Eliminating LPNs - are hospitals doing this?

Nurses LPN/LVN

Published

Hello All,

My mother is an LPN at a major women's and children's medical center in Honolulu. Recently the hospital announced that it may eliminate the LPN position throughout the hopsital in the next 12 months. My understanding is that they will supplement this loss by hiring additional CNAs.

My question to you all is if you have any experience with this. Do you work at a hospital that has done this? Was it a good choice? Was it a bad choice? And what's your personal opinion? Do you think it's a good idea or a bad idea?

While I'm certainly biased for my mother's position, I am honestly curious what others in the field think of this major decision.

Thanks for your time. :)

I believe hospitals do this to LPNs for all of the already stated reasons as well as this: There is a general stigma against LPNs in our society.

LPNs are not really considered nurses by many people. This may not always be the status quo, but many days, as an LPN of 12 years, I feel this way. I have worked in the acute care setting for the last 3 years. It is very difficult to acquire a job in a hospital in Nashville, TN as an LPN.....not impossible, but hard.

I was just hired at one of the more prestigious hospitals here, but I feel like I was hired only because I will graduate from an RN program in may. The hospitals statistical data reports that there is only approximately 20 LPNs employed there compared to 900 RNs.

I could give many reasons as to why I feel society as a whole does not consider an LPN a nurse, but I will only state a couple. I believe this idea is perpetuated in many RN programs. While working on a med-surg floor last year, I had a RN student assigned to one of my patients. I spent more time with that one patient than the others having to "teach the student". after watching me insert a new IV and some other tasks, we were talking and he asked me if I was ever going to go back to school to be a nurse? I asked him where exactly did he not see nurse in my title? Has any one seen the Johnson & Johnson comercial that airs during national nurses week? It only pays tribute to RNs.......These are just minor examples I admit. I could give many more but I do not think anyone has the time for that.

This is my point. If many people feel this way about LPNs, It would look better if a hospital was staffed only with RNs. For what patient would want someone that is not considered a nurse(in theory) taking care of them. I have been asked by a few of my patients after introducing myself as their nurse, "are you an RN"? I believe this is one reason hospitals prefer to staff only RNs. I wish there was more education to RN students and the public about LPNs. I feel for any LPN that is in danger of having there position eliminated, for I know it could be me tomorrow, and I worked hard to become an LPN.

Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

My hospitals will NOT hire LPN's...and I find it to be a serious err on their behalf!

I work with 5 fine wonderful LPN's...and I learn so much from them (and suprisingly vs versa! YEAH!). But they stay in my facility because frankly..they can't find jobs elsewhere! Lucky for them all the RN's appreciate, care and respect them at my facility very much! It isn't that way other places which is so wrong!

I would hire an experienced LPN anyday! They have the experience thrown on them, most times as I have seen, that RN's are supose to take on...but Admin gives it to them anyway! A reason they call them "practical"...good thing in my book~!

Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatric, Behavioral Health.

I can remember the mass LPN layoffs about 15-20 years ago. Stupid idea then. Stupid now if they try it. To be honest, some of the best damn nurses I've worked with and grown professionally from were LPNs. In fact, I make a point to never overwork my LPNs that are assigned with me. I make it a point to not be a "desk" RN (butt fully planted in chair, growing roots). I get out there on the floor and run my shoes off "with" them...my way of appreciating their dedication and skills. In fact, two of my nurse role models just happen to be LPN; I can't say enough about them. I have RN role models too, of course. Letting LPNs go...big, big mistake.

+ Add a Comment