Are LPN's being Phased Out?

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I have had other people tell me that going to school to become an lpn would be a waste of time because they are being phased out by CNAs. Is this true?

Specializes in Telemetry, Case Management.

I have been an LPN for 27 years now. They were saying "They're going to phase out LPNs" back before I went to LPN school, and I have heard it said off and on over the years.

And it also depends on the state you work in, what LPNs can and cannot do. Right now in the states I work in, there is very little an RN does on a med -surg floor or even step down units that an LPN cannot do. The education an LPN gets today is much more advanced than what I got 27 years and ago and will be considered antiquated 27 years in the future. They used to say LPNs will never give injections, or drop NG tubes, or draw blood, or hang blood. All of which we do today (in most states). In the states I work in, I can even give IV push meds.

So its always something that comes up, and is always dropped. I can't see it happening anytime in the near future. If for no other reason, that no one will be able to agree on whether or not to "grandfather in" current LPNs. Just my :twocents:.

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Here in my state they are pushing LPN's to become RN's our local hospital started to get rid of LPN's and have a stepping stone program to help LPN's become RN's and in nursing homes you are now seeing more for RN's / LPN's then just LPN. And there is a rumor and i don't know how true it is. That CNA's will be the new LPN. They are going to up their scope of practice send them to school longer. I was a CMT that was one step above a CNA. CMT = ( Certified Medication Technician ) Basically i was still a CNA still did work as one but i could pass meds as well. And really as a LPN i see a slight difference in my scope of practice compared to my scope when i was a Med Tech. So yes in a few yrs to come i can see LPNs/LVN/s going to be phased out. Also have you notice more and more schools are offering 2 yr RN programs. Just my thought use them as you wish.. Anthony

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Specializes in Sub-Acute/Psychiatric/Detox.

LPNs are being phased Out of the General Acute Care Hospital. AKA "The Real Hospital" in some areas yes.

It also depends on the state. I am in MA. In CT LPNs go to school longer then I do and the CT BON pretty much relegates them to Long Term Care Nursing Home Only.

The only thing I can't do legally is IV Push or over rule an RN.

RNs and LPNs aren't allowed to drop NG tubes in MA as far as I know. I don't work in those settings Anyhow.

LPNs are alive and well in Long Term Care/Sub-Acute and in Psych (all though a very small % work in psych)

I am seeing a slight phase out of LPNs in Pysch in the private hospitals but this is only because once again too many new RNs with no where to go making these places a revolving door of nurses.

Their argument is the RN can do more then the LPN in the psych setting. Well besides Careplans... The RN takes over the med role the exact same stuff the LPN does and never does anything more.

In 1990 LPNs were totally phased out of the acute care hospitals here. No more "team nursing". LPNs used to pass meds and assist with treatments. The LPNs who didn't go back for their RN and still work the floor 20 years latter are doing aide work now.

Its all depends on what you want to do with your nursing career.

The biggest thing about nursing school is the clinicals. No matter LPN or RN. These clinicals take a lot of time and make it impossible to work any real hours during nursing school.

I would go for the RN. Unless you have a strong interest in Geriatric Nursing/Hospice/Home Care and their is nothing wrong at all with that kind of nursing! Most patients come from Sub-Acute or Rehab from a general hospital and 20 years ago easily would have still been at the general hospital as patients but now are on your Sub-Acute unit and your the LPN.

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Specializes in LTC, Alzheimer's, Home Care, Pediatrics.

I've been working as a lpn doing home care for the past two years. one thing I noticed in the past couple of months, more RNs are applying for home care positions in my state. Lately, all I here is that lpns are being phased out for good, Now at my job Im reduced to doing just the basics, I still give meds but I know something is not right, quite a few lpns left after being treated badly and not getting holiday pay and hours cut back. I did not get holiday pay and I'm looking with no luck so far. I'm worried. I'm afraid to post here fearing my employer may read it.

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Specializes in Hospice, ONC, Tele, Med Surg, Endo/Output.

Lpns/Lvns will always be needed in SNFs due to the high number of pills the baby boomers will need to be warehoused and the amount of wound care that will be necessary. RNs will require too much money to do these tasks and will instead be in "charge" for a higher rate of pay and will be responsible for paperwork compliance. Yes, for the acute facilities lvns are no longer desired.

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Many States are phasing them LPN/LVNs out SLOWLY. Mainly through increasing the amount of LPN to RN schools and decreasing the amount of LPN schools.

It used to be that being an LPN was a terminal goal, nowadays most newer LPNs are RN students. It has been a few years since I have even met a new grad LPN. I know in Arizona at least there are several LTCs that have moved to an all RN Nursing staff, or at least moving to.

California in 2000 there were 180,000 LVNs, 2010 less than 80,000.

I do not think they will ever get rid of LPNs but I strongly believe they are phasing them out like the old Diploma RNs. Anyone remember those guys???

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Specializes in Geriatric.

I wish i had known about this site and read these forums before i wasted the time to become an LPN. I like many other newbees are proof that it is phasing out and fast. Facilties hardly hiring new grad and if they do its on a prn/per diem basis. They all want you to have experience in some area or another atleast 1 year, yet they will not give you the chance to gain the experience. pass exam 8/2009 and still no work....:crying2: Yes its October 2010. Now i need a job to finance RN school.....

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pnnurse2,

i think we are all having problems finding a nursing job rather we are rn or lpn. they want rn's to have at least a year experience too. yea, i know, i say it all the time to (how do we suppose to get experience if no one will hire us to get the experience) for me it is like a rock in a hard place because the job i have now is totally not in nursing like it should be but i been at it for over 10 years. it's hard to leave my stability of this job because i have a teenager. i am going to have to take the leap of faith and just do it because i didn't spend all this time going through nursing school and than finally passing the boards for nothing (i love helping people and trying to make a difference somehow). pnnurse2 you might want to try some agencies, some of them do hire new grads and will train you accordantly. i did get an lpn job for a short time at an agency but i realized, it just wasn't for me. right now, i have been claimed "eligible" finally for a va night lpn nursing job full-time, permanent. i am pretty excited about this because i will not loose my benefits that i have now with my current job and will just transfer over if i get the job at the va (my fingers are crossed). since it will be a government nursing job, everything is like a hurry up and wait kind of deal, but i am use to it so i'll wait until..... :)

good luck to you pnnurse2, a nursing job will finally come around for you. lpn's are not being phased out, we are very much needed and it was not a waste of time or money to get an lpn license, it was well worth it to me and if i want to go on for my rn, well that is anyone's prerogative to do so!!!

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I am an LPN student, and you guys are scaring me....Lol! I have every intention on attending school once I finish and secure at least a part-time position.. the demand to get into a Registered Nursing program was just entirely too much, and waiting three years to be "Considered" for a program was out of the question. I decided to get my feet dirty. I figure, you have to crawl before you walk, I might as well get the license, some experience before I pursue my RN. I know some LPN's today, who are making more money than New Registered nurses, it varies....where you go, and the old saying, sometimes who you know....Good Luck to everyone.

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Specializes in Geriatric.
pnnurse2,

i think we are all having problems finding a nursing job rather we are rn or lpn. they want rn's to have at least a year experience too. yea, i know, i say it all the time to (how do we suppose to get experience if no one will hire us to get the experience) for me it is like a rock in a hard place because the job i have now is totally not in nursing like it should be but i been at it for over 10 years. it's hard to leave my stability of this job because i have a teenager. i am going to have to take the leap of faith and just do it because i didn't spend all this time going through nursing school and than finally passing the boards for nothing (i love helping people and trying to make a difference somehow). pnnurse2 you might want to try some agencies, some of them do hire new grads and will train you accordantly. i did get an lpn job for a short time at an agency but i realized, it just wasn't for me. right now, i have been claimed "eligible" finally for a va night lpn nursing job full-time, permanent. i am pretty excited about this because i will not loose my benefits that i have now with my current job and will just transfer over if i get the job at the va (my fingers are crossed). since it will be a government nursing job, everything is like a hurry up and wait kind of deal, but i am use to it so i'll wait until..... :)

good luck to you pnnurse2, a nursing job will finally come around for you. lpn's are not being phased out, we are very much needed and it was not a waste of time or money to get an lpn license, it was well worth it to me and if i want to go on for my rn, well that is anyone's prerogative to do so!!!

thanks for the encouragment, i work as a cna for a hh agencies for 7+ years and applied to so many others, but they will not hire untill i have 1 year of working experience. i will keep on applying, hope one day get somehing, i would never want to help from the state.

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Specializes in Adult ICU/PICU/NICU.
Here in my state they are pushing LPN's to become RN's our local hospital started to get rid of LPN's and have a stepping stone program to help LPN's become RN's and in nursing homes you are now seeing more for RN's / LPN's then just LPN. And there is a rumor and i don't know how true it is. That CNA's will be the new LPN. They are going to up their scope of practice send them to school longer. I was a CMT that was one step above a CNA. CMT = ( Certified Medication Technician ) Basically i was still a CNA still did work as one but i could pass meds as well. And really as a LPN i see a slight difference in my scope of practice compared to my scope when i was a Med Tech. So yes in a few yrs to come i can see LPNs/LVN/s going to be phased out. Also have you notice more and more schools are offering 2 yr RN programs. Just my thought use them as you wish.. Anthony

This would never fly in the state and hospital were I practiced, as the scope of an LPN is very similar to that of an RN and nothing like that of a CNA.

I trained for 2 years in a long gone old fasioned catholic hospital based diploma program. That's as long as ASN RNs train for....and they don't do the slave labor that we did as student nurses. In order for a CNA to fill the shoes of an LPN with a full scope of practice....they would need to go to nursing school, pass state boards, and obtain a license to practice practical nursing.

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The Nursing Association of all the states should try to make it clear whether this experience training is a must or employers are just trying to frustrate LPNs . Is this one way to phased (LPNs) them out as the saying is going all round the US of America. Everywhere you apply in the state of Ohio the employers are asking for one year experience. Is the Association aware of this practice, or they are just turning a blind eye to this practice that is becoming norm for LPNs.

Am sure the schools did not prepare us to be faced with this kind of rebound after spending all those years in Nursing school and not getting a job because the employers are looking for experienced nurses. This is frustrating for some of us that really wants to help our community and further our education in a honest and worthwhile manner.

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