LVNs/LPNs being phased out?!

Nursing Students LPN/LVN Students

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Is anyone else tired of hearing about this as I am? I am so tired of someone saying, "why are you going to LVN school, when they are phasing them out?"

The other day I had an acquaintance say to me "good luck with that" in a snide snotty tone after I replied that I was not worried about finding a job as a LPN. This was in response to her "LPNs are being phased out and can't work at hospitals", you know the usual spiel many of us have heard numerous times. I always wonder when someone is saying all this to me, knowing I am already in a LPN program, what do they expect? That I will be ever so grateful to them for pointing out my terrible mistake and quit the program because OMG LPNs are being phased out? That I'll accept their doom and gloom because they are some sort of expert? Please.

Thing is, I am not worried about finding a job as a LPN. Many places in my area are hiring LPNs. Of course if working at a hospital ICU was my dream then clearly the LPN won't help with that in my area. However, there are other jobs to be had as a LPN. I may return to school to get my RN/BSN, but even if I don't, being a LPN is a worthy accomplishment.

If being an LPN is what you want, then go for it and let the nay sayers wag their tongues till they turn blue and you have your license in your hands.

Exactly my thoughts!

Specializes in Peds Homecare.
:banghead::banghead::banghead: While some places in your "neck of the woods", don't do something, it has no bearing on what is the norm elsewhere. How many times are people going to ask/say this, when they don't have a clue as to what is really happening? 33 years I've heard this, 33 years LPN's are still working and graduating.

Thanks everyone for your comments. I think too that they will never be phased out, they are an important piece. A lot of the BSNs are more administrative. There are a lot of hospitals here who do not hire LVNs anymore but some hospitals still do. Until the State of Texas Board of Nursing stops putting up approved LVN schools then I will start worrying! It just gets very frustrating hearing that all the time. Maybe my RN friends are just trying to push me more. And I know a lot of LVNs who have been one for a long time, and they are great nurses compared to some RNs that I have worked with that are new, it's so sad all they are there is for the paycheck. Yeah I am sure it's nice but in my eyes, I am there for the patient.

This is good to know, thanks Jay for the article.

My friend is a recent LPN graduate! I encourage her to get her RN ONLY because there are not a lot of job vacancies for LPNs in NY!! Im not being snide, I think she is a great nurse, and I see how difficult it is for her. She wants to be a dialysis nurse, guess what--she cant a job in dialysis in NY as a LPN. That's the only reason I continue to encourage her. I encouraged and supported her through her LPN program, and will continue to do so until she is where she is most happy. Its never about sarcasm or snide, I want her to be happy and have the sky as the limit. :)

What I hate about most nursing schools, is that they aren't catered to the working families. I mean, where are the part time RN programs? Or how about nights for ppl who work during the day? I think that's why a lot of LPN's don't even want to go back to school. It's almost like you have to quit your job because its always full time day programs. Ugh.

I'm currently in school for my lpn, but I'm not worried about looking for a job. I'm in south Florida, and nursing homes and ALF's are on every corner. They're always hiring.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
What I hate about most nursing schools is that they aren't catered to the working families. I mean, where are the part time RN programs? Or how about nights for ppl who work during the day? I think that's why a lot of LPN's don't even want to go back to school. It's almost like you have to quit your job because its always full time day programs.[/quote']

That is unfortunate in your area. :down:

My area has a few part time PN and RN programs; I was able to get my BSN from an accelerated program at a local university. :yes:

I went during the evening two days a week and weekends for clinicals. I went straight through, including summers for two years; it equals out to the two years of nursing courses and clinicals.

Now, back to the thread...;)

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
i live in FL and am about to complete my LPN program and take the NCLEX-PN. LPN in FL are becoming more respected each day and are actually starting to replace RN's in some facilities. I'm sure this is r/t the fact that an LPN with Phlem/IV therapy has a scope very simulare to that of an RN, with a slightly smaller salary.

That scares me. Can't adequately express how much that frightens me.

Why does that scare you Roser13?

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
Why does that scare you Roser13?

Because there is a much greater difference in the education of an RN vs. an LPN than just Phlem (?)/IV skills. Yet another way that facilities are skimping on the care they deliver to their patients. First, MD offices started replacing licensed nurses in the office setting with MA's who are taught to give injections. Now, RN's will be replaced with LPN's who can deliver IV fluids? It's a very slippery slope and we seem halfway down it already.

Unless the Florida Board of Nursing has modified the standards of practice for RN's/LPN's, who will be assessing the patients?

I can understand that's for sure. In the state of Texas LVNs do not learn anything about iv's in school. Now you can become iv certified taking a course. But I know for a fact transfusion big no no. But are you saying that LVNs shouldn't even give injections too? I am a MA going back to school for lvn. LVNs scope of work is different in each state. Here we do not assess, that is the RN and we do not do NANDA only the RN, but we do learn about it in class. LVNs are just as important as an RN.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
I can understand that's for sure. In the state of Texas LVNs do not learn anything about iv's in school. Now you can become iv certified taking a course. But I know for a fact transfusion big no no. But are you saying that LVNs shouldn't even give injections too? I am a MA going back to school for lvn. LVNs scope of work is different in each state. Here we do not assess, that is the RN and we do not do NANDA only the RN, but we do learn about it in class. LVNs are just as important as an RN.

I absolutely did not mean that - not sure how you read that in my post?

LPN's certainly should be able to perform any task or duty within their scope of practice. They should NOT, however be put into situations that require them to function OUTSIDE their scope of practice, such as mentioned previously: after an IV course, they are functioning as an RN. That could expose the LPN to many dangers, not the least of which would be to her license.

It's comparable to sending an RN to a pharmacology class and then telling him/her to prescribe meds for the patients.

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