Should I go LVN or RN route?

Nurses LPN/LVN

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I was initially going for LVN but everyone is telling me to do RN. I am a unit secretary at a hospital for telemetry floor. Any advice would be appreciated. How long would it take me to finish prerequisites?

Oops!

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So, if there is anyway that you can get the RN, do it now. New LPN grads are starting at $9.50 hr. New RN grads are starting at $18. You do the math.

Our LVN grads are making twice that starting out...

(The flip side of that coin being that the RN's are making twice what the LVN's are making! :lol2: Oh well, not a perfect world!)

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Well, I'm glad that the bridge works in the US. In Canada for a PN to bridge, she's looking at one year of pre-reqs, then admission to year two of the four year degree. Hardly an incentive for experienced PNs to look at. I plan on retiring in the next ten years.

I don't see spending three years at uni (I have more than enough credits to be accepted) to spend the last seven years of my working life paying back student loans and what little I'd put into the pension plan wouldn't be worth the stress.

So, I work in a job I like to pretty much full scope of practice, the pay is decent for the hours I work and my BA is nearly finished.

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Specializes in Knuckle Dragging Nurse aka MTA.
Pretty soon, an LPN/LVN will be limited to LTC or doctor offices and the pay will be continue to be less. 3 of the major hospitals in our state are going back to primary care from the "team" concept and will be employing only RN's with a CNA. Many hospitals are expected to follow. The LTC facilities got the state BON to approve "medication aides" and now there are hardly any LPN positions available in LTC and the salaries are dropping like rocks. Many of my LPN friends are now having to work 2 jobs to make ends meet.

So, if there is anyway that you can get the RN, do it now. New LPN grads are starting at $9.50 hr. New RN grads are starting at $18. You do the math.

In Northern California, LVN are pretty much limited to LTC and aren't used much in Dr' offices. I think "med aides" are the future in California. If LVN' loose the LTC, what is left for LVN"S? I heard that LVN's would be phased out of every aspect of nursing, but reading that about the med aides really hit home.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
In Northern California, LVN are pretty much limited to LTC and aren't used much in Dr' offices. I think "med aides" are the future in California. If LVN' loose the LTC, what is left for LVN"S? I heard that LVN's would be phased out of every aspect of nursing, but reading that about the med aides really hit home.

Where did you read about the medication aides? I do think it is a disadvantage to the nursing profession, period. The nurse had to check behind the medication aides when I was one years ago, and eventually, they found so many errors that they were responsible for that they cancelled them out from pouring them, now. But, they are creeping up in other areas, I understand.

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In Northern California, LVN are pretty much limited to LTC and aren't used much in Dr' offices. I think "med aides" are the future in California. If LVN' loose the LTC, what is left for LVN"S? I heard that LVN's would be phased out of every aspect of nursing, but reading that about the med aides really hit home.

I agree that LVN's are fairly limited in respects to job opportunities here in California, LTC for sure, but some hospitals (Kaisers) still uses them to an extent.

At this point, Medical Aides are SEVERELY limited as to their scope of practice, and really not much use in either acute or LTC settings (as the cannot deal with any medications whatsoever), but, that may change in the future.

As far as LVN's being "phased out?" We've been hering that one since the sixties.

Mike

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I agree that LVN's are fairly limited in respects to job opportunities here in California, LTC for sure, but some hospitals (Kaisers) still uses them to an extent.

At this point, Medical Aides are SEVERELY limited as to their scope of practice, and really not much use in either acute or LTC settings (as the cannot deal with any medications whatsoever), but, that may change in the future.

As far as LVN's being "phased out?" We've been hering that one since the sixties.

Mike

I think that when 'med aides' were mentioned, it meant that there are some aides that are certified specifically to administer oral medications. I used to do it myself (not telling my age, but a few blue moons ago), the certification is AMAP; and knowing what I know now, it was not a wise practice for the facility. It is a short 40 hour course that simply scrapes the surface and the nurse is ultimately responsible even though, she, herself may not have administered those medications.

I can never believe that LPNs will ever be totally phased out. Limited in scope depending on where we go, yes, but, not phased out. Too many RNs moving up to positions that leave the bedside to do that.

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I think that when 'med aides' were mentioned, it meant that there are some aides that are certified specifically to administer oral medications. I used to do it myself (not telling my age, but a few blue moons ago), the certification is AMAP; and knowing what I know now, it was not a wise practice for the facility. It is a short 40 hour course that simply scrapes the surface and the nurse is ultimately responsible even though, she, herself may not have administered those medications.

I wholeheartedly agree. NOT a wise practice, and as the RN on duty, I wouldn't allow ANY Med Aide to administer ASPRIN, much less anything stronger to patients that I am responsible for.

If something were to go wrong, and it usually does, the Med Aide need do nothing more than point to me, and whammo! Loss of license, censure, lawsuit...pick one.

I've even heard that they are allowing them to start IV's and administer (some types of) injections!

Talk about blurring the line between professionals! :angryfire

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I wholeheartedly agree. NOT a wise practice, and as the RN on duty, I wouldn't allow ANY Med Aide to administer ASPRIN, much less anything stronger to patients that I am responsible for.

If something were to go wrong, and it usually does, the Med Aide need do nothing more than point to me, and whammo! Loss of license, censure, lawsuit...pick one.

I've even heard that they are allowing them to start IV's and administer (some types of) injections!

Talk about blurring the line between professionals! :angryfire

When I was certified as an AMAP, I did it in a psych hospital in my early 20s. We were taught basic side effects of the psychtropic meds (which helped me in nursing school, I agree) and of the seizure meds, and we were able to order all of the medications when they ran short. I used to mix up the day and evening dosages (not knowing the importance of the right med at the right time thingy), and, I saw some aides would double and triple the doses for the patients that they felt 'needed it'. If we made a mistake, the most that would happen was a write up, but the nurses would go hysterical...and at the time, I thought they were tight-twads, until I went to nursing school myself. Eventually, they did stop, when it was noticed that the patients were not getting their treatments and vitamins...but that was at least 7 years into my time there. The LPNs would administer the narcs, insulin and other injections, but they were few and far between. We basically ran the show.

If I were a medical professional such as an RN or physician, I wouldn't feel comfortable with this practice, mainly because these people do not have a license to protect...but, an LPN does. If I make an error, now, I would worry about the status of the patient, take action to correct it and would be ultimately responsible for the outcome because I am expected as a licensed provider to know better. Most of them don't. I am not diminishing the role of the aides at all, I am saying that it is clearly out of their scope of practice and a person would not show loyalty to the patients or that discipline of practice if they are not fully held accountable and liable for such actions; intentional or not.

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When I was certified as an AMAP, I did it in a psych hospital in my early 20s. We were taught basic side effects of the psychtropic meds (which helped me in nursing school, I agree) and of the seizure meds, and we were able to order all of the medications when they ran short. I used to mix up the day and evening dosages (not knowing the importance of the right med at the right time thingy), and, I saw some aides would double and triple the doses for the patients that they felt 'needed it'. If we made a mistake, the most that would happen was a write up, but the nurses would go hysterical...and at the time, I thought they were tight-twads, until I went to nursing school myself. Eventually, they did stop, when it was noticed that the patients were not getting their treatments and vitamins...but that was at least 7 years into my time there. The LPNs would administer the narcs, insulin and other injections, but they were few and far between. We basically ran the show.

If I were a medical professional such as an RN or physician, I wouldn't feel comfortable with this practice, mainly because these people do not have a license to protect...but, an LPN does. If I make an error, now, I would worry about the status of the patient, take action to correct it and would be ultimately responsible for the outcome because I am expected as a licensed provider to know better. Most of them don't. I am not diminishing the role of the aides at all, I am saying that it is clearly out of their scope of practice and a person would not show loyalty to the patients or that discipline of practice if they are not fully held accountable and liable for such actions; intentional or not.

WELL SAID! :biere:

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