Do LPN's get the pay they deserve?

jannecdote · Sep 3, 2004

Here in Spokane Washington, Sacred Heart just laid off ALL of their LPNs and are hiring more RN's and CNA's to replace them. They cited the same issues that you just did. An RN has double the patient load & responsibility when there are LPN's. They are not a bargain to have. They are too limited in their scope of practice and make more work for the RN.
To answer your question, NO, as an RN, you do not get paid enough to be responsible for someones else' patients. LPNs get paid enough in my opinion realted to their low level of education and limited scope of practice.
Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN
Spokane, Washington
I disagree. Hospital policies vary as does the scope of practice an LPN is allowed under those policies. Notwithstanding, an RN has upmost responsibility for those she/he is charging, but a well-trained LPN is a good thing to have on board. :rotfl:

anndoodle · Sep 3, 2004

I am an LPN at a nursing home on the 11-7 shift. I was recently on the day shift, making approx. $12.00 per hour. I am now making $4 more per hour plus shift diff, thanks to our admin finally deciding to up the payscale due to the nursing shortage in our area. We lost 3 noc nurses, so I volunteered to switch from days to nights to help out....and found that I prefer the night shift.

RN34TX · Sep 4, 2004

PERSONALLY, 11 bucks an hr is SO LOW it's outragous,
An RN has double the patient load & responsibility when there are LPN's. They are not a bargain to have. They are too limited in their scope of practice and make more work for the RN.
To answer your question, NO, as an RN, you do not get paid enough to be responsible for someones else' patients. LPNs get paid enough in my opinion realted to their low level of education and limited scope of practice.
Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN
Spokane, Washington

Maybe I don't understand your comments because my hospital does not use LPN/LVN's and as an RN I never had to be responsible for them.
However, I was an LPN for 6 years before getting my RN and I've heard it over and over how the RN has the ultimate responsibility and accountability.
In my LPN years, whenever MD's orders were missed, doctors needed to be called, meds omitted, stuff from previous shift not completed, etc.
I do not recall ONE single RN ever stepping up to the plate and taking on this so-called ultimate responsibility. It was my job to handle theses issues. It was me, not the RN, who would be written up and held responsible if these things did not get done.
So what RN are all of you referring to that is so ultimately responsible?
The charge nurse? Too many (not all) I've worked with feel that their job is merely to answer the phone and make out the next shifts assignment. As an LPN I was left to handle my own patients unless a bag of blood needed to be hung.
The nursing supervisor? They rarely have any clue as to what's going on with an LPN's patients unless a serious error or situation has already occurred. Too late then isn't it?
I did work in one hospital that didn't allow LPN's to call MD's or give IV push meds which will make life more difficult for the RN's but whose fault is that?
This is because many RN's want to keep LPN's in their place and if you widened their scope of practice in states where it is too narrow they are afraid that they will be replaced by LPN's. This thinking of course is ridiculous because you cannot run a hospital without RN's, period.
As an LPN I've heard the RN's groan about doing the extra tasks that a hospital or state will not allow an LPN to do, but if state boards and hospitals want to keep a limited scope of practice and not allow LPN's to do things that they are perfectly capable of doing, then the RN's will have to take on the extra workload.
By the way, that "low level of education" comment was a little offensive. Not everyone is cut out to be or have the opportunity to pursue BSN and CCRN credentials.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Sep 4, 2004

It depends on the area you work and what your responsiblities are. When I was an LPN in LTC back in the 90s, I made $15.00/hr. There was a charge RN in the building, so I did have someone to go to with questions and concerns. I felt my pay was good at the time.

I'm an RN now, and I feel my wage is fair. But, the LPNs where I work start at about $11.50/hr. I feel they are underpaid.

3skilled · Sep 5, 2004

I'm an LPN at a nursing home in eastern PA. My unit is mostly hospice and terminal folks. not all elderly, either. I started @13.45 after 6 months & passing probation got bumped up to 15.50. Our RN's are paperwork and consults. We try to work for the patients 100% Egos DO get in the way!! lol The pay scale also includes heath, ou,scipts,etc. I feel sure i want to make what my RN makes so the answer is to get your gluts to school. Anyone of us lpn,cna and etc. can make the money u want sign that O.T. list, dont say no when they call ya, Work those holidays,or D.T. Yea, hopefully i'll be able to swing classes 4 R.N. I personally want the total patient care responsibility. But, after Knowing myself, I would want Doc's rate for diagnosis and the saving phone call!!! 3 skilled

live4today, RN · Sep 5, 2004

I am an LPN in SW Missouri. I make $11.50 an hour. I do 90% of the same job that the RN's do on my floor. Am I whining? Do LPN's really get what they deserve? Does LPN really stand for Low Paid Nurse?

Not only do LPNs "not get the pay they deserve", but neither do RNs. I'm all for nurses across the board having wages to match the work we do...especially in today's healthcare system which pretty much sucks! :rolleyes:

jannecdote · Sep 5, 2004

Maybe I don't understand your comments because my hospital does not use LPN/LVN's and as an RN I never had to be responsible for them.
However, I was an LPN for 6 years before getting my RN and I've heard it over and over how the RN has the ultimate responsibility and accountability.
In my LPN years, whenever MD's orders were missed, doctors needed to be called, meds omitted, stuff from previous shift not completed, etc.
I do not recall ONE single RN ever stepping up to the plate and taking on this so-called ultimate responsibility. It was my job to handle theses issues. It was me, not the RN, who would be written up and held responsible if these things did not get done.
So what RN are all of you referring to that is so ultimately responsible?
The charge nurse? Too many (not all) I've worked with feel that their job is merely to answer the phone and make out the next shifts assignment. As an LPN I was left to handle my own patients unless a bag of blood needed to be hung.
The nursing supervisor? They rarely have any clue as to what's going on with an LPN's patients unless a serious error or situation has already occurred. Too late then isn't it?
I did work in one hospital that didn't allow LPN's to call MD's or give IV push meds which will make life more difficult for the RN's but whose fault is that?
This is because many RN's want to keep LPN's in their place and if you widened their scope of practice in states where it is too narrow they are afraid that they will be replaced by LPN's. This thinking of course is ridiculous because you cannot run a hospital without RN's, period.
As an LPN I've heard the RN's groan about doing the extra tasks that a hospital or state will not allow an LPN to do, but if state boards and hospitals want to keep a limited scope of practice and not allow LPN's to do things that they are perfectly capable of doing, then the RN's will have to take on the extra workload.
By the way, that "low level of education" comment was a little offensive. Not everyone is cut out to be or have the opportunity to pursue BSN and CCRN credentials.

Well said. :coollook:

3skilled · Sep 6, 2004

I must agree with Jannecdote on a few matters #1 is the fact that IV pushes are RN job which does in fact make my job difficult D/T finding one,also, the papertrail errors ultimately fall on LPN'S Where i work the saying from RN to LPN is s**t rolls down hill!! Also I wouldn't be me if I didn't add to the Emailer who refered to us as "low education" Some RN's at my side i wonder how they got their degree,also i truly hope that comment does not reflect your bedside manner, Its hard sometimes But, we should all remember where we came from!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RN34TX · Sep 7, 2004

I must agree with Jannecdote on a few matters #1 is the fact that IV pushes are RN job which does in fact make my job difficult D/T finding one,also, the papertrail errors ultimately fall on LPN'S Where i work the saying from RN to LPN is s**t rolls down hill!! Also I wouldn't be me if I didn't add to the Emailer who refered to us as "low education" Some RN's at my side i wonder how they got their degree,also i truly hope that comment does not reflect your bedside manner, Its hard sometimes But, we should all remember where we came from!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My very last job as an LVN I was allowed to push everything that could be pushed on a med/surg floor except for cardiac meds like Dig or Cardizem. It saved me so much time and effort. I used to spend so much time finding an RN to do theses things when I lived in places that had a narrower scope of practice for LPN/LVN's.

And believe it or not, LPN/LVN's can push IV drugs without hurting or killing patients despite their "low level of education!!"

If I had a hard time finding someone who wasn't too busy, I would be told how it was my responsibility to make sure that it gets done. I would tell my managers "I cannot force an RN to do these tasks if they just will not do them." Same with initial admission assessments, etc. I always wondered why it was my responsibility to make sure that the RN does these things that I was not allowed to do.

Just who is supervising who?

That's like telling the CNA/PCT that in addition to their regular CNA duties, they need to make sure that their LVN's and RN's are giving all of their meds to their patients even though they themselves are not qualified to perform those tasks.

I just think that it's crazy that many (not all, like myself) RN's are against LPN/LVN's doing what they consider to be RN level skills and yet they groan and complain whenever you ask them to do them for your patients.

If you want this long list of exclusive things that only RN's can do, then I guess you're going to have to get your butt down to that LPN's patient's rooms and get busy doing all of these tasks that you don't want LPN's doing.

Somebody has to do them and clearly these particular RN's don't want LPN's to do them, so who's left to hang blood and give IV pushes?

Mandy368 · Sep 21, 2004

I agree! that is definitely not enough.... I am from Canada (which is known for not paying near as well as the states, in general) and I am working as a PSW (HCA) in a LTC facility while in school for my RPN (LPN) (which is a 2 year program here) and am making over $15/hr, and have only been there about 6 months. Granted, my Canadian money isn't worth near as much as American, but still! I needed no education for my job....

so altogether, YES, I totally agree, and think that is awful that they underpay you so much!

lady_jh_98 · Mar 25, 2005

I've been a nurse for a 1 1/2 yrs; employed at a hospital in Louisiana. My base pay is $13.18/hr. The night differential is $3.00/hr and the weekend differential is $2.00/hr. So I make anywhere from $15.18 - 18.18/hr as an Lpn

LPN1974, LPN · Mar 25, 2005

I work for the state, where I'm at. I make 18.52/hr. Been there 25 yrs as of 28th of next month.

I am topped out on my pay. Meaning no more raises, for the grade that I'm in.

They won't even give us a COL. Our fine republican governor has stopped even that. All I can get is a bonus, which you can't even qualify for that if your supervisor doesn't want you to have it.

If I want any extra money, I really just have to take on a part time job to get it, and then uncle sam is going to get a good portion of that, since Im single.

You just can't win for losing.