I need help....maybe I'm crazy

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I am an lpn and was a charge nurse for little over a year, right after I graduated. I felt like I was not prepared enough and With the pt my facility was admitting I felt like it was to much of a liability against my license and quit. They were also leaving me as charge doing all tx, meds ect with only two aides on the floor 40 bed facility. The called me back and asked me to be a med aide, so I went back thinking its better than charge. I went back because I miss my res. well they cut my pay down to 12.50 which would be fine if I was only a med aide. It has changed to med nurse where the don is consistently pulling me off the cart to do nursing stuff. Also we are always short staffed. Today felt like a final straw only 2 aides on the floor on day shift, charge nurse not helping on the floor so I helped with the aides and meds. Then the don showed up and wanted "help". Which means I do it with around 10 things during my 2pm med pass. I have tried to talk to her about this and it doesn't work as well as my administrator. Am I crazy to feel used and abused? Or is this normal for someone to expect you to do three jobs. I am also starting to hate nursing, I really would like to get a bsn. I am really re thinking this idea. Are most nursing work environments like this? This is a Ltc facility but we take mostly young people who were rejected from most other facilities but we also have elderly people as well.

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When you are a nurse they are always going to expect you to act as a nurse. That's why an LPN or RN can't work as a CNA (as far as I know, unless there are exceptions).

It's hard to say about the pay because I don't know where you live or what the average pay is. The hospitals in my area don't hire LPNs anymore, but when LPNs were employed, they made around $12 and that was with a full patient load (5 patients on med/surg) where they did everything including meds for those patients.

RN's in my area make a little less than $20 so there's no big red flag that goes up for me about $12.50 as a "med nurse."

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I live in Nebraska average pay for a first year grad is 16.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

It would be highly unusual for there to be two pay scales for an LPN where one is a "med nurse" who makes several dollars per hour less than standard pay for an LPN in your area. A nurse brings their education to all tasks that fall under their scope of practice. You aren't crazy, but if you give them an ultimatum and they discontinue paying you the wages of a med aide and expecting you to perform in the role of an LPN, they may have you doing the same things that caused you to quit in the first place.

The best course of action would be to tell them that if you are paid as a med aide, you will not do those things a med aide cannot legally do, and if they want an LPN they can pay for an LPN. I hope it all works out for you!

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Thank you. I was so confused people told me I should be happy making 12.50 an hour and have to do nursing things. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't over reacting and regret when I quit again. Thank you again.

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Specializes in Psych, LTC/SNF, Rehab, Corrections.
I am an lpn and was a charge nurse for little over a year, right after I graduated. I felt like I was not prepared enough and With the pt my facility was admitting I felt like it was to much of a liability against my license and quit. They were also leaving me as charge doing all tx, meds ect with only two aides on the floor 40 bed facility. The called me back and asked me to be a med aide, so I went back thinking its better than charge. I went back because I miss my res. well they cut my pay down to 12.50 which would be fine if I was only a med aide. It has changed to med nurse where the don is consistently pulling me off the cart to do nursing stuff. Also we are always short staffed. Today felt like a final straw only 2 aides on the floor on day shift, charge nurse not helping on the floor so I helped with the aides and meds. Then the don showed up and wanted "help". Which means I do it with around 10 things during my 2pm med pass. I have tried to talk to her about this and it doesn't work as well as my administrator. Am I crazy to feel used and abused? Or is this normal for someone to expect you to do three jobs. I am also starting to hate nursing, I really would like to get a bsn. I am really re thinking this idea. Are most nursing work environments like this? This is a Ltc facility but we take mostly young people who were rejected from most other facilities but we also have elderly people as well.

I pulled meds for one week as a GVN. I was pulling meds for 43 pts but I tried to nurse as well.

I did get a little quicker, but it was difficult to balance both roles. You can't really help the aides. You can't properly do either job for being stretched so thinly.

Granted... maybe I've been spoiled but our facility pays nurses a 'nurses salary' to pull meds.

I'm just a baby nurse, but I sure as hell wouldn't be, first of all, pulling meds beneath the nurse and trying to nurse... for a med aide's salary. That's ridiculous.

You feel used and abused? SMH It's wrong and a shame, because you seem like a very hard worker. That environment is going to burn you out, I think. I mean - if I were expected to (grunt)work like an animal for wages that were beneath me, I'd hate nursing as well. Yes - $12.5/hr is BENEATH you. There's no shame in saying it, either. I wouldn't care if the nurse earnings were $15.00 a hour. You should be entitled to claim it.

You are a NURSE, ma'am. Not only are you a nurse, but you were once 'charge'. You deserve more.

...and it hardly matters that you're just pulling meds. A nurse who works in a med aide capacity is still expected to nurse.

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