ADON getting by on Charge nurse's license

Specialties LTC Directors

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Specializes in Long term care, pediatrics, orthopedics,.

This is the situation. The ADON who is an LPN is waiting to become the DON. She has completed RN nursing school and has not passed her boards after three tries. A RN day charge nurse has been told that the facility is using her license to cover the facility until the ADON passes her boards. This doesn't sound right to me. The RN has not agreed to anything. This is for a skilled-ICF facility in Iowa. I would appreciate your input on this situation. Thank you very much.

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Specializes in corrections, psychiatric.
This is the situation. The ADON who is an LPN is waiting to become the DON. She has completed RN nursing school and has not passed her boards after three tries. A RN day charge nurse has been told that the facility is using her license to cover the facility until the ADON passes her boards. This doesn't sound right to me. The RN has not agreed to anything. This is for a skilled-ICF facility in Iowa. I would appreciate your input on this situation. Thank you very much.

I think the RN should be acting DON, or they should hire someone in on a temporary basis as acting DON (maybe an experienced agency nurse). I don't think they should hold someone responsible/accountable for the entire facility without their permission or without giving them the position or salary that goes with it.

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Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.
This is the situation. The ADON who is an LPN is waiting to become the DON. She has completed RN nursing school and has not passed her boards after three tries. A RN day charge nurse has been told that the facility is using her license to cover the facility until the ADON passes her boards. This doesn't sound right to me. The RN has not agreed to anything. This is for a skilled-ICF facility in Iowa. I would appreciate your input on this situation. Thank you very much.

This doesn't sound good. If I were the RN, I'd be worried about the legal liabilities and the implications for my license if there is a problem when the LPN/DON designate is in charge. I'd also be concerned about a facility that would use me in such a manner without my consent. And I would be concerned about a facility that insisted upon hiring someone to be DON who has not passed RN boards in three tries. Yes, there are some people who don't test well, but three times and this person still hasn't passed the NCLEX-RN? Don't most states require that if a nursing graduate fails three times, he/she must repeat some of the educational program to correct knowledge deficiencies?

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Specializes in LTC, SCI/TBI Rehab,RX Research, Psych.

Wow...Well, in a 'perfect world', this LPN should've been offered the ADON position with an attached contingency..that she successfully pass her State board exam....and the plan shouldn't have been made public knowledge, either.

Also, she should be working off the DON's license...not one of her subordinates! That is wrong on many levels, and I'm sure tension is running pretty high over it.

I've never heard of anything like this. Personally, if I were this nurse, having failed boards 3 times while coworkers stood by & watched...knowing that an ADON position was awaiting, I'd be too embarrassed to accept the position, for the lack of respect & confidence that would likely follow.

Hope the situation gets better. The RN should speak up & voice her objections..ASAP.

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Specializes in LTC-MDS.

She Need to fax CMS or ACHA a letter stating she is not the DON of record. This is very important.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

Situations like this are what give LTC a bad name. This is absurd and if I were that RN I would flat out refuse in writing. How desperate is this facility to put an LPN who can't pass the boards in charge of the building?

I work as the DNS of a CCRC. My ED just turned in his resignation. We have a SNF so we MUST have an ED by regulation. The search started immediately until the corporate marketing person asked 2 nurses who said the SNF runs itself so we don't really need anyone with LTC experience. The focus of this corp. is independent living. They haven't a clue about LTC. Let me tell you. the SNF does NOT run itself...I run it along with the ED. Goes to show when you have non clinical people making decisions they can really make a mess of things. I don't put up with things like this so I am looking for another job.

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Specializes in acute care and geriatric.

Its taking stupid chances like that, that find good RN's losing their licenses for no reason of their own!!

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Specializes in Surgery, Tele, OB, Peds,ED-True Float RN.

Something fishy about this LPN getting this job in the first place. Who is she married to or bestfriends with???

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