LPN's in AB

[leotard.paradigm]

Hello,

I am starting my first year of nursing school at Bow Valley College in the fall of 2011 and honestly can't wait! I currently volunteer at the FMC and its the highlight of my week! I get to see a lot of the nurses in action, but I have been told that the nurses I see looking after patients bedside are all LPN's. I chose to study LPN instead of RN because I want to be involved with patient care much more than being part of the organization (paper work, orders, etc etc) and such on the unit. I saw a previous post about some of the specialities and such that helped me out immensely, but I still have a few questions that nobody seems to be able to answer for me!

Firstly, I'd like to know what exactly LPN's are allowed to do in terms of patient care? Are there certain places LPN's work and others that they are not needed at all? Can LPN's work in Emergency, Surgical Units or Oncology? Also, what am I to expect regarding the way LPN's are treated in the hospital setting?

And lastly, I heard a rumour that LPN's would be replacing most of the RN's as they are cheaper to employ and can provide the majority of patient care without an RN. Is this true? Or is this just the admitting staff being way too bored for their own good?

Thanks soo much! I know I'm such a newb, but I appreciate your help greatly!

:redbeathe

[Fiona59]

In AB, we're pretty much everywhere except NICU.

Last time I went to Convention, the Cross was there trying to recruit LPNs away from Capital Health sites.

If you are in active treatment you work to full scope of practice. On my unit, it comes down to we can't pierce the blood or travisol bag. Technically an RN has to do it and hang it, but we do the 2 psn co-sign, walk back to the bedside, verify the patient, the RN hangs and walks away.

We're not happy campers, our scope keeps expanding but our paycheque doesn't reflect it as quickly.

The ratios of R to L on the floors are changing. I've worked shifts where there has been the Charge RN and out of the six nurses scheduled to be on the floor there has been one RN. They just had to stagger their breaks so there was an RN on the floor. Patient care didn't suffer. UNA would hate to hear that.