Future of the RN in Canada?

Although I am an RPN, I was all set to start the RPN to BScN program until I heard about all these types of changes going on. I am very depressed about this however I may continue on anyway in hopes that things will change.

My best guess to specializing would be that it would help a lot. I have a couple aunts who are all RN's in oncology and they have all taken the courses required and they seem to always be getting lots of shifts. One of them is over 60, and no she doesn't have a zillion years of seniority as she took several years off to raise her three kids.

This is only my guess, I could be very wrong, so maybe others will have some differing views.

I know nurses who specialized because they are passionate about a particular specialty, I also know nurses who specialized to ensure job prospects. IMO, the nurse who specialized based on passion seem to be happier with their work than those who specialized for job prospects.

I don't think RNs have to worry about being completely replaced by RPNs anytime in the near future. There are 111,000 RNs and 33,000 RPNs in Ontario, so it will take many years (if ever) before the ratio can be dramatically changed.

regards

dishes

As a new nurse it is important to have a career path in mind. I too agree that one should be passionate about their specialization, if they want to be happy on the job. As a new nurse it is difficult to know what that is until experience and exposure on the job, and it may be in more then one area. Job security is also a factor for many people.

I imagine in the future, the gap will narrow between RN/RPN work force. This was talked about over 6yrs ago before I started nursing school. I am starting to see this more now, RNs will be employed in the more critical and specialized areas as they are now. But there will be more RPNs working at their full scope of practice in all other acute care areas, financially it makes sense. Everything is just so uncertain with the hiring freezes, lack of funding, and the hospital restructuring.

Those relatives of mine who went to oncology all went there because of a personal passion for the area and they seem to love it. I would be kind of surprised to see RPN's replacing that many RN's also. I just think that money is really tight right now in Ontario for a variety of reasons.

I do think that those with their nursing degrees will be in a good position to go for the better jobs as they open up. I really think that things will improve in time. These are just dark days.

I hope so...the government really needs to step in and start protecting and supporting their nurses. Its scary to think what will happen to our current hospital system when the baby boomers need a nurse.

You have raised some very good questions ruralgirl. You are correct about the narrowing gap, according to CNO stats, the number of new registered RPNs has almost caught up to the number of new registered RNs. As for your question about ORs being staffed with RPNs, I think it will be a mix of RNs and RPNs because a mix will allow for better staffing flexibility. I believe RNs can rotate to recovery but RPNs cannot because most recovery patients are considered unstable.

dishes

i've been an rn for ~ 8 years ( i can't believe its gone by so fast) :) and i'm very happy that i did my specialties. im an icu nurse, but also have my ccu certificate (almost identical to icu) and am still going to finish my dialysis certificate. the last 2 certifications were mainly for job security and according to these posts, i'm glad i went this route.

off topic, as for aides on the floors...well i have had both good and bad experiences, but unfortunately mostly bad. when you have a good aide, that is a team-player and not an attention-seeking slacker, its amazing...hard to manage without them actually! but when you get "the other kind"...wow, you would rather do all the patient care yourself than deal with the hardship. i did an agency shift at sunnybrook a few months ago and on this floor (i think it was a "D" unit...kind of geriatric/medicine. couldn't find the aides, when they did help me i felt like i was teaching them basic stuff, when they should have been fully competent. like doing a bed bath, explaining what i needed them to do so that i could clean the pt, diaper/linen change, etc. almost broke my back having to do the cleaning and assisting them to assist me. probably would have been easier just do it myself.

and it was hard to find other rn's on the floor to go to ask questions. i beleive that evening, the only other rn was the charge nurse. honestly for me, it felt like unsafe nursing practise and i was glad i dont work there. but this seemed to be the case on many similar type of geriatric/medicine type floors. its unsettling that this seems to be what the norm will be.

It's all got to do with money. Over the last couple of years RNs have pretty much priced themselves out of work.

When LPNs work to full scope there is really very little difference on the units. How many blood transfusions does the average unit do? Not every RN is cut out to be Charge. So that's not a biggie.

IV meds and starts are in an LPNs scope, Dialysis, OR (scrub and circulate), ICU, school health. Why pay $42/hr for six RN when the province can pay for 4 LPNs (max $29/hr) and 2 RNs for the same shift?

But then how many LPNs have ever been consulted about the changes to their scope of practice? Not me, not anybody I work with.

I think there will be a increase ratio for LPN to RN simply because of the scope increase and the wage difference, however this being said, I still think there will always be the mentality of both the public and other nursing categories not recognizing the LPN as a nurse. this is very unfortunate as I feel both categories can compliment each other immensely.