Fired all the LPN's

PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN · Sep 20, 2009

That is a horrid, horrid way to treat human beings.

Moogie · Sep 20, 2009

This is so arrogant and blatantly wrong. I am angered that the facility did not even give the LPNs the opportunity to go back to school if they chose to do so. In the end, it will cost the facility more to recruit and orient and new RNs than it would have to provided some sort of tuition reimbursement in order to retain the experienced LPNs. Oh, sure, in the short term this might seem like a brilliant idea---after all, a new graduate RN who has been hunting for a job and is discouraged might accept a lower base pay rate than an LPN with years of experience. But in the long run---karma might bite this employer in the backside. Word will get around how poorly the LPNs have been treated and, quite honestly, when the economy changes and a nursing shortage starts up again---and it will---nurses may not want to work there because of the poor way others were treated.

The professional, humane and INTELLIGENT way to have dealt with this would have been to announce the nursing reorganization when it was in its planning stages, to have LPNs on the committee to determine how to best retain LPNs who wanted to stay and go into RN programs. Those who didn't want to go back to school should have been offered early retirement or reassignment, say, to a clinic or LTC. To pull a stunt like this on veteran employees and give them such short notice during a recession is nothing short of evil. (Betcha there was a ginormous bonus for the administrator who came up with this idea!)

To the OP: I am curious---did this facility by any chance hire any new RN graduates to fill the nursing vacancies that were anticipated with the firing of all the LPNs? I have a hunch the answer is a great, big NO.

Oh, yeah, and this is a brilliant move with the H1N1 pandemic. :icon_roll Yep, just when there's a very real possibility that there will be a widespread flu that causes fatalities in otherwise healthy young people, a flu that might increase the bed demand in many health care facilities, let's fire all the LPNs. The remaining RNs can make do with what they have. :angryfire

BTW, I also think it is completely wrong for an institution to provide clinical space for a nursing program if it has no intention whatsoever of hiring that program's graduates. There may be some places, some specialties that require RNs rather than LPNs. I can understand that. But if LPNs are not used in the institution in any capacity whatsoever, it's definitely a mixed message to say that students in practical nursing programs are "good enough" to be at that facility for clinicals but not "good enough" to work there as LPNs. :no:

roseynurse345 · Sep 20, 2009

How lousy can you be. My facility is no longer hiring LPNs for the main hospital, however it is working with LPNs so they can advance to RN status. It would of made more sense economically to work with the staff they have, then to train a bunch of new people, probably half of these new people will leave in 6 months.

Karynica, RN · Sep 20, 2009

That is just really sad. I am sorry to hear about such a thing happening, but it seems to be happening to many facilities.

Here in Illinois some of the dialysis facilities have completely decided to no longer have LPN's and only hire RN's. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but this may be state wide.

I do feel for those nurses who were let go without notice. That is just such a terrible thing to do.

Plagueis · Sep 20, 2009

This is so arrogant and blatantly wrong. I am angered that the facility did not even give the LPNs the opportunity to go back to school if they chose to do so. In the end, it will cost the facility more to recruit and orient and new RNs than it would have to provided some sort of tuition reimbursement in order to retain the experienced LPNs. Oh, sure, in the short term this might seem like a brilliant idea---after all, a new graduate RN who has been hunting for a job and is discouraged might accept a lower base pay rate than an LPN with years of experience. But in the long run---karma might bite this employer in the backside. Word will get around how poorly the LPNs have been treated and, quite honestly, when the economy changes and a nursing shortage starts up again---and it will---nurses may not want to work there because of the poor way others were treated.
The professional, humane and INTELLIGENT way to have dealt with this would have been to announce the nursing reorganization when it was in its planning stages, to have LPNs on the committee to determine how to best retain LPNs who wanted to stay and go into RN programs. Those who didn't want to go back to school should have been offered early retirement or reassignment, say, to a clinic or LTC. To pull a stunt like this on veteran employees and give them such short notice during a recession is nothing short of evil. (Betcha there was a ginormous bonus for the administrator who came up with this idea!)
To the OP: I am curious---did this facility by any chance hire any new RN graduates to fill the nursing vacancies that were anticipated with the firing of all the LPNs? I have a hunch the answer is a great, big NO.
Oh, yeah, and this is a brilliant move with the H1N1 pandemic. :icon_roll Yep, just when there's a very real possibility that there will be a widespread flu that causes fatalities in otherwise healthy young people, a flu that might increase the bed demand in many health care facilities, let's fire all the LPNs. The remaining RNs can make do with what they have. :angryfire
BTW, I also think it is completely wrong for an institution to provide clinical space for a nursing program if it has no intention whatsoever of hiring that program's graduates. There may be some places, some specialties that require RNs rather than LPNs. I can understand that. But if LPNs are not used in the institution in any capacity whatsoever, it's definitely a mixed message to say that students in practical nursing programs are "good enough" to be at that facility for clinicals but not "good enough" to work there as LPNs.

This was a horrible way to treat the LPNs. And I bet, along with you, that there were no hirings of RN graduates to replace the LPNs. ("We can't hire anyone because of the 'nursing shortage!'") :madface:

Also, I couldn't agree more with your belief that it's wrong for facilities to allow clinicals for nursing students if they will not hire those particular students after graduation. It bothered me and many of my LPN classmates that we spent so much clinical time in hospitals, but the hospitals wouldn't hire LPNs.

iLeyN · Sep 20, 2009

:no:from a new lvn graduate waiting to take the board exam... this news isn't very encouraging... i got suspended on my last term because of financial issues and my mom had to take out all of her 401k because they wouldn't let me back in class if i didn't pay the full amount. :cry: :sigh: :no:

soulofme · Sep 20, 2009

Management sux:twocents:

sheilagh · Sep 20, 2009

This happened at a hospital district in my area a few years ago,thought they would just hire a few more R.N's and C.N.A's and try a new nursing model....Yeah,that worked!(Dripping sarcasm) In three months they had huge ads in the local paper exclaiming how they were a great place to work,and WANTED L.P.N's !!! oh the irony! :banghead:

adanese · Sep 20, 2009

Nursign is still a recommended profession, in the area i work LPN is not arecommended profession. In fact they are trying to push BSN to be the min. required to enter into the field of nursing. I dont think that will go over for some time due to the nursing shortage but i'm all for it. I hold a ADN but going back to school at any level should be considered. We had 20year LPNS that were told either go back to school or become a nurse tech/ Sec. Its really sad that they didnt given them a phase out period, i hope them all the best in finding new jobs

Cindy-san · Sep 20, 2009

That's terrible! :no: If we have to give notice, why don't they?

I hope those poor nurses find jobs! :redpinkhe

& if I were you, I'd be looking for a new one, too. I wouldn't want to work in a place that treats their workers so terribly and could drop me like a rock in a heartbeat. :down:

tthor5220 · Sep 20, 2009

There is no such thing as companies feeling any compassion for employees anymore. It is truly a mercenary world out there today.

Years ago a friend of mine's father died. He had worked for this company (Kelloggs in Battle Creek, MI) for about 10 years. His mother had never held a job. She had three small children to take care of. The company GAVE HER HIS JOB. And the seniority too. This was over 40 years ago. Kelloggs is far from compasionate these days. But it was a different world then.

Despite ALL the current problems, we should feel grateful we are in a profession that will allow us to find another job, even though it may not be exactly what we want to be doing. WE WILL have a job, somehow, somewhere!

kittykatty · Sep 20, 2009

What hospital and where (state)did this happen? I wish people would publish where they are from when they are giving news like this--It would help alot to know where this is happening.