LPN Job Duties

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Hi I am hoping to start nursing school this coming fall and I have been researching about LPNs and what they do. I see that it's more common for them to work in nursing homes and long term care facilities. If you work in those places do you change diapers? I plan to bridge to an RN program later but due to my financial situation it's just not possible right now. I would prefer work in an office or hospital setting. Will I be able to get a job in one of those places? What will the pay be like? TIA for all responses! I live in Oklahoma City if that matters.

Ok I get it about the briefs. I really don't need anyone to answer that question anymore. If any one wants to respond to any of the other questions feel free but I didn't want this to be a post about just changing briefs.

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A good nurse is never above changing a diaper.

Good or bad, pay is by the hour. A lazy nurse makes just as much as their martyr counterpart. Why do something that you aren't assigned to? This could range from anything such as changing diapers to other things that are within the scope of other disciplines.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Providing care to your patients is not being a martyr. It's called being a good nurse and doing your job.

I have a charge nurse with her BSN and she answers bells, showers people, feeds people and toilets people.There is no shame in that. You wouldn't last one day on my floor with your attitude.

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Good or bad, pay is by the hour. A lazy nurse makes just as much as their martyr counterpart. Why do something that you aren't assigned to? This could range from anything such as changing diapers to other things that are within the scope of other disciplines.

Why are all your posts about you despising changing YOUR patients? There are much worse duties in nursing than that. You seem to look down upon your CNA's. You should be praising them, especially since they have to work harder because you won't help them. In the end it's really YOUR patient who suffers. Such a shame.

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Why are all your posts about you despising changing YOUR patients?

Check again. Check as thoroughly as you would if you were administering medication. Most errors are caught after a simple double check.

There are much worse duties in nursing than that.

Name 3.

You seem to look down upon your CNA's. You should be praising them, especially since they have to work harder because you won't help them.

I am very thankful to have CNA's. I do have expectations of them though. Their workload is moderate compared to other CNA positions out there. They aren't being set up for failure even if I am not doing their job for them.

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Name 3? How about telling a family member their loved one has died? Or suctioning a trach pt (oh that noise!), or a dressing change on a young pt who has just had a leg amputated, or a L & D nurse who is helping their pt cope with her baby who was born premature or with some other ailment?

There are many nursing duties that are considered "bad" because they touch the heart of the nurse... Changing a patient's brief filled with urine and stool (and making them more comfortable plus protecting the integrity of skin) is easy in comparison to many nursing duties.

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Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.
I never said I had a issue with changing someone if necessary. I would just prefer it not be a daily thing. I was just wondering if the LPNs in nursing homes job duties consist of changing diapers or briefs on a daily basis. That wasn't my main question anyway. Most ppl just only responded to that part.

what do you mean you need your brief changed? you just had peri care yesterday :)

just kiddin

your questions were very appropriate, but whether you can work at a hospital and what

your pay might be depends on your geographical location, so without having that info

i don't know what to tell you other than in my area there are few of those positions and the pay is

comparatively low - lowest for Dr office

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Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.
Good or bad, pay is by the hour. A lazy nurse makes just as much as their martyr counterpart. Why do something that you aren't assigned to? This could range from anything such as changing diapers to other things that are within the scope of other disciplines.

Carnegie and me, we disagree

sure there are places where the lazy person may actually make more than the person with solid

work ethics, but i never cared to seek employment at such a place anyway.

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Name 3? How about telling a family member their loved one has died? Or suctioning a trach pt (oh that noise!), or a dressing change on a young pt who has just had a leg amputated, or a L & D nurse who is helping their pt cope with her baby who was born premature or with some other ailment?

There are many nursing duties that are considered "bad" because they touch the heart of the nurse... Changing a patient's brief filled with urine and stool (and making them more comfortable plus protecting the integrity of skin) is easy in comparison to many nursing duties.

I'd like to divert this from "changing soiled residents" since you have brought this up.

Every task that you have listed above are tasks that I would gladly do. Those are tasks that I would be proud to carry out as they are things that will come up in ANY setting and would be beneficial to have practice with.

I know I come off as a lazy person, but that is only how I present. I actually take my job seriously and take pleasure in performing nursing interventions that CNA's are not allowed to perform. Being able to use my higher level knowledge and skills that I have learned and practiced will allow me to better myself. Doing things like ADLS for patients is something anyone can do. A nurse is paid twice (if not more) as much as CNA's are in some places. In my view, it is a waste of money to have nurses do the things a CNA can do, especially when there are other things pending that could use my professional attention.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

ADLs are just as important as any skilled tasks.Believing yourself above them is unprofessional.

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ADLs are just as important as any skilled tasks.Believing yourself above them is unprofessional.

Agree. They are ALL nursing tasks :-)

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LPN job duties

If you work in a LTC facility, the greater part of your shift will be spent passing meds. Other duties:

Calling docs with labs/changes in condition/etc.

Dealing with family members

Wound care, weekly skin assessments

Skilled assessments/charting

PAPERWORK! For falls, post fall neuro checks, discharge/transfer/admit, taking off orders

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