO, I have to do it and waste time trailign after them. I don 't like giving certain meds LPNs can't give to pts that aren't mine and would prefer if my facility went to all RNs. I do respect the LPNs I work with just like I respect the RNs and frankly they get paid a lot less for the same job essentially.

Oh now it is bash Cna time. :rolleyes:

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
Yes in some places it works as you described. However, in others it is different. One hospital I did clincials at an RN had to do an assessment, give IV meds(not just pushes ). the lpn did an assessment, but if a rn is signing off on it he/she would be a fool not to reassess the pt.If the pts had been assigned to an rn to begin with you wouldn't have this extra work. it depends not only on your state law but the facility as well. Where I work now the lpns have their own patients and the only think they can't do is iv pushes, blood, chemo, a few others. Oh and taking telephone orders.

The only thing we can't do in California is IV push meds so theoretically, if the facility wants RNs to sign off on everything an LPN does, it originates there. The idea that an LPN can't take doctor's orders is just stupid.

On the other hand, how is an RN supposed to co-sign an assessment without re-doing the parts that require subjective interpretation? That's just as ridiculous. If the LPN assesses things like breath sounds and peripheral pulses how does the RN know if she did that right? If the RN co-signs it without listening or palpating herself, the LPN is doing the assessment. And round and round we go . .excuse me gotta check my social security eligibility date again :p

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