Fired all the LPN's

Published

So the hospital I work for called all the LPN's into a meeting on Friday to let them all know effective immediately they were to hand in their badges and clean out their lockers they were all being replace with RN's so the hospital could implement a new care delivery model. I am an RN and was mortified that they would treat excellent LPN's that have been loyal for years some for 30+. None of these nurses were offered another position in outpatient settings or given the option to continue their education to acheive their RN. The "severence package" was 2 weeks of pay and 1 month of benefits. Has anyone ever heard of something so abrupt being done to LPN's at other hospitals? The message that I felt was sent to all employees is that we are disposable and that no remorse is felt when letting loyal members of the healthcare system go. Oh and prior to this the layed of 50 employees so as not to have to lay off anymore including LPN's!

Specializes in PICU, NICU, SICU, CCU, ER, RN Paralegal.

The same thing happened in my city in the mid-80's. Suddenly, all the LPN's were fired. It only lasted a few months. That's when hospital administrators realized what a big mistake they made and hired them back.

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Specializes in LTC.

my prayers go out to all the nurses fired this way...so sad. here in central indiana, the hospitals have stopped hiring lpns but our 'major' magnet hospital didn't fire the ones still there, they nudged them to get their rn on the hospital's dime, and while there are very, very few left, they still work there. as the lpns who didn't pursue their rn retire, their positions are being filled with rns..

lpns are in no way 'phased out' completely, though. it's funny to me when i see folks come to this conclusion. um, hello, the hospital setting is not the only venue for nurses. nursing homes are staffed primarily by lpns, with a few rns here and there. i am in the second phase of my rn, and when i finish, eventually with my msn (someday), i have absolutely no intention of leaving long term care. it's so sad to me that soo many nurses care about the stigma surrounding what your degree is or isn't..where you work and where you don't..i'm doing what makes me happy and i couldn't give a flyin hoot what other's think of that.. therefore, i am confused as to the whole 'phasing out lpn' phrase people are throwing around..shouldn't it just be 'phasing lpns out of hospitals'?

as for that lpn that was fired, then asked to come back to work pool..omg?! :eek: seriously?! i hoped she laughed them all the way to the hills...

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I guess I must be having a bad day, but I have to say it is no rosebed out there right now for RN's either! I was told 15 years ago in nursing school that "soon there won't be any LPN's" Uh, oh yeah. Just like we keep hearing the requirement for RN's will be BSN status. They also have some cheap swampland for sale in Florida...

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This is precisely why prospective nurses are encouraged to seek out a BSN degree to go along with an RN license. I found out that I was disposable a long time ago. It is not a new notion to me.

The BSN insures what exactly since we are all disposable? Please advise

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I feel really bad you for all those LPN and they way it was handled.

Is your state a Right to Work State?

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Specializes in Medical, ortho/neuro, jail, occupational.

Twenty years ago a hospital that I worked for tried going to all RN's. I am an RN but the push was BSN nurses and I am a diploma nurse. I think it takes a team of medical people to take good care of patients. I think the most efficient team that I worked with on a 40 bed medical floor was aides, LPN and nurses. Each of us had our focus on the patient and when we worked well together, our patients noticed it.

It's a tough world. I wouldn't want to work for that facility even as an RN but we need to work so . . . .

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That's interesting. Around here many of the hospitals won't use LPN's at all, just RN's. But more lately there has been a shift where more employers are hiring LPN's for jobs that once only went to RN's just to save money. I was just offered some per diem work for flu shots and they were paying LPN wages but wanted RN's. Lots of jobs around like that too. I told them if you want an RN with 25 years of experience you shouldn't be offering LPN wages!

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I understand the jist of the idea to get nurses on a more professional level in the medical realm. Having a BSN as a RN requirement would serve to elevate the profession in a sense. I have a BSN, but lately as far as a job qualification, it seems to mean not much more than diddley! And I do agree respect of workers seems to be at an all time low. Truely jungle time out there.

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That's funny, I have a manager that pushes my music production out labels and companies etc. His wife is going after her RN and he told her I was going for my AA but wanted to sit as an LPN for a while. She basically yelled at me and told me to go straight to the AA then BSN and not to bother being an LPN because they are getting CUT! facilities will hire for Cna's and Rn's. She was even saying that most places would even considered an LPN experience didn't matter

we are in Colorado

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Specializes in acute rehab, med surg, LTC, peds, home c.

That is a rough way to go. It might be turned into an opportunity for them though. In my state of NJ, if you get layed off, they will pay for you to go back and get your RN. It is a program through the unemployment agency.

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A hospital I worked for a few years ago did the same partly in an attempt to move toward magnet status. It gave the ultimate to te LPNs to go for LPN to RN or find another job. Most LPNs left as most were older. Also, there was only one LPN tech school in the area and the local school board was thinking about closing down the program. 90% of the state schools, including all communiy colleges, were turning out RNs. And the local university was RN-BSN and, together with the community college RNs, supplied plenty of RNs to the local city hospitals. A few students in those RN-ASN programs starting as nurse techs at the hospital took the LPN test and became LPNs at the hospital while in school, as they were in the process of moving toward RN within the year. Also on the administrators minds was the report several years ago that hospital morbidity-mortality was lower with RNs than LPNs. And with all RNs we didn't have to worry about interrupting our own work to push IV meds--as we were all RNs throughout the hospital. LPNs cont to work in the clinics.

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Twenty years ago a hospital that I worked for tried going to all RN's. I am an RN but the push was BSN nurses and I am a diploma nurse. I think it takes a team of medical people to take good care of patients. I think the most efficient team that I worked with on a 40 bed medical floor was aides, LPN and nurses. Each of us had our focus on the patient and when we worked well together, our patients noticed it.

It's a tough world. I wouldn't want to work for that facility even as an RN but we need to work so . . . .

So not trying to take the thread but what is the difference between a Diploma RN and the aa RN?

Besides the title of certification?

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