Getting laid off

[bondoson88]

I have worked at an acute care hospital in CA for 32years and as of Oct 1, 2013 all14 LVNs will be laid off. So at 54 years old I need to go find a job. I thought I would be able to retire from here. I also have 960 hours of sick time and when you turn 55 you can cash a percentage of it. Well, I won't be 55 for 6 months. I worked the last 10 years in a critical care area. I worked with the best nurses. They were not only my coworkers, but my buddies, my friends. When you work with a group of people, you spend a lot of time with them, they become like your second family. This is the worst part of this whole thing. I was told on one day that I couldn't work in CCU, the next day all the LVNs were told we were not to assess our patients, don't listen to lung sounds,etc. We are not allowed to read tele strips, even though I have RNs asking me" what do I think this ?" I didn't know that any knowledge a person has can be taken away from them. An RN has to assess and chart on our patients. Before we could chart our "basic assessment" and an RN charted on our patient too. I felt like a burden and this was so stressful. I cried everyday at first. I am on a stress leave. I have enough sick leave because I never called in sick! I can understand why we are phased out because of the acuity of pts. IV meds etc. But it would have been nice for administration to say "Thanks for spending half you life working here!" I am better now but I still need to get another job because life goes on, right? I am trying to get a job in corrections/prisons right now. I wouldn't recommend anybody to become an LVN because it gets harder to get your RN as you get older and more prereq are required. So if you are young, get back in school, you'll have more opportunities, more pay, more respect, and you won't have to go through what I have. experienced. They used to let LVNs with 10 years of acute care experience challenge the RN boards, but once I got that much they no longer allowed it. I have RNs telling me that I know a lot more than most RNs but unfortunately the boards don't count experience as knowledge. I needed to vent all this out. I know one thing that I always take the best care of my pts, I never had problems getting along with coworkers or patients, I will go out of my way to help them. Even though I am not an RN (not yet), I critically think like an RN and I will continue to do so,

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

I am so sorry that this has happend to you.

I, too, get the general idea behind phasing out of LPN's in acute care (and no matter how upsetting it is) but what I don't understand is the general "oh, well, see ya" mentaility for LPN's who put years and years into a facility, and are learned in their unit.

I don't think the acuity of patients have chnaged, it is the regulations that have changed and are not lpn friendly in an acute setting. Not to mention for your salary, they can hire 2 or even 3 BSN's and make them into the type of nurses that they want. It would be nice if facilities were just as invested in long term employees and supported programs that LPN's could complete a BSN. Some have tuition reimbursement but it is reimbursement not tuition paid, therefore, almost impossible for someone in their 50's to obtain a BSN--it is a lot of time, money, and not usually where an LPN wants to find themselves at this point in their lives. I am NOT suggesting ALL Lpn's feel this way, but I know I do. It is just not feasible for me at this time. And I really love being an LPN. It works for me. However, I needed to come to grips with it doesn't work for the facility I have been at for several years--no matter how good I am at my job.

You may really love corrections nursing. Another thought is the VA system. Both have places for LPN's.

Best of luck in your endevours!

[Ruas61, BSN, RN]

I am so sorry. You deserve better.