Is magnet status hospitals shutting out all LVNs

ladymaam · Jul 6, 2012

Sad news to report. I didn't get the job. The director said that they were going with applicants that spoke Spanish. I usually dont apply to job offers that need spanish speakers unless it ends with "preferred. This came out of nowhere, so either it was used to say no or they really need spanish speakers. Oh well, on to the next.

DoGoodThenGo · Jul 7, 2012

I graduated in 2011 from a very popular, yet competitive program. To make a long story short, I started about my job hunt wrong. Times have changed, and you have to really use your critical thinking to get past the gate keepers (HR).
I started to get about two interviews a week, then suddenly everything stopped. I can't find any LVN positions posted with the hospitals. A lot of them are not even claiming to be magnet, but they are acting like...not one LVN position in site.
What is it? Does everybody want a green star, do the RNs hate us? What is it? And before you lay in to me, about looking else where; let me explain. I am following the career ladder; CNA, LVN, RN, med/ surg, then your specialty, so that's why I am giving such attention to acute care rather than LTC, SNF, etc. What's your input.

Cannot speak to your particular area of the country but here in NYC hosptials began getting shot of LPNs long before the magnet program was dreamed up.

Even going back to the 1980's or 1990's IIRC a bulk of the LPNs one knew worked in nursing homes, doctor's offices, assorted clinics and so forth.

Would have to research the matter furhter but one *thinks* as community colleges began cranking out vast numbers of ADN/AAS prepared nurses faster than the traditional three year diploma schools the supply of RNs increased. This allowed hospitals in some areas of the country to move to what they saw as a better nursing staffing model that suited the acute care they provided. Considering wages back then for RNs of all stripes wasn't often vastly different from LPNs.

Here is a link to an old report one dug up:

Occupational outlook handbook - United States. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Google Books

A local high school in my home town (Curtis) has and excellent LPN program. Back in the day student's did their clinicals at local hospitals. Today am told they are only held in physican offices and some other sites but not any of the local hospitals.

martymoose, BSN, RN · Jul 7, 2012

It's such a shame LPN's are being phased out - we had an LPN who was THE BEST IV service nurse- could get an IV in a chihuahua if she had to lol. They told her she had to get her RN or leave. She already had 20+ years in. Iv'e worked with other LPN's who have more experience than some of us RN's combined. Really is a shame.

BrandonLPN, LPN · Jul 7, 2012

I'm always surprised how many PN students think they are going to work in a hospital when they graduate. Why didn't they do the research before starting the program? I was well aware before starting school that my best bet upon graduation was LTC. Not only that, but I did enough research to pinpoint which facility in my city paid LPNs the most, and I pursued seeking employment there well before school ended. It was really sad how many of my fellow students assumed they would be working in a hospital and how few of them had jobs lined up anywhere when they became licensed.

DoGoodThenGo · Jul 8, 2012

Interesting tidbit from a government report one is reading (see my post "Nursing & Nursing Education elsewhere).

In 1980 there were nearly 300,000 LPNs employed by hospitals where they performed "routine nursing tasks.. often under supervision). According to the National Nursing Home Survey there were nearly 97,500 LPNs employed in nursing homes where they were often the only licensed nurses on the premises. The latter information came from another survey which found that only 22 percent of skilled nursing homes had a RN on duty 24/7. Of the two settings practical nurses had greater responsibilities and more autonomy on average when employed by nursing homes which would make sense given the absence of RNs.

For the same period in reporting AHA hospitals RNs provided 46% of nursing care, LPNs 17% ,aides 23% and others 14%. SNF reported aides provided 71% of the care, RNs 15% and LPNs 14%. The average hospital patient received 2.5 hours a RNs time, while those in a SNF got 12 minutes, and patients in nursing homes providing intermediate care received 7 minutes.

Dafabb, LPN · Jul 8, 2012

Kcmylorn all I can say is I am glad I have been an LVN in Texas for the last 35 yrs. There must have been a lot of hostile nurses somewhere. I can probably count on both hands the times I have seen an LVN/RN in that type of confrontation. I myself have been in a situation where I don't agree with the charge nurse. But I also have a good reasoning brain. My reasoning and solution is valid but then I am also interested in her answer and why. I bow to her judgement and learn a few things. The outcome is the same going a different route. They are there for solutions to a problem. I use them as much as they use me. Truly I have seen more RN's going after each other than LVN/RN. So again I am glad I have lived in Texas. I know the world is changing as has been for quite awhile. I've been fortunate to work in the Methodist,Baylor system and others where we gave all of our IV meds minus Cardiac(very seldom anyway)up until at least 09. Of course then I would go somewhere we were more limited. I have been doing agency FT since 1995. In 10 I started doing Clinics in the VA system in CA as a traveler. I just finished a 10 mo Contract(4 ext). As far as the acuity bit we all have equal share. It is not on purpose(most of time)that someone gets harder Pts. I am game for almost anything. If we are short a tech we vote. Usually I might become a tech on occasion just for a change of pace. I rarely get insulted because #1 I know my worth. 20 yrs of working everywhere in a hospital there is to work gave that to me. Times definitely have changed and I agree with most of what you say. I was just amazed at the way those LVN's acted. Needs are changing. Higher Ed. is needed so whatever will be will be. There are places here right now that will not hire 2 yr RN's anymore. So it is coming. You gave a lot of very good information but I am due to get out of the rat race now. I want a more sedate environment and Dr.s office, Home health gives that to me. I am taking my time to find a good job as I am not doing agency much anymore. Full time in the near future. I do understand that my usual pay will drop some here but will be worth it. Debt free is an asset. Thank you again for that information. I am sure you peeved off a lot of people:o).

WeimaranerluvinRN, ADN, RN · Oct 9, 2012

The hospital I work at has 2 LPNs on staff. One is IV certified the other is a new grad. Both worked as CNA's prior to becoming LPNs. The hospital doesn't advertise for LPNs that I know of. A lot of the meds have to be given IV and an RN must cover the ER and any OB's that come in. Don't get me wrong. I was an LPN for 6 years, but there is a lot of limit to their scope in the hospital where I work because we are a rural CAH.

LVN2RNMom, ASN, BSN, LVN · Oct 9, 2012

I graduated in 2011 as an LVN and have been working at a SNF as an LVN for less than a year. I am in California and I just accepted a position with LA County at a hospital. I have medical exp (approx 17 yrs combined) but I believe it was my tenacity and determination that set me apart from others. I applied at hospitals regardless of how many years exp they were seeking and I called yet applied anywhere within a 50 mile radius. I didn't listen to nay sayers or anyone throwing negativity my way. I interviewed at several hospitals prior to getting my current job. I know my luck is unheard of & this is considering not having an "in" with County. I want others to have more faith in themselves & follow their heart regardless of what ever is being thrown at them. :shy:

T-Bird78 · Oct 9, 2012

There's a big hospital group near me that is only hiring RNs to get magnet status and the existing LPNs already on staff are reclassified as "techs". I'm also having a hard time finding a job in an office because they want MAs so they can pay less (even though they're not paying LPNs anything much!) and I really don't want a LTAC if possible. It's frustrating!! Also, I get a feeling overall that LPNs aren't "real nurses" and get tired of people saying "Oh, you're a nurse?" "Yes, I'm a LPN" "Oh, just a LPN." Doesn't the N stand for Nurse and the L stand for licensed?

HazelLPN, LPN · Oct 13, 2012

There's a big hospital group near me that is only hiring RNs to get magnet status and the existing LPNs already on staff are reclassified as "techs". I'm also having a hard time finding a job in an office because they want MAs so they can pay less (even though they're not paying LPNs anything much!) and I really don't want a LTAC if possible. It's frustrating!! Also, I get a feeling overall that LPNs aren't "real nurses" and get tired of people saying "Oh, you're a nurse?" "Yes, I'm a LPN" "Oh, just a LPN." Doesn't the N stand for Nurse and the L stand for licensed?

It sickens me when LPNs are forced out of jobs in acute care or worse, forced to work far below their skill level and training and be classified as a tech to save money to line the pockets of upper administration. An LPN is much closer to an RN than to a tech... hospitals should pay for the extra year of school to bridge to RN and allow that LPN to work on the old weekend option program where you worked two twelves every weekend and got full time pay.

Sadly, heathcare is more about making money under the guise of whats best for the patient. Seriously, whats a better for a patient, a new kid fresh out of school with a BSN or a 20 year veteran LPN?

If magnet doesn't want LPNs, the ethical thing to do is to do it by attrition and phase out the LPN role by replacing retiring LPNs with an RN. Instead, they usually site poorly designed and biased reseach to kick veteran LPNs with excellent track records and many years of exceptional service to the hospital to the curb and replace them with techs, placing more work on the RN and saving money that the hospital will use for higher saleries for non nursing personelle.

I'm glad I'm retired.....

Mrs H