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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.
My unit is RN only, but our PCT's are able to do alot more than most (phlebotomy, foleys, tube feeds, they can string anything that not a med (IV fluids), EKG') and more. This is a great help.
Poster this is NOT directed at you. This kind of thing really chaps my hide. You have PCTs who are, to my understanding, basically unlicensed or even uncertified staff doing procedures that most LPN/LVNs are more than capable of doing. However the LPN/LVN costs more $$ because they do have a professional licensure to protect so hospitals tout RNs only and utilize UAPs for procedures.
To add insult to injury is the rationale given that a LPN/LVN doing these selfsame procedures is performing outside his/her scope of practice.
Off soapbox now & forgive me for the unintentional thread hijack.:spbox:
My unit is RN only, but our PCT's are able to do alot more than most (phlebotomy, foleys, tube feeds, they can string anything that not a med (IV fluids), EKG') and more. This is a great help.
Is there any reason that many places are getting rid of LPNs? (other than the all mighty dollar)
I would think it would allow the RNs to get more done, and well everyone for that matter, so that the patient would reciece a better quality of care.
My unit is RN only, but our PCT's are able to do alot more than most (phlebotomy, foleys, tube feeds, they can string anything that not a med (IV fluids), EKG') and more. This is a great help.
Woah, I would not feel comfortable with that. That's YOUR liscense they're doing all that under. I've heard of most of those (but I still don't agree with them). But hanging IV's? Wow. Have you never walked into a room and seen fluids going at the wrong rate, or the wrong type? I also like to assess for fluid overload before just blindly hanging another bag. You need an order for fluids, therefore it's a drug IMO and a tech should not be giving it. I feel the same way with tube feeds. What if a patient aspirates? And with foleys- we had a whole lab devoted to sterile technique. How much time did an aid have? How well do they even understand the need?
Sorry, some of that stuff seems outside their scope of practice to me.
Jules A, MSN
8,864 Posts
Psych and we are about 50/50. I started there as a LPN.