Do you work with LPNs on your Couplet Care Unit?

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We have about 5 LPNs that work nights where I work. I love them all and also just can't see how they want to stay LPNs. I am sure they don't get paid as much as RNs do, yet they have the same pt load the RNs have. They get new sections and new vags just like everyone else.

I also get confused as to what my responsibilities are when I am paired with an LPN. I know I have to sign off on the Clinical Pathway and listen to report when she gets a new patient, but it is scary signing off on things. We don't sign off on the assessment sheet or anything, just the Clinical Pathway. We also sign off orders I think. I haven't been paired with one except for 2 or 3 times and I usually ended up giving that duty to another RN or the charge as I can barely keep up with my load as a newbie. They seem to just pair up with the first RN on the list and with my last name near the top of the alphabet, it always seems to be me.

Just wondering if we are the only place out there utilizing both RN and LPNs. If you do at your hospital, how does it work there? What are the RN responsibilities. I asked if I had to assess the patient's physically and was told not unless there is a problem.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

No LPNs regularly assigned. None are hired, ever. Sometimes when we are getting slammed with admissions and the floor is full, the supe floats an LPN to help out. But usually we ask for and prefer RN's just cause they can do all the tasks we need......

Now before someone gets upset with me----I am NOT bagging on LPN's....honestly. I have had wonderful LPNs float up...smart ones. Ones who know a heckuva lot more about med-surg nursing and issues than I ever will. But, by law and policy, they are limited in what they can do on our floor. IVP meds are one thing that come to mind......shift assessments another. We cannot delegate any of t his to an LPN. So it's a lot more preferable to get an RN to our floor if we need help.

Check your policies and procedures and know the laws regarding what you can and cannot delegate for an LPN to do! Good luck.

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Don't bite my head off but I worked in a postpartum unit and had the same workload as an RN. In my province, we are required to legally to be responsible for our own patients. I did not work under the supervison of an RN. I was responsible for my own practice. My license included my . Yes, I got fresh sections and vag births and Mums whose babes were up in NICU. At that point in time, we didn't do IV meds. Those were assigned to an RN but in all honesty not that many had IV meds. I've seen Grad RN's make far more serious mistakes than an LPN and they have been patted on the head and told it's OK ur new. It all depended on the charge nurse of the shift.

Yup, it bit making $10/hour less, but bridging was not an option for Canadian LPN's at that point in time. We got no credit for our license and had to apply to university as first year nursing students, making the same enterance requirements as someone fresh out of high school. Not many women in their late 40's have a great desire to redo their high school science and math classes while working full time, raising a family, and then applying to a programme that is mark based admission. Might have years of nursing expereince and if you didn't have a 90% in those courses, not a chance of becoming an RN.

So, to do the four year degree, I was looking at loosing $120,000 income, incurring student loans of over $25,000 to work for another five or six years as an RN. I would never have recovered my losses.

Most of my Mum's never asked if I was LN or RN, they just knew I was the nurse looking after them.

Perhaps the RN's either needed a pay cut or we needed a big raise!:chuckle :chuckle

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Specializes in Perinatal, Education.

We have LPNs that work PP regularly. They are awesome nurses and I have learned a lot from them! I especially value them because I am an L&D nurse and only in PP sometimes and am not as familiar. There are no LVNs in L&D. We have to give their IVP meds for them and sign off on their assessments. I agree with you that they are underpaid, but they can pretty easily get their RNs here in CA. It is just a year of school. I am not thrilled about signing off on their assessments because sometimes I am the only RN with 2 or 3 LVNs. But, they are all very good with lots of experience and we all receive the same report. If there was a patient I am concerned about, I would check up myself. I also get some hands-on with the fresh c/s because they often are receiving IVP morphine.

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don't get me wrong. i wouldn't know who is an LPN and who is an RN except for it is on their name tags and the schedule. they are all great nurses and i trust them all. they know way more than i do since i am a new grad and they all have lots of experience.

i just wondered how it worked in other places. we don't sign off on assessments. i just feel weird that i am told i am their "mother" for the night and i don't have to check the moms/babes myself. i guess what i really wonder is what is my responsibility in a law suit for example. have to search for that online i guess.

it also must be frustrating to have a new grad RN who knows less than you signing off on your paperwork. i guess i just feel bad that they are doing the same job with less pay, though i am not sure how much less they make.

thanks!

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RN's didn't sign off on anything for me apart from the IV meds they gave. LPN's in my province sign off on their own assessments, charting, and meds. We even did the initial assessment in the nursery after they came from L&D.

Our provincial health act recognizes us as licensed, accountable professional nurses, who have to be accountable for our own practice. Hence our own .

From what I've seen here, some US LPN's have a few more skills than Canadian LPN's but less accountability.

We have roughly 80% of an RN's skills at about 60% of their pay. Some provinces find us highly cost effective because not every patient needs an RN for care.

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I am an LPN. in the facility I used to work at there were no LPN's on the OB/GYN unit. I worked on a unit that got all Ortho and back and a few general surgical pt. We also got all the Peds and "dirty" OB/GYN pt's and a few medicals to a lot of them based on empty beds.

The RN signed off orders. LPN's can, by BON sign of any orders within our scope of practice. RN's also signed of on care plans and clinical paths. I can't say always but the majority of the LPN's and my self knew what we needed an RN to sign off on and would queue the RN as needed. It was clear in our facility policy manual it was outlined the RN duties and the LPN's. We all got to know about the other's jobs after a time and it worked rather well.

I might ask your unit manager for a list or facility policy.

Any whooooo......... I thank you all for not letting this become one of those LPN vs. RN posts I hate that.

A Nurse Is A Nurse Is A Nurse.

Much Peace

Billy

:specs:

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I became an LPN because it was faster and cheaper than going the RN route and then I let one thing or another come up and never finished getting my RN. I regret not having the extra money, but I enjoy being a nurse, I am content where I am and I know that I am a good nurse irregardless. I have always been a follower and not a leader and I know that I am an asset to the RN's I work with. They know they can count on me when they ask for any help. And I don't suffer any inferiority complexes over it.

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Specializes in Behavioral Health.

I was a LPN and did eventually go through a bridge program to RN. Interestingly enough, the bridge program did NOT contain a L&D/PP rotation. Everything we needed was taught in the LPN program at an RN level.

Yes, we couldn't IVP but in some states we could start IV's, hang IVPB's, etc. We also couldn't "pt. teach". We could "contribute" to an assessment, but weren't suppose to "assess". It is such a fine line, so it's definitely important to understand the scope of the people you oversee.

I sure don't regret getting my LPN first. It was an excellent, clinical intensive, hands-on experience....definitely had more clinical time in my LPN program than the RN program!!!! :coollook:

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I am a new RN in the float pool at my hospital. My mother-in-law works at the same hospital and she is an LPN. She dosen't have any problems about us working together, and I enjoy working with her but I am uncomfortable about signing her MAR's, and signing off on her orders. I feel like I am checking up on her. Everyone agrees that she is an amazing nurse, and she knows more than a lot of RN's. I agree with them. In our state, I believe, LPN's do their own assessment and charting, but we the RN's must sign off on doctors orders, sign their MAR's and do all of the IVP meds. If I am not mistaken, (and if I am, please correct me,) we hang all of the piggybacks as well. I know we also have to call the doctor to obtain a new order and then we transcribe the order. However, that area seems schetchy to me. My MIL calls the docs, starts IV's (she has an IV certification)and hangs her own piggybacks, but she will not give IVP meds. If she gets a verbal order from the doc, then she will go to an RN to have them write it. Other LPN's will not call the doc, and will not do ANY piggybacks, or any IV starts. It is okay with me to have to call the doc, get the order, do the IVP's and the piggybacks but I just want to know, what they are allowed to do (I live in Ohio) if anyone knows please let me know.

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