Are LPN's being phased out in hospital setting??

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I have read several articles where the inference was that LPN's are being phased out and replaced with R.N's in the hospital setting. Is this happening? Reason being - the RN needs to leave her own duties to assist the LPN in a clinical skill that LPN's are not trained in. It was suggested that in years to come that L.P.N's would most likely be predominately in the LTC setting. Any thoughts? Is this happening in some states?

In this area,the large hospitals still hire LPNs although not as many. One of the the big ones which wants to be a Magnet hospital, is phasing them out or forcing them to go on to be RNs if they want to stay on.

The small hospitals only want RNs so that every nurse is qualified to do everything. It really makes sense but unfortunate for LPNs who would be very good nurses there.

Dixie

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Specializes in Everything except surgery.
In this area,the large hospitals still hire LPNs although not as many. One of the the big ones which wants to be a Magnet hospital, is phasing them out or forcing them to go on to be RNs if they want to stay on.

The small hospitals only want RNs so that every nurse is qualified to do everything. It really makes sense but unfortunate for LPNs who would be very good nurses there.

Dixie

You know those hospitals that are phasing LPNs out could have and could do themselves a big favor by assisting LPNs who want to become RNs to do so.

A large health system here does just that, and the nurses work part time for full time work. There is also a pilot program started by the labor Dept in several major cities, that assist employers to help lpns, CNA, just about anyone who wants to get their RN to do so.

Strange thing about it is, that not many in the pilot areas except Chicago have taken advantage of the program.

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Specializes in LTC.

Here in Northern California, most of the big hospitals have already begun the phase out. Kaiser and Mercy no longer staff or hire LPN's.

I think it's a travesty, but unless your get your RN, I think LTC is the only place you will find LPN's in any great numbers in the future.

It's this dwindling lack of opportunity that has made the decision for me to pursue my RN degree.

*sigh* More school! :banghead:

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Specializes in LTC.
Massachusetts did that decades ago. LPN's are allowed to work in LTC, DR offices, Clinics. A couple area hospitals have hired 2 or 3 LPN's for floor work (for the whole building not per unit) but here we are not considered educated enough for hospital. The latest rulling here is that, for agency nurses, RN's will be paid less to work LTC and LPN's more, and RN's will be paid more to stay with hospitals and LPN's will be paid less. This is to keep LPN's in LTC settings and RN in hospital settings.

Same thing in S. Indiana. LPN's in the hospitals work as "techs" for nearly $5/hr less than what we can make in LTC. We can't do central line pushes, hang blood products, do initial assessments, much of anything other than give insulins, pass meds, and get yelled at by the Dr.'s (and families). It's depressing. That's why I'm going back to school. I like working w/the elderly, but am essentially trapped in it. I could work in a clinic, but that pretty well narrows down my choices here. LTC or clinic. Whee.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Progressive Tele.

I think people are missing the most important issue. Scope of Practice...... Here in AZ, the LPN is treated very poorly by the State Board. The LPN hands are tied on what they can do, but if you go to Washingtion, TX, FL the scope of practice is much wider and it is easier for them to use LPNs in high level of care units. I am lucky that I work in a hospital as a LPN and yes, I'm back in school to get my BSN (university of Phoenix) so I'm safe as far as being let go. But there aren't many hospitals that hire LPNS in AZ....

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I Certainly Hope So. In My Opinion, Lpn's Do Not Belong In The Acute Care Setting Due To Their Limited Scope Of Practice. There Are A Few Remaining Lpn's At My Hospital...and It Is A Burden Working With Them. They Cannot Take Telephone Orders, Do Admission Assessments Or Iv Pushes....that Gets Dumped On The Rn's Working With Them.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
I Certainly Hope So. In My Opinion, Lpn's Do Not Belong In The Acute Care Setting Due To Their Limited Scope Of Practice. There Are A Few Remaining Lpn's At My Hospital...and It Is A Burden Working With Them. They Cannot Take Telephone Orders, Do Admission Assessments Or Iv Pushes....that Gets Dumped On The Rn's Working With Them.

In Florida, we work with lots of LPNs. They have to complete an extra certification for IVs, but then they can take telephone orders and do IV pushes. As far as admission assessments, we have an RN who does most of our admission assessments, leaving very little for the covering RN to help the LPN with.

So maybe it depends on the hospital policy as well as the BON rules.

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I Certainly Hope So. In My Opinion, Lpn's Do Not Belong In The Acute Care Setting Due To Their Limited Scope Of Practice. There Are A Few Remaining Lpn's At My Hospital...and It Is A Burden Working With Them. They Cannot Take Telephone Orders, Do Admission Assessments Or Iv Pushes....that Gets Dumped On The Rn's Working With Them.

And I certainly hope never to work within a system like yours.

Scope of practice is defined by each licensing agency in each province or state.

I can guarantee if you were in my place of employment you would have to check the ID tag to find out our level of nursing. Either that or follow the nurse with TPN bag. Oh wait, the RN hangs the first bag, then the PN hangs any additional bags after two nurses of any licensure have checked the bag.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I Certainly Hope So. In My Opinion, Lpn's Do Not Belong In The Acute Care Setting Due To Their Limited Scope Of Practice. There Are A Few Remaining Lpn's At My Hospital...and It Is A Burden Working With Them. They Cannot Take Telephone Orders, Do Admission Assessments Or Iv Pushes....that Gets Dumped On The Rn's Working With Them.

Well, I am sorry that you have been burdened. I am not even saying this to be rude...I am. Now, of course, I, as an LPN beg to differ with you, though in what things LPNs can do within our scopes of practice in certain areas of acute care. I can see the difficulty of LPNs working in specialized settings such as Labor and Delivery, ICU, NICU, and such, however, most of us are a help to RNs working in med-surg by administering the majority of the medications, treatments and tasks such as catherization, dressings, tube feedings and such. And, there are ways around some of them, because LPNs can assist. A small example is that LPNs at my facility cannot accept adnormal labs. But, many of us will assist the RN by sending the telegram (in my clinic setting), paging the physician, contacting the patient to arrange for follow up visits, and in some facilities, they are doing initial assessments, but the RN has to countersign. Yes, this is light stuff compared to what you may have to deal with in your daily battles, but the point I am trying to say is that many of us try to work around the framework of the scope of practice to create team unity rather than animosity. Of course, I have to protect my license the same as you do yours, but this doesn't mean that I would watch you kill yourself if there is some portion of the burden I can legally take off of you. It is almost the same as saying that a CNA can't help you, either...they can do even less than we can.

It does depend on the place of work and the scope of practice within the state. I can see how this would be a possible burden for an overworked RN, but if some LPNs still exist in your place of work and you get along with them, see if they can or will meet you halfway in getting your tasks done. Hope it gets better for you.

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Specializes in Hospice, ER.

I work as an LPN in a New Jersey ER. I am probably the last LPN hired in this hospital. That being said, LPNs are being phased out of hospitals for the most part. However, hospital pay is low, and LPNs do better in LTC.

As for being a burden, thankfully the RN's I work with are glad to see us. We work to the full scope of our practice and are a part of a team. My friend worked on the ortho floor upstairs and did quit because of being made to feel like a burden. She's happily employed in a Assisted Living facility where her talents are appreciated.

I'm sorry that any RN feels that way, but it does happen. I generally convert these RN's by the end of the shift, but some are so stuck in their mindset, there is nothing you can do. I did notice that many of these RN's are very insecure. Just my:twocents: and my personal opinion and not meant to resemble any person posting on this board.

I love:redbeathe being an LPN. If I could afford it, I'd stay an LPN forever. I'm pursuing my RN just so I can stay in the ER and support myself. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother. I get all the fun stuff to do and none of the aggravation that the RN does. :nuke:

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

One of the hospitals in my area has NO LVNs/LVNs or CNAs, another smaller hospital has just one for the entire hospital (and one CNA per shift). They practically run the nursing homes though

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I'm doing clinicals in a hospital now that has changed their policy about not hiring too many LPN's. Reason: because the RN's and LPN's are bittering too much. How true that is I don't know. BUT!!!! I've had words with an RN already that is treating some of us (in my clinical group) like were trash because we're "students". The hospitals HR will be getting a nasty letter about her soon enough. Angie

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