Will RNs soon become mandatory over LPNs?

U.S.A. New York

Published

I'm curious about this because my friend told me (her mother is a nurse). She said that NY will soon require LPN's to get their RN licenses, and do away with LPN programs altogether. Could this be true? I was going to do the LPN program, but I didn't after she told me that.

I am an LPN Student. Your question was discussed at length by several of our teachers. They all said the same thing - this rumor that LPN's will be phased out soon as been going around for Decades.

LPNs won't be phased out any time soon. One reason is because of the cost involved with having all RNs and higher.

The teachers made it very clear that LPNs will be around for a while.

Hope that helps.

:paw: :paw:

ps: my first post! Woo-hoo!

:yeah:

Specializes in Pediatrics.

I doubt that LPNs will all be required to get thier RN. However, I would expect the options to narrow significantly long term care/nursing homes use many LPNs. Hospitals don't, the hospital I am at has a few LPNs that were hired in the 1990s but now they don't even look at RNs with Associate Degrees only BSNs(this is unusual) but the top tier can do it especially in this economy. If you want to work in a hospital especially in NYC I would go for an ADN instead. Things can change so you never know but thats my opinion.

I hope that the rumor is just a rumor. I'm starting LPN school in January.

Specializes in Surgical ICU.

it depends on where you want to work. If you are looking at LTC/nursing home then there are positions for LPNs, but if you are looking at hospital and clinic jobs then there are small pickings. All the hospitals around me don't really hire LPNs and like someone else mentioned,.. the ones who are there are due to seniority and have been working there for years. Now the hospitals find it cheaper to just rearrange nursing care approaches like the creation of IV infusion teams, training CNAs to do phlebotomy, and get this... ROBOT MEDICATION DISTRIBUTORS!! From what I here these robots actually give the patient the pills and scans their bracelet and such,.. I just recently heard about this while recert'ing for my BLS so I can't go much into detail,.. but yeah,.. the hospital is finding ways to cut jobs majorly.

Nursing homes are different,.. its usually 1-2 nurses per unit and then you have more LPNS than nurses,... but this also is slllooowwwllly changing.

good luck!

what school will you be going to if you don't mind me asking?

it depends on where you want to work. If you are looking at LTC/nursing home then there are positions for LPNs, but if you are looking at hospital and clinic jobs then there are small pickings. All the hospitals around me don't really hire LPNs and like someone else mentioned,.. the ones who are there are due to seniority and have been working there for years. Now the hospitals find it cheaper to just rearrange nursing care approaches like the creation of IV infusion teams, training CNAs to do phlebotomy, and get this... ROBOT MEDICATION DISTRIBUTORS!! From what I here these robots actually give the patient the pills and scans their bracelet and such,.. I just recently heard about this while recert'ing for my BLS so I can't go much into detail,.. but yeah,.. the hospital is finding ways to cut jobs majorly.

Nursing homes are different,.. its usually 1-2 nurses per unit and then you have more LPNS than nurses,... but this also is slllooowwwllly changing.

good luck!

Ummm...LPN's ARE nurses so the whole "More LPN's than NURSES" is an odd statement.

Lpn's aren't going anywhere. LTC facilities are giving preference to LPN's because they are cheaper than RN's. I know of many facilities that are cutting RN's overtime and giving the jobs to LPN's. RN's have been saying for YEARS that LPN's are slllooowwwly being phased out. Not gonna happen. Don't worry about it...get your LPN and then do a bridge program to RN. You will find work.

If you have dreams of working in big NY hospitals like Presbyterian, Mout Sinai and such then it's not going to happen. Most of the large nyc hospitals want you to have an ADN at least and some require you to have a BSN or be enrolled in a BSN program.

Specializes in ER, PACU.
Ummm...LPN's ARE nurses so the whole "More LPN's than NURSES" is an odd statement.

Lpn's aren't going anywhere. LTC facilities are giving preference to LPN's because they are cheaper than RN's. I know of many facilities that are cutting RN's overtime and giving the jobs to LPN's. RN's have been saying for YEARS that LPN's are slllooowwwly being phased out. Not gonna happen. Don't worry about it...get your LPN and then do a bridge program to RN. You will find work.

I was an LPN before a few years before I went to school for my RN so I am in a position to comment on this. LTC facilities do hire LPN's, but the idea that hospitals are cutting RN hours and giving the jobs to LPNs is absolutely false. Most day to day patient care in a hospital setting includes things that are out of the scope of practice for an LPN.

You could do a bridge program, but with the job market the way it is right now where hospitals want a BSN as a minimum for a new grad, someone with a diploma is going to get his/her resume thrown right in the trash since there are a lot of BSN and ADN grads applying for the same jobs.

Thanks to all for your replies! I'm in an RN program, but I often wish I applied to a LPN program instead! It's going to take me 3 yrs to complete my BSN (even though I have a BA already in English!) It's ridiculous how long it takes to complete the science pre-reqs alone, but I digress...I ultimately plan to work in a hospital.

I know this chat was a few days ago, but hopefully you LPNs out there will see this. I was just job hunting and on Health Quest's site (Putnam, Vassar, Northern Dutchess, etc), and they have numerous job openings for LPNs right now. Since I'm an RN, I didn't look too closely, but I believe many were in their urgent care facility. I don't think LPNs are going to disappear any time soon--at all.

"But the idea that hospitals are cutting RN hours and giving the jobs to LPNs is absolutely false."

You are soooooo wrong. Brookdale Hospital did this a few months ago. It was on the news. My friend is a LPN at this hospital and has confirmed that many RNs were laid off and a LOT of LPNs were hired to replace them. In fact she will get her RN shortly and will look for work elsewhere.

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