Are hospitals hiring LVN/LPN's

Alisonisayoshi, LVN · Sep 10, 2015

My small, local, rural, hospital hires LVN's. I'd be scared to work there though, as they have cycled through us before several times and job security is important to me.

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Sep 10, 2015

There are some rural hospitals that will hire LPNs. Some will hire LPN's who do the duties of a CNA as opposed to nursing duties. Where any number of small hospitals are being bought by large hospital systems, then is when LPN's become obsolete more often than not in favor of bachelor prepared RN's.

Being a highly trained LPN makes little difference, and many will limit scopes of practice.

I was fortunate to have been in acute care. Until such time as large corporation came into play. Then that part of my life was over pretty quickly, regardless of my experience, certifications, etc. Which then became pretty useless. Until such time as I go back to school for a bachelors, I was unable to be utilized in acute care. Literally one day I was doing what I really liked, the next "so sorry, we are limiting your scope". Literally, had patients one day as a nurse, the next as a CNA.

So unless you plan on going on for your bachelor's degree, the acute care experience and time you put in will be moot if there comes a time that the small rural hospital sells out.

When I left acute care for LTC, for me it was a huge relief, I am a nurse again, and can't imagine why I did not do this on the first day of my "demotion". Instead, I had patients who I cared for over the years who thought as if I must have "done something wrong" as to not be a nurse in the facility anymore. Which irritated my character, as I had spent multiple years maintaining my professionalism.

I would go into it eyes wide open should you choose acute care. Or acute care chooses you.

Best wishes!

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2015

I was wondering because it seems like hospitals might want to save money and have more LVN's that are highly qualified and less RN's on the floor. Or are CNA's doing the LVN's duties now a days.?

I see, from your profile, you are located in CA.

CA has one of the most, if not the most, restrictive LVN scopes of practice in the entire country. In CA, LVNs cannot complete the initial assessment, administer any IV medications with the exception of normal saline, perform IV pushes, or maintain PICCs and central lines. With all of these restrictions on practice, it makes no sense to hire LVNs in CA hospitals when the LVNs must hunt down an RN for every assessment or IV push that needs to be done.

I am in Texas, where the LVN scope of practice is wide open. LVNs at my facility maintain PICCs and central lines, start IVs, administer meds via IV push and IVPB, and do their own assessments. Due to the wide LVN scope of practice, many hospitals here in TX still utilize LVNs.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Sep 10, 2015

Actually, I was recently involved in a discussion about this issue with some nurse executives. They believe that a 'return to team nursing' is inevitable in acute care. The ongoing squeeze on reimbursement is not going to let up & this is the only logical step if they want to maintain sufficient numbers of bedside caregivers. It won't be a simple transition, as RNs need to (re)learn how to lead a team, and how to manage the workload so that LV/PNs are not pushed into exceeding their scope of licensure.

I agree with this. It's only a matter of time.

FloatRN19 · Sep 10, 2015

In the 9 hospitals I worked or had school clinical stuff in I've only ever come across one Lpn. Not sure the back story but she had been there since a group of doctors left a health system and started their own private hospital and then later sold it and I guess she was grandfathered in.