I still don't understand why a hospital would hire cna's, or techs but not lpn's

martymoose, BSN, RN · Mar 24, 2013

I wonder if it's regional- most of the new grads we have ( when they do hire them) are BSN's. 4/5 local colleges here are all BSN.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2013

It is all about cost-cutting at the facility where I work. They would rather pay a newer RN/BSN with less than two years of experience $23 hourly instead of pay an LPN/LVN with 20+ years of experience $25 per hour. And yes, several of our highly experienced LVNs earn more than the newer RNs.

evolvingrn, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2013

Yeah I don't get the whole ma thing a. the program at my school I believe is longer than the pn program and then they make what cna makes it seems like a waste for all parties I dont see the advantage except saving money. I guess[i']still don't see why though these hospitals get rid of lpn's after all if all they want is to save money over patient safety why not get rid of rn's! maybe its because all rn staffing looks good then in reality you have cna's doing all the work.[/i]

As an RN in acute care where our CNA's do take out IV's and foleys, do blood sugar checks i take a lot of issues with your statement . A CNA is most certainly not doing all the work with my pts. i have four patients when i with a NA and i run from beginning of shift to end doing nursing task that our CNAs are not able to do. there are picc line draws, Central linedressing changes, serious wound changes, inserting NG tubes, starting ivs, rectal tubes, inserting foleys , giving medications, contacting drs ect.... all the while giving baths, walking pts, making sure their fed ect............ Our LPNs were recently just relieved of LPN duties and their is a lot of hurt and similar feelings expressed. unfortuantely our pts are sicker than they have been, and our grid was not set up to properly supervise an LPN as the BON requires.

llg, PhD, RN · Mar 25, 2013

Yeah I don't get the whole ma thing a. the program at my school I believe is longer than the pn program and then they make what cna makes it seems like a waste for all parties I dont see the advantage except saving money. I guess[i']still don't see why though these hospitals get rid of lpn's after all if all they want is to save money over patient safety why not get rid of rn's! maybe its because all rn staffing looks good then in reality you have cna's doing all the work.[/i]

My hospital has used the RN/CNA combination for about 20 years. They got rid of the LPN's about 2 decades ago. They didn't want all 3 levels on one unit as that would lead to too much overlap and confusion of roles and responsibilities. This way, the RN is there to supervise and be legally responsible ... and the CNA provides the low-paid manpower to help with tasks. The division of responsibities is more clear cut and they save money by substituting CNA's for LPN's. With the level of acutity in the hospital going up constantly, there aren't many patients that LPN's can take care of without RN coverage any more -- so having them doesn't reduce the RN need enough to be worth it.

exit96 · Mar 25, 2013

Talking to doc's in terms of ' carrying out orders'....I doubt that this is appropriate in any state:-0...what!?!?...

D/c-ing IV's, in/out folly, VS, I&O, finger stick...worked at a facility that taught and allowed all this. This does not alarm me.

Keep an eye on your tech...it's your license if they error.

julz68 · Mar 25, 2013

Before I became an RN, I was a CNA on a busy surgical floor and was Foley certified. I could not keep up with other CNA duties because I was straight cathing patients every hour or more. Sometimes I never got a break on my 12 hour shifts! Not that its any better as an RN

SleeepyRN · Mar 25, 2013

Just curious here, the last hospital I worked in was a magnet hospital and they were not hiring any lpn's even for outpatient. They fired their lpn's even the ones who had been there 20 plus years. Now I can get why a hospital would feel that more educated nurses would deliver better patient care but here's what I don't understand: THE CNA"S THERE WERE ALLOWED TO DO ALL KINDS OF THINGS i have never seen cna's do. They did all the vitals, blood sugar checks, Iv removal and catheter removal. They also prepped patients for surgery, even communicated with doctors at times.
I guess there are things about this whole system I don't understand. Who is actually deciding these things? Insurance companies? Other nurses? Doctors? Non medical board of directors? Is it really just a way to cut costs?

Yep. I was tech, did all those things plus blood draws and EKGs. Its absolutely about money. They would have to pay an LPN more. All this education stuff... LPN vs RN, ADN vs BSN.....it all sucks. I only talk about it now when Im responding to other posts. Besides that, I'm just finally done trying to convince people I do have a brain with my lowly ADN and am just working on getting my BSN.

IH8Poodlez · Mar 25, 2013

TheCommuter -

Yikes! New RNs only make $23/hour where you work?

eatmysoxRN, ASN, RN · Mar 25, 2013

Yikes! New RNs only make $23/hour where you work?

New RNs make less than 20 where I work.

~ No One Can Make You Feel Inferior Without Your Consent -Eleanor Roosevelt ~

NJnewRN · Mar 25, 2013

Well, I know here in the North the Hospitals got rid of LPN because they wanted to apply for magnet status and having LPNs prevents that from happening.

proud nurse, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2013

I was an LPN before RN. If they started hiring LPNs back into the hospitals, would they take some of the duties away from CNAs? The hospital I work at now has the PCAs inserting and removing foleys, hooking patients up to telemetry, removing IV's, straight caths, blood sugar checks, and more...many of the skills I was taught as an LPN.

VANurse2010 · Mar 25, 2013

This is probably a massive overgeneralization, but it seems like the west is very BSN-exclusive, while the eastern states tend to be more accepting of ADNs.

I wonder if it's regional- most of the new grads we have ( when they do hire them) are BSN's. 4/5 local colleges here are all BSN.