EMS hitch this one takes the Cake!!

downsouthlaff, LPN · Mar 21, 2013

I understand that and that's how it is at my facility too! It's not an RN or an LPN thing. Of course the MDS nurse of 13 years in an office will be shady on skills too. And a CNA who's been on restorative for the past 6 years may have forgotten how to properly take a blood pressure or change an Ostomy bag! You don't use it you lose it!! But still I definently think its very unprofessional and crazy to say that an RN is not a licensed nurse, wow!!

downsouthlaff, LPN · Mar 21, 2013

The more you view it the more you say it, THE MORE RIDICLOUS it sounds! I have been told many things by Nurses of LTC and ER you name it as a CNA and an EMT, I had one nurse tell me that you have to become an LPN before becoming a paramedic and I'm like really is that so?? Don't know where they get there info from, also had one nurse tell me that it's highly illegal to set oxygen flow to anything over 2lpm without doctors orders when I tried to see a nasal cannula to 6lpm, but to hear her say that only LPNs are licensed nurses RNs are just registered! Just wow! The things we hear lol

WunMsJayLPNtoRN · Mar 21, 2013

You were the only one there during this conversation, OP, so in no way am I trying to say that you didnt hear her the LPN correctly; BUT, maybe you interpreted incorrectly or she wasnt able to correctly articulate what she was trying to say. What exactly ended up happening? Did the RN help with the PEG, or did you have to wait for the LPN?

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Mar 21, 2013

And jade lpn Cms governs how facilities are staffed and ran, an RN is a licensed nurse who can do everything an LPN can do that doesn't change by facility! It's not my issue but that comment is pretty darned ridiculous. If I were the RN I would deff be insulted.! Shouldn't an RN know how to do all tasks that are being supervised?

My point was that just because an RN is licensed to do it, doesn't mean that an RN is learned in it. LPN's who start procedures usually need to finish them. It is difficult to stop halfway and let someone else (be it an RN or another LPN) take over, to then go back and attempt to continue...not very good continuity of care. However, with that being said, who was with said patient waiting for you? The RN who this would have been reported to by the LPN as the house supervisor? Then the RN (or whomever) should have had all said paperwork. In any event, as an LPN and an EMT, I find in my various practices that sometimes in the level of stress that seems to be the case in this situation, who knows what the LPN meant or didn't mean. Ultimately, however, the supervising RN would perhaps be responsible to be sure that the patient who fell (assuming that it was reported to RN, hence why she was involved at all) has all the necessary paperwork ready for you. People say the dumbest things in the heat of the moment. However, your focus is on getting the patient out of there and to an alternate level of care.

Welsley1969 · Mar 21, 2013

Is it possible that you encountered an LPN that was trying to take care of a patient that fell, a malfuctioning pump, an irritated family, and all the other activities of an LTC facility and just wasn't getting her point across very well?

fairyluv · Mar 21, 2013

Was the RN working under a temp lic. ? i know they are limited as to what they can do when working under a temp lic while awaiting to take there boards.

SummitRN, BSN, RN · Mar 21, 2013

From what OP said, it sounds like the LPN had a problem with prioritization and professional attitude.

OP, how did the RN react? How did you, the RN, and the LPN proceed with the situation from there?

What can we learn from this?

Summit RN EMT

blackvans1234 · Mar 21, 2013

Ran an EMS call today to a Nursing Home (one I'm not familiar with) in a town I'm not familiar with where a patient had fallen. We go in paperwork isn't ready. This is a weekend. We go in talk to the LPN In charge of patient. She informs is that she's busy with a PEG tube machine that's malfunctioning and all the while the family is outside fussing about the machine! The Supervising weekend RN sees our frustration and offers to take over handling the tube functions while the LPN comes and gives us all our required documents. What does the LPN reply? "I'm The only Licensed Practical Nurse on today, so I'm the only one who can actually do the skills and be liable for them, the Supervising RN is only Registred to supervise but not in charge of direct patient care. "

Fixed for grammar, punctuation and added possible misheard/ omitted words in bold.

redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN · Mar 22, 2013

Wow Sleepy RN you seem to have issues with EMTs that you need to resolve please stray away from the topic of this nurse saying this and what you think of it, this post was to show what some nurses actually say and how in the works can someone who was educated as an LPN a proffesional nurse could degrade her own supervisor and say what she said. As a Nursing Aide I am very aware of the chain of command in nursing and I know that I report to an RN/LPN as an aide and I'm very much aware of that an RN is a licensed nurse. So don't go insulting my knowledge. The purpose of this post was to show how ridiculous that comment was and what we as EMTs deal with sometimes and are told! And don't worry about my patient my patient was taking care of, by protocol of my EMS agency I don't need you going draw conclusions and worry about the patient that fell. The whole point of this post was the ridiculous comment that this nurse made and I just wanted to share with you all how ridiculous and unprofessional that sounds. So please reply about the comment or don't reply at all thank you!!

I don't know how anyone could be offended! If she really said that, it was a stupid thing to say!

DavidKarl · Mar 22, 2013

I suspect that the atomosphere in that place is that the RN makes it clear that she is there to supervise, and not do any hands-on care. I suspect that's what the LPN meant to imply, but it was inaccurately told to the EMTs. I also agree that some EMTs have a holier than thou attitude- last place I worked, I'd just lay the transfer paperwork on the desk for them to pick up, because they were above me (just an LPN) to bother even asking why the call was made, or my obervations. As I say this- most folks have no idea that EMTs are paid a little above minumum wage? So, even they are first responders and can possibly save your life- they are not paid a liveable wage. Knowing the nurses that call them make several times what they do, I keep that in mind.

downsouthlaff, LPN · Mar 22, 2013

O belive me it was said!! Maybe it's not a big deal in the end but still? How could someone who has been through an entire PN program of 12-16 months, and taken and passed the NCLEX not know that an RN is the highest nursing licensure. Much less say that RNs are not licensed nurses Shaking my head! How? I know she's knows she was just being ignorant and wanted to make herself look better in front of everyone else!! Failed attempt. And one detail I forgot to legion is my Paramedic partner is an Paramedic to RN nursing student. He also got a kick out of this

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Mar 22, 2013

Actually, a NP is the highest nursing license. (well, I do think that there are doctorates in nursing as well)

Perhaps this was a non-licensed RN....license on probation and acting in a supervisory position only....also as I am sure being a CNA in a LTC facility you are aware, there are many families who only want LPN so and so TOUCHING Mom's peg--and that they were in the hall freaking would be the red flag that is the case, and in the stress the LPN mis-spoke--could be for many or any reason that you and your partner are not a party to, and that the seemingly overwhelmed LPN ws not thinking clearly. I think that a lesson that could be taken from this is that none of us should ever leave a situation and bash other care providers. No matter how competent a CNA/ Paramedic nursing student one is. This was a LTC facility. The patient that you were transporting lives there long term. The PATIENT doesn't need to be party to your disdain for the LPN that takes care of her/him, so we all need to be mindful of chatting in the back of the ambulance of same. Until one has the level of responsibility that the LPN seemed to, with everything happening at once, one can not and should not dissect the entire conversations' flaws.