CNA's taking over lpn's?

pixiestudent2 · Mar 22, 2012

it's not true.

mazy · Mar 22, 2012

Not true. Your teacher is suffering from a cranial-rectal inversion.

camci · Mar 22, 2012

We're nurse assistants, not nurses. Can you imagine doing CNA work AND nursing work at the same time on a hall? Nooooooo. Never. I would quit and go into computers.

nguyency77, CNA · Mar 23, 2012

There's no way. CNA and LPN are not the same thing. Eventually, I feel that these scope of practice laws need to be better enforced and this whole cross-training business is gonna implode. I highly doubt the public knows the truth behind who is providing care to them because everyone is in scrubs, everyone and everything is referred to as "the nurse," and everyone looks relatively the same: dietary, housekeeping, the CNAs, the nurses, "multiskilled workers."

I am one of those CNA who absolutely refuses to do anything the nurse is supposed to do. I am not planning on inserting any Foley catheters until I have the appropriate education to do so. I am not going to go apply medicated creams or pass out pills. I do what I'm supposed to be doing, and I feel happy going home at night knowing I didn't do anything illegal or harmful to patients.

Maybe what your teacher meant to say was that she was concerned about cross training and the overlapping of scope of practice.

caliotter3 · Mar 23, 2012

I would not lose sleep over this misinformation. If you decide to go to LPN school, do not let this statement influence you. Instead, investigate whether or not, you might want to go to RN school instead of LPN school. Best of luck.

steffuturelpn · Mar 23, 2012

dont believe the hype, lol they have been talking about getting rid of lpns for the past 50-60 years,but i would consider if u want to do the lpn or rn route thats more important

IEDave, ASN, CNA, LVN · Mar 24, 2012

hi everyone. i will be completing my cna next month and am interested in studying to become a lpn. however my teacher has said to me to be careful and look into the school u plan to attend because there is a law changing soon to remove lpn's and just have cna's do their job. is this really true that this is in the works to take affect? Is it worth it than to even go for my lpn ? would i get the same pay when and if that even does happen ? has anyone else even heard of this ?

Hmm...first thing I'd do is see if there's a website for your state's board of practical nursing (may or may not be the same board that handles licensure for RN's, so be careful) and see what they have to say. AFAIK it's not true - and, frankly my late mother was hearing the same stories about LVN's here in California back in the ealy 80's. Given that I sat next to an LVN this morning during new hire orientation, that should tell you something right there.

What does appear to be the case is that acute care hospitals are much less likely to hire LVN/LPN's; but, they will typically do so for outpatient/urgent care/home health/hospice functions - just not for acute care. But - LTC's/SNF's/Rehab facilities still hire 'em, and quite a few from the looks of things. And, +1 on the scope of practice issue - LVN/LPN's have a MUCH wider scope of practice than a CNA does.

My take - go ahead & look into LPN courses.

----- Dave

smartnurse1982 · Mar 24, 2012

From what I have seen,it seems true in certain states.For instance,in Nc you have the cna level 2,which can insert foleys,pass meds(they have to get a certification to do so),draw blood,(again with certs),only thing they couldn't do was maintain Iv's.

ellie23 · Mar 24, 2012

So far as I know this isn't true. Most hospitals aren't hiring LVN anymore, but they are being replaced by RNs not CNA.

yousoldtheworld · Mar 24, 2012

From what I have seen,it seems true in certain states.For instance,in Nc you have the cna level 2,which can insert foleys,pass meds(they have to get a certification to do so),draw blood,(again with certs),only thing they couldn't do was maintain Iv's.

In Indiana, there are QMAs who are able to do some of those things (mostly med passes) but they are rarely used. Around here, LPNs are still widely used and don't look to be going anywhere. And the places that hire fewer LPNs are hiring more RNs, not more CNAs.

WannaBNursey, ADN, ASN, RN · Mar 24, 2012

I don't know about everywhere else, but in my area LPN's are being phased out of hospitals, and there's talk in some nursing homes of phasing them out of there too, which I think is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. I was considering going for my LPN if I didn't get into an RN program and I knew that I would only be able to get work in nursing homes, some home health agencies(many only hire RNs), and maybe the near by correctional facility. I really wanted to work in a hospital as an LPN though.

At hospitals in our area, more CNA's are being hired as they lay off LPN's who failed to get their RN in time. This doesn't mean that CNA's are doing LPN work though, LPN jobs are being put on the RN's.