LVN's in the ICU

Nurses General Nursing

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I am sorry & I know this has been brought up before but someone I work with asked me to ask "you all" what your practice is and/or what you think regarding LVN's in theICU. I personally have no problem with them as I have worked with some very good LVN's . However, at the current faciliity in which I am working, an LVN must be paired with an RN & instead of 2 pts there are 4. The RN must do all the assessments & the LVN passes meds & does q 1-2 hour charting. As it is computer charting it is labor intensive. Also the charge RN may have pts. Please be kind in your responses.

One of the best LPN's I ever worked with worked in a CVICU. I doubt that she ever did the fresh hearts because of the meds and such, but she did everything else. And better than some of the RN's.

But was she able to function independently? I know of some units that won't "allow"LVN's but others that treat them like the rest of the staff. I know that our nurse practice act states that an RN must do an adm assessment & one every 24 hours . I know many LVN's I would rather take care of me than some of the RN's I have come accross. Which comes back to the person the nurse is not his/her tiltle.

Specializes in Everything except surgery.

Do it...NO...Do it.. NO...Stop that! You know you don't have your :angryfire suit...anymore...:chuckle...:chair: Now stay there, and don't move!...:chuckle

I started a thread some weeks ago asking the same questions. I got no real helpful advice, and the thread turned rather ugly with arguments popping up and the thread going way off track. I hope you have better luck than I did. We are still struggling with these issues in our unit, not because the LPNs are lacking in any way, but because our state's Nurse Practice act and our facilities policies limit them so.

Originally posted by Brownms46

Do it...NO...Do it.. NO...Stop that! You know you don't have your :angryfire suit...anymore...:chuckle...:chair: Now stay there, and don't move!...:chuckle

:chuckle :kiss

Specializes in Everything except surgery.

:rotfl:

Originally posted by Yankee in TX

But was she able to function independently? I know of some units that won't "allow"LVN's but others that treat them like the rest of the staff. I know that our nurse practice act states that an RN must do an adm assessment & one every 24 hours . I know many LVN's I would rather take care of me than some of the RN's I have come accross. Which comes back to the person the nurse is not his/her tiltle.

She was very independent. She did everything the RN's did except for the IV drips and pushes. No one had to check behind her. I don't understand why the RN has to do the admission assessment. We recently had this discussion where I work. All that is necessary for the 24 hour assessment is somewhere in that 24 hour period the patient should be assigned to an RN. But I will not co-sign an LPN's charting. I work with an LPN now on a 6 bed unit. I'll take the admissions if we are waiting for one to come up and give her more patients because she can't access the complete admission database in the computer. But I have a problem with admitting a patient and then turning the patient over. To me that's an insult to her, like saying she doesn't have sense enough to admit the patient. I really don't know what the big deal is. Besides which when she was working as a PCT she was trained to pull femoral sheaths. Now you're saying she doesn't have the skill to admit?! :confused:

Specializes in Everything except surgery.

Pssssst MollyMo....>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:chair: :kiss

Originally posted by Brownms46

Pssssst MollyMo....>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:chair: :kiss

It's the dust, Brownie? The dust and the heat and the funky water. You've been fried. You're silly. :chuckle :kiss

Specializes in Everything except surgery.

Yepppers...definitely fried...no denying that :rotfl:

The RN is responsible for nursing care. Legally as well as morally.

There are long term LVNs who can function just as well as an RN because they are smart, intelectually curious, and have learned a lot since school.

Nevertheless if something happens to the patient it is your license in trouble.

Please work together, not independently. Does this LVN lead a code, administer immediate treatment, write the care plan, and communicate with the physician without your knowledge?

Even if this nurse does everything right you both could be in trouble.

How about encouraging this nurse to earn an RN license? Seems like a professional nurse so why not get the license and the pay to go with the responsibility assumed and the care provided?

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