Published
Just curious how common these are and what specialties they're seen in. They seem to be getting more and more common. My floor is RN only (probably due to the sheer number of blood products and IV pushes we do), but the kidney/pancreas transplant floor I interned on had one LPN.
I am an LPN who used to work telemetry/step down. I left the hospital when they got more interested in the politics of nursing instead of patient care. I do home health now- trach/vent- and have had the same patient for over 15 years. Home care allows the LPN to work in the full legal scope of our practice without as much crap. I get to use the skills I went to school for instead of being a "glorified tech".
before I became an LPN, I was a PCT. The acute care facility that I was working at doesn't hire LPN's, so my NM was very upset with my decision, as there was no position open for me. RN, one day in the future. But for now, I'm a proud LPN and have a great deal of respect for those who went ahead with RN(ADN,BSN,MSN, whichever). I did have to leave my old place of work, but I have found MANY more open doors than closed ones. RN only floors are a great idea(r/t IVP, port-a-caths, PICCS, etc.), but still, I loved my old facility and wish I could have stayed.
Luckie, LPN
Thankfully we do employ LPNs. We do a lot of specialty drips, central lines, blood products, and things that are outside of the LPN scope, but there is plenty to do that LPNs are allowed to do. Our LPNs take full patient loads and do everything for their patients that is within their scope, only asking for help from an RN for things that are outside their scope. While this can sometimes place a burden on a busy RN, most of our RNs welcome the presence of these LPNs and are glad to be of help to them.
Med/surg/telemetry/oncology RN only. We have 1 LPN has been there for over 10 years (she's great). But we only hire RNs and when she leaves, if she leaves, she will be replaced with an RN. We do use agency nurses on ocassion and most of those are LPNs and there are a few LPNs in the float pool that have been there 20+ years. But as a general rule, the hospital only hires RNs.
SteveNNP, MSN, NP
1 Article; 2,512 Posts
Nope. She didn't want to go back to school after working as an LPN for 20 years. At least that's what I'm told.