LPNs glorified Techs?

Nurses General Nursing

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I have heard that LPNs who work in hospitals are basically glorified Patient Care Techs. DO you find this to be the case? I currently work as a PCT ina nursing home and I have supervisors who are LPNs so I know this is not the case in a nursing home. I am going to be in LPN school next year and am tryng to figure out if a hosptal would be best for me, but I have heard there is such a huge difference in the way LPNs are viewed in hospitals versus nursing homes.

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In my experience, LPNs are not treated differently that RNs. In my nursing class, we had about 10 LPNs. All of them worked in hospitals and did mainly the same duties as the RNs. I thought the same thing when I worked as a CNA in LTC. It seemed like that was the only place where LPNs could work. We have a definite nursing shortage in Middle TN. I have done clinicals at more rural hospitals where the LPNs and RNs worked the same floors, pt loads, etc. I have also done clinicals in a larger hospital in a bigger city and the LPNs worked the floor just like the RNs, but there were far fewer of them than at the rural hospitals. It really depends on where you work. I would suggest a smaller hospital, you would probably get more experience.

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I am a LPN in a hospital and am far from a tech. the only thing I don't do is push meds and hang blood. Other than that we pretty much do it all. procedures, passing meds, teaching, charting, you name it. I will say that in experience there is a difference in LPNs who are going to school to be a RN and LPNs who just want to do that. Usually, those of us who are in school are more hands on and more involved than those that just want to be a LPN. they tend to pass their meds and that is about it. I have no desire to stay a LPN so I get into to anything I can for the experience.

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Specializes in Assisted Living, Med-Surg/CVA specialty.

I'm an LPN and in my area (Delaware/Maryland) I could NOT get a job as a new LPN in a hospital. At least not without working an 11-7 shift or something (impossible for me to do full time + keep my schooling going!). One hospital, actually offered me a position... as a nurse tech. Granted, I could get some experience in a hospital setting with that but if I went all that way through school and spent the money for school & my boards, why would I want to work as a NURSE TECH?!

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Specializes in Ortho/Neuro.
I'm an LPN and in my area (Delaware/Maryland) I could NOT get a job as a new LPN in a hospital. At least not without working an 11-7 shift or something (impossible for me to do full time + keep my schooling going!). One hospital, actually offered me a position... as a nurse tech. Granted, I could get some experience in a hospital setting with that but if I went all that way through school and spent the money for school & my boards, why would I want to work as a NURSE TECH?!

In my facility (midwest) we don't really have LPN's either. There are just like 2 that I am aware of and they work on the rehab unit and are often floated as nurses aides to other units.

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Specializes in Trauma/ED.

The hospitals in my area have gone away from using LPN's much except in the clinics but this is merely a trend I'm sure. It seems to come in waves they start using a lot of LPN's then they lay them off...etc etc.

As for the OP--No they are not "glorified tech's", an LPN is still a licensed nurse just like an RN.

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Are nurses glorified bottom-wipers? Are doctors glorified pill-pushers?

Each professional has their own training. Some jobs are more mundane and some more challenging. Some jobs utilize all your skills, some don't.

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I'm an RN and have worked with many LPN's over the years. I have always been very impressed with their knowledge and abilities. Other than not pushing IV's they pretty much were right in there doing what the RN's were doing. I always thought they were way undpaid for all that they had to do. Course I think Nurses are underpaid period. ;)

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Specializes in ER then CVICU now.

That is not true at all where I've worked at. The LPNs had their own set of patients and did everything that RNs did, with a few exceptions. Where I work now, the LPNs get the 7 set of hard patients that we get. Techs?? Where?

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

Some of the floors in my hospital just allow LPNs to administer medications and they are not doing nursing notes. I worked in med-surg for 6 weeks, and was the pill and bag pusher; but it didn't bother me too much for a few reasons. One was that once I finished, I would assist the RNs with other things such as catheter insertion, dressings and suctioning, and, I did not have to do all of the paperwork that the RNs had to. I would chart what I actually did for the patient, and keep it moving.

I have witnessed shifts where my hospitals actually laid off RNs in the clinics, thinking that they didn't need as many of them, while LPNs can do the more task oriented work, then, if began to shift back focusing on obtaining more RNs. I believe that this will happen again; where there will be such a shortage, that they will take anything with a license.

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Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.

My experience is that LPNs are more utilized in LTC and even act in a supervisory capacity, especially in ALFs. When I worked critical care, we didn't use LPNs at all. Our hospital didn't hire them. In hospice, the LPNs did everything the RNs did except case manage.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
My experience is that LPNs are more utilized in LTC and even act in a supervisory capacity, especially in ALFs. When I worked critical care, we didn't use LPNs at all. Our hospital didn't hire them. In hospice, the LPNs did everything the RNs did except case manage.

What a cute avatar; the kitty kat in the hammock! Awww...

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