every LPN in my hosp was laid off today

pagandeva2000, LPN · Nov 18, 2008

I am so sorry for you and your co-workers. Management does some highly irresponsible thing when tyhe are trimming the budget. I hope you are able to find a job that will work for you. Home care is a good option for when you are in school, that may work for you.
If it makes you feel any better, one of my local hospitals did this about ten years ago. LPN's could work as PCT's at PCT pay or leave. Most left. RN's also left due to poor staffing. Patients complained. Bottom line : they had to start hiring LPN's again. They also got a fine for violations of the Nurse Practice Act for letting UAP's do nursing tasks.

I agree, they should be shot in the freaking feet for this. When they let go of NURSES, may they be LPNs or RNs, they leave themselves open for more law suits. Hope they get the pants sued off of them!

Esperanza1260 · Nov 18, 2008

I think it's the economy. Truth is most of us may be out of work before this is over. Some people call it a recession but if you look that up in an economics textbook you'll see we're in a depression. And soon it's going to be worse than it was back in the 1930's.

MedicalLPN, LPN · Nov 18, 2008

It disgusts me when things like this happen... We all gripe and complain about how short staffed we are well gee no wonder. Now that they've fired such a large portion of their nursing staff when the staff members left behind begin to complain about their patient loads the managers will scratch their heads in wonder. Whatever happened to common sense?

At any rate my heart goes out to you and all those affected by the stupid and incompetent decisions the administration of that hospital made.

Liddle Noodnik · Nov 18, 2008

i'm still just in shock. Some had been there for 30 plus years. Everyone was called into HR and told they were no longer needed and would not be working another shift. So much for my educational loan assistance....
So we were good enough to take teams of patients and make half RN pay while doing the work before, but as soon as the hospital had budget issues, we were suddenly not good enough nurses anymore apparently.
Obviously it was impossible to work on hospital layoffs throughout the entire hospital rather than targeting one class. (sarcastic)

SO SORRY!

(((((((((((((((Flowerbudd )))))))))))

FlowerbuddRN2B · Nov 19, 2008

They are calling the LPNs and asking them if they would like to come and work as Patient Care Specialists (PCS's) at the PCS rate of pay, so they have a job.

Some of them have even accepted and gone back. I can't believe it. Apparently in MO if you lose your job r/t educational issues ( lack of) the state has an obligation to make every effort to get you grants/ aid etc to bring you up to speed, so im going to talk to a guy tomorrow and well see, maybe ill get refunded some money ive laid out this month and some help for school this next yr

caliotter3 · Nov 19, 2008

They are calling the LPNs and asking them if they would like to come and work as Patient Care Specialists (PCS's) at the PCS rate of pay, so they have a job.
Some of them have even accepted and gone back. I can't believe it.

An example of what happens when employees give in when employers jerk them around. Those who went back under these circumstances apparently did not want to put forth the effort required to find a more suitable job. This makes it more difficult for all LPNs in the long run.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Nov 19, 2008

It's hard for me to say what is the right thing to do when you are hungry, have to pay bills and care for children. If I did take the position, I would not be the most committed person in the world...I would be taking off at will to search for other positions that would appreciate my LPN license. It is not a fair deal at all.

irish6363 · Nov 21, 2008

I am so sorry about that..that is one of my biggest nursing fears...being no longer needed as an LVN anywhere. Well, pick yourself up and develop plan " B " remember we are NURSES what can't we handle that life throws at us????? I believe that with all my heart. :nurse: Keep us posted .

babycakes117 · Nov 21, 2008

The handwriting has been on the wall for hospital LPNs for years. Wise people take what is happening systemically and make personal preparations so they are not caught by surprise. That is why so many LPNs, even those who have many years under their belts, push themselves to go to LPN-RN transition programs. Anyone who was surprised at what happened should be awake by now. But most of us delude ourselves into thinking it won't happen to us, or that we have the rest of our career to worry about it. Every time something like this happens, I find myself getting irritated because I know an already glutted job market will be flooded with more people to keep me from a job. I can hardly wait until I am too old to work. Then everybody else can have what jobs are available and I can suffer along on my pittance of a retirement.

Yeah, I saw the handwriting on the wall (looked more like graffiti) and started Excelsior for my RN only to be warned after the fact that now I will not be able to be endorsed in the state in which I work. So 18 months and thousands of dollars for most intents and purposes, wasted to only have to start over in a "traditional" program that will add more than 18 more months and untold $$$ until I can get my RN. Hopefully my hospital won't take the same action and fire all their remaining LPN's. I am certainly good enough to work in an acute care setting 40-48 hours a week because we are so short staffed at about half the rate of the RN's while they hire on more RN's, probably only to get rid of me in the end anyway.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Nov 21, 2008

babycakes, don't give up on Excelsior yet. Go into the Distance Learning forum and join in the Georgia thread.

Jules A, MSN · Nov 21, 2008

An example of what happens when employees give in when employers jerk them around. Those who went back under these circumstances apparently did not want to put forth the effort required to find a more suitable job. This makes it more difficult for all LPNs in the long run.

My BON will not let LPNs work as techs because you are practicing below your scope. I wonder if this state's BON knows what is happening there. I do give credit to the people that are working rather than doing nothing for sure but heck I'd dust off my apron and get a job as a bartender before I'd work for tech wages. I just can't imagine there aren't nursing homes in the area that wouldn't be thankful for experienced LPNs and pay a decent wage. Wishing the best for all of you displaced.

lpnflorida · Nov 21, 2008

An example of what happens when employees give in when employers jerk them around. Those who went back under these circumstances apparently did not want to put forth the effort required to find a more suitable job. This makes it more difficult for all LPNs in the long run.

Caliotter3, In some respects I agree with you last statement what happened makes it more difficult for all of us LPN's who are still working in hospitals, as it puts fear in us.

However I would not be so quick to judge people having to do what they feel they must do. I for one would not work in a nursing home. I tried it for two days, no offense to those who in in nursing homes, but what I saw there went against what I know to be the safe practice of nursing.

I also have no intension of going back for my RN. I am 57 and all I look forward to is retiring in 13 years. I have no desire to go back and start over again. What will be will be. I do believe as an LPN, it is my duty to continue to work in the hospital and show that I am reliable, that I am able to practice as a nurse to the best I can within my scope of practice. To fight if need be within that hospital to maintain our ability to work up to the full ability of that practice. To educate those around me as to how we can best be utilized.

Personally I get a little sick to my stomach at the RN's who preach and try to make it seem as if we have no right to continue working in the hospital setting when some of us have been there longer than they have been breathing. I can say most of us have kept up on technology, are still able to do much. Think about it, it is the RN's in some part of the country who try to eliminate us, who say what we can and can not do, even though we have done these things for years.

Who do you think is really afraid and want to have job security? Is it the LPN who has year after year been the backbone of many units in our nation, or the RN's who leave jobs so frequently. I get the feeling they want us gone as they fear for their own job security. They fear if LPN's can practice up to their full ability then not as many of them are needed.

off my soap box. I am not jealous of RN's they are my sisters and brothers in nursing. If only they would fight for us instead of trying to rid nursing of we LPN's. :rolleyes: