LPNS in the ER?

[BShelleyLPN]

do you guys have any LPNs that work in your ER? i went to nursing school to work in the ER and i know that most LPNs can't work critical care but i plan on going to RN school very soon....

[Pawz_Beakz]

We are a 115 bed hospital, 15 bed ER and yes LPN's do work in the ER. I am an ER Tech, after I have my license I will continue to do the same job, but with LPN wages and a couple of other tasks I can do as a licensed nurse.

[Roy Fokker, BSN, RN]

No LPNs in my (57 bed ED, 300 odd bed hospital) ED.

cheers,

[Rickbos]

We only use LPN's in our 2 bed Fast Track for the summer season at our hospital when our population goes from 17,000 to 110,000. They handle the lesser ailments ESI 4s & 5s and the higher acuity patients go to our main ER. It has worked very well over the past 5 summers....Rick

[jenfromjersey]

We have LPNs in our ER but they only work in our Promptcare area. It is 6 physical beds and then chairs..used for minor ailments...all ESI 4 and 5 patients are assigned to Promptcare and are not seen in the main ED. Our promptcare area is open from 9AM until 1AM every day and it gets BUSY! LPNs cannot perform initial triage of patient and cannot give IV push medications (well they are certainly competent enough to do it...just not allowed by hospital policy). There are very few LPNs left in the main hospital where I work. I worked with them when I worked on the floors and most were there for many, many years.

[veronicajr]

I work in a 40 bed Level 1 trauma center's ED...we are able to have one LPN on shift at any one time. They have taken add'l classes and can give IVP meds. About the only thing they have to get an RNs help with is to hang blood and sign off on their assessments.

[BornToCare]

I am an LPN and I want to work in the ER! It's the one place I would beg my instructors to let me do my clinical rotation in over and over again. Now I find that most hospitals won't even give me a chance to interview for the ER. =( I've gone back to school and I am doing my RN prereqs. Any advice on how to work my way into the ER?

[shannonFNP, BSN, MSN, RN]

In the two local ERs in my city, LVN's can work in the ER in minor emergency care. In one, LVN's can be in major ER as a float nurse. We can assess patients as long as they've been triaged first. In major ER you can't discharge or transfer patients because you can't be the first or last to see the patient. To make it easier to understand: LVN's can do the meat of the assessment, not the first, not the last, but the patty of the burger (that's how my educator explained it). However, strangly, in minor care you CAN discharge them??? In the other hospital they use LVN's in the both ER and minor care and have RN's sign off on their assessments. Both hospitals allow you to become an "LVN II" which means you can do push meds but you have to go to an extra class. Hope this helps =)

[ohmeowzer RN, RN]

I am an LPN and I want to work in the ER! It's the one place I would beg my instructors to let me do my clinical rotation in over and over again. Now I find that most hospitals won't even give me a chance to interview for the ER. =( I've gone back to school and I am doing my RN prereqs. Any advice on how to work my way into the ER?

well i think you may have to have your RN .. once you graduate then you can get in the ER. the trend for some hospitals (esp in my area ) is to only hire RN's for all areas of the hospitals.... it's a shame that LPN's are considered anymore for hospitals ( we don't even take agency LPN's to cover shifts)... but that's another thread....

i think in your areayou should call some HR's and ask them if they have LPN positions open in the ER ... you could even probably look online at the area hospitals and see the LPN positions open..

good luck and keep us posted