Are RN's going to be a thing of the past?

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Just wanted to know your thoughts on the shift from using more LPN's on units instead of RN's as they are cost saving for health authorities. We are beginning to see this in my health authority gradually. Any thoughts?

Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Please keep in mind that this is a thread in the Canadian Nursing forum

LPNs/RPNs in Canada are 2 year degree trained with BSN minimum for RN.

Whereas an LPN can be a 9-12 month 'accelerated ' full time program to an associates in practical nursing. RN training varies from 3yr diploma, 2+ yr associates,4-yr traditional or condensed ELM/ABSN.

From what I understand, the practical nursing scope in Canada is significantly greater than US LPNs; thus Canadian LPNs can accept a more primary nurse role in acute care than a US LPN (especially since there are very few acute/hospital LPN positions in the US).

Like the scope of practice varies in US states the scope varies between Canadian provinces. Both countries require a standard national exam as entry to practice. While there are similarities in the US vs Canadian healthcare system there are also significant differences.

Be mindful when posting.

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Sorry, didn't even notice this was in the nursing in Canada section.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.
Depends where you work Brandon, and this varies widely. Where I work, the LPN and the RNs are doing exactly the same job.

The LPN role varies in Canadian Provinces and from Canada to the US again there are many differences. You're free to disagree, you just aren't aware of the differences from where you sit.

LPNs can't access picc lines, for example (at least where I am) but we don't ever have them anyway where I'm working. Everything else is the same....

We don't have ADNs anymore in Canada. RNs are BSN prepared now and the old Diploma nurses are encouraged to upgrade (our version of the ADN). And LPNs are expected to do A LOT more, and not being paid, which is my point. LPN scope in the US versus Canada is like comparing apples to oranges. Different systems entirely.

This shows how the PN role varies from province to province as well.In my facility ( I am in Ontario) PNs can access PICC lines as long as they have taken the training that is offered.

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I don't think the poster was being insulting. She was being informative and sharing her expereince.

For years here in the US....

This is a discussion in the CANADIAN forum. Very different.

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Joanna, we get to play with PICCs and CVCs now. LPNs who are dialysis qualified have been using CVCs for ever.

Officially it's dressing and routine care. The consensus on most units is if there is an empty Ancef (or whatever) bag hanging, change the hang the new one and get on with the job. The entire debacle of the new IV identification tags came about because some wunderkind RN in an ICU decided to run tube feed through a central line. Now the entire system is being penalized for one idiot's work.

Ultimately, we are all doomed. AHS just plans to work all nurses to full scope and dumb the blame on nursing for mistakes made.

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Specializes in med-surg, OR.

I have heard the RPN, is going to become a 3yr program in the future. I could be misinformed, but that is what the rumour is. I imagine the RN role will also expand.

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I have heard the RPN, is going to become a 3yr program in the future. I could be misinformed, but that is what the rumour is. I imagine the RN role will also expand.

It's all about using full scope of practice. I learnt how to drop an NG and KaoFeed in college. Was never allowed to use the skill because it was an "RNs job". Now, they've decide LPNs can do it! So now we all have to do an education refresher course with CNEs.

Our RNs role is also expanding but not in the direction many of them had hoped. They are being pushed into more administrative duties.. The skills that they have are being juggled and they are requiring certification courses. Now they are required to by cyto-toxic certified for IV meds and IV push. They aren't happy about it. Some units will never use these skills but they are required to do the courses.

In AB and ON the PN programme is the old diploma RN course.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.
The entire debacle of the new IV identification tags came about because some wunderkind RN in an ICU decided to run tube feed through a central line. Now the entire system is being penalized for one idiot's work.

This knee-jerk type of reaction has been going on forever. Potassium. Heparin. Blood products. Those are just some examples. Our ICU lost our blood fridge several years ago because an RT running an ECMO circuit gave the wrong blood to a patient. Rather than address inadequate and poorly-provided education for a transferred function to someone who wouldn't ordinarily perform this skill, with appropriate follow-up, instead we now keep blood in coolers at the bedsides of our critical post-ops. Blood coolers that have to be kept track of and rotated every 8 hours by our nursing attendants, who don't have enough to do. The heparin errors on our unit were also mostly RT-ECMO errors. It's sad that everybody has to be treated like we're all just mistakes-in-waiting.

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Specializes in geriatrics.

Running tube feeds through central lines? Dangerous and stupid although I've heard this before.

I'm really not interested in admin work, so I'll probably have to return to school for a Masters later on, simply because many of the teaching roles I'm interested in are requiring it.

Based on the disasters within the health care system, I'm also looking at other career avenues but I haven't found anything that I'm interested in. Time will tell for all of us.

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Specializes in Thoracics, Medicine.
in Ontario RPNs (LPNs) are breaking into more and more areas and RNs in some areas are taking on more of a leadership role. However that does not mean RNs are going to be a thing of that past, they are just being utilized in a different way.[/quote']

In my workplace in Ontario, the hospital has moved to a model of care based around RNs, and we RPNs are being laid off. By the end of the cuts 66 RPNs will be laid off. We are considered "support staff" and have had many skills taken from us. We have been told that we are no longer appropriate for medical and surgical units.

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Specializes in ER, Addictions, Geriatrics.
I have heard the RPN is going to become a 3yr program in the future. I could be misinformed, but that is what the rumour is. I imagine the RN role will also expand.[/quote']

The program coordinator at my college had alluded to this when I was graduating. I had two semesters of pharmacology, the year after I graduated they implemented three semesters of it.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.
In my workplace in Ontario, the hospital has moved to a model of care based around RNs, and we RPNs are being laid off. By the end of the cuts 66 RPNs will be laid off. We are considered "support staff" and have had many skills taken from us. We have been told that we are no longer appropriate for medical and surgical units.

That's funny. I am in Ontario as well and my workplace ( a hospital) is going the other way.RPNs far outnumber the RNs and our scope of practice is expanding.There is very little distinction between the patients that we get and the RNs get.

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