Certified Geriatric Nurse - new nurse "specialty" ?

LPN1974, LPN · Mar 24, 2005

I've already worked with Geriactrics several times,

in several different nursing homes over the years.

And supervised the CNAs.

And gave all the meds. What is the deal here?

When in nursing school you get training in all areas.

IMHO, when you work in Geriatrics nowadays,

it's just a step away from med surg in a hospital anyway.

Am I right on this?

Sounds like some kind of trumped up scheme, like you say, for NHs to save money.

If it catches on in FL, no doubt it will spread like wildfire.

But it could backfire. They might NOT find nurses for what they're gonna wanna pay in this scheme, IF that is the motive...lower pay.

Nursing home is HARD work. Too stressful for me.

There will be NO limited duties in a NH. If it needs doing, the nurse will do it.

I don't know tho.....I've reread it several times, and sounds like they might be trying to elevate a CNA to position of an LPN to take over those duties.

It's something they're thinking about to once again waterdown the nursing care.

NurseFirst · Mar 24, 2005

http://www.flsenate.gov/session/index.cfm?BI_Mode=ViewBillInfo&Mode=Bills&SubMenu=1&Year=2005&billnum=430
Check out the text of this proposed bill in Florida. It calls for the creation a Certified Geriatric Nurse specialty. The word "Certified" kind of threw me in the title but in reading the bill they intend for them to function in a licensed practical nurse capacity. It appears that they would pretty much be a LPN that is only allowed to work with geriatric patients. They could dispense meds, work under their own license, etc. Does anybody else see this as a way to get people through school faster and pay them less thus saving LTC money? Like a RN makes more than a LPN so it would only seem natural that a Geriatric Nurse would make less than a LPN since they have more limited duties. They would also be allowed to supervise CNAs. Here goes my conspiracy theory J Does everyone else see these "specializations" as a trend to dumb down the profession as a whole, giving nurses less flexibility in their scope of practice and careers in an effort to "trap" them in certain areas and an excuse to keep pay lower?

I keep thinking that this is a step to try and stem the tide of objections to "medication aides". Certainly, it *sounds* like it would be better than a medication aide, especially if they work under their own license. But who would want to do this, rather than just going to LPN school? Well, I guess there are people for all kinds of situations.

And, personally, I don't think it's a dumbing down of nurses, although I do have apprehensions about them being called nurses--because of the increased responsibilities and practice that RNs have obtained. (See the 1/31/2005 issue of U.S. News and World Report, for instance).

NurseFirst

Lanceman · Mar 25, 2005

But who would want to do this, rather than just going to LPN school? Well, I guess there are people for all kinds of situations.
NurseFirst

I also wondered why one would not become a LPN and have the full scope of practice. In FL I guess the average LPN program is 10-11 months so I could see them trimming down this Geriatric Nurse program to say, 6 months. They could run two classes a year instead of one for instance. The program would be cheaper by 1/2 and people as a whole these days are more impatient and want stuff faster.

Less education X Less skills = Less Money (in most cases anyway)

I would just hate to see this kind of thinking, if successful, applied to other areas like: Certified Pediatric Nurse, Certified OB Nurse, Certified Oncology Nurse, etc. There would be all these 4-6 month programs essentially limiting these LPN-level nurses to one specific area.

Lanceman · Mar 25, 2005

And, personally, I don't think it's a dumbing down of nurses, although I do have apprehensions about them being called nurses--because of the increased responsibilities and practice that RNs have obtained. (See the 1/31/2005 issue of U.S. News and World Report, for instance).
NurseFirst

Another thought to consider is if this bill is successful, could it open the door for this type of education at the RN level ? There could be a Registered Geriatric Nurse. Instead of a typical ADN program (3 years with pre-reqs) they could trim it down to say 18 months total and just teach geriatric nursing and leave out the other areas. Less classroom and clinical time. Thats something to look for if this is successful on the LPN level.