LPN working CNA shifts??

Nurses LPN/LVN

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I am an LPN that works in a long term care facility. We are short staffed of CNA's and 3 of the 4 LPN's (me included) were assigned to "fill in" CNA shifts "temporarily" almost a year ago. Am I being ungrateful and selfish for being resentful of these shifts and of the newer, younger LPN who does not get the shift? Generally its 2 or 3 shifts out of a 14 day schedule. I am a team player! I do two different nursing shifts, work in two different facilities when needed, and I do doctors rounds. How do I start the conversation with my DON so she really "gets" how I feel? Thanks in advance for any advice or for just listening. By the way I've been an LPN at this facility for almost 4 years...I worked for them before I was an LPN as a CNA in their sister facility in the same town.

Specializes in retired LTC.

Just FYI - the staffing statistics for DOH are being skewed by the inflated number of LPNs who really are performing in non-licensed capacities, yet are their hours are being 'counted' as licensed numbers on paper? Is this an attempt to defraud or try to 'pull a fast one' on the DOH??? I mean, you count an LPN as an LPN and a CNA as a CNA when you "do the numbers/staffing report' for survey.

Also, it would seem that the actual number of licensed nurses who are covering the floor as licensed nurses is sufficient. Does the facility then have an over-abundance of LPNs and needs to layoff a few??? Are they plumping up their LPN staffing with new staff in anticipation of a future termination action?

Another issue - who covers the floor when the regular nurses go off ??? Is it the CNA/nurse? So therefore that LPN is really wearing 2 hats for the 2 job functions that she's covering. I guess this is all being predicated by the fact how she is being compensated. If her cost-center/payroll designation pays her as an LPN, that's one thing; but if she's costed and being paid as a CNA and she's doing LPN functions, it's a dubious issue.

And that brings up a thorny issue about an employee being hired in 1 capacity but being forced to freq work in another capacity. Is this a Dept of Labor violation, esp since we're dealing with official licensure/certification and government agencies, state and federal? (Go back to my first query.)

Is this facility union? If they choose NOT to hire CNAs, can they be slowly, but deliberately depleting the # of union employees in an effort to weaken/decert the union? (NOTE: I don't know enough about unions if this is a real possibillity - I just ask). I always think about unions as I know healthcare mgt to be traditionally anti-union.

This has been on-going for a year or so, so this is not a temporary occurence. This facility is on a real slippery slope. Maybe I'm overly suspicious, but I have my doubts about this administration. Something is just NOT right to me. Maybe an anonymous phonecall to the survey agency with a heads-up maight be in order???

Where I work the LPNs and the CNAs are in the same union. The union contract says the LPNs can and will fill CNA holes in staffing as needed. We are told this when hired. Any LPN who has a problem with it should never have taken the job in the first place. We all knew what it was when we took the job. Also, our CNAs make top pay rate for the job. They top out at 20.00 an hour. And most of them make that since most of them have been here over 10 years. This may be different from other LTCs.

Heck I'm an RN and if they asked me to work as a cna I would as long as they pay me RN salary. It's all good.

I would love to work at $20/hour. As a nursing assistant I only make $8-$12. The 12 is only after the extra bonuses (weekend, never late, uniform).

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