LPN's just glorified nurse aids in LTC? Huh?

[onehusbandsevenkids]

I recently had a couple of nurses tell me that LPN's are just basically glorified aid in LTC settings.

I though that LPN's did mostly the same work as RN's in the LTC setting.

I know that everyone needs to be a team and pitch in and get whatever needs to be done, done. But LPN's as glorified aids? Why go to LPN school then?

[catslave]

At the faciliey where I work, the only thing I can't do as an LPN is hang blood, administer 1st dose of ABT and pronounce.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

At the faciliey where I work, the only thing I can't do as an LPN is hang blood, administer 1st dose of ABT and pronounce.

What an LPN can and can't do is mainlydictated by each state's nurse practice act although there are facility policies. In Massachusetts it's called an RN pronouncement, but LPNs can hang IVs first dose or last, start IVs,pull IVs. Years ago I worked in a place in which LPNs could do the whole admission EXCEPT the oral assessment...so what ...all y'all can start IVs but you can't count teeth? Finally the company saw the foolishness and changed the policy. None of the LPNs were thrilled that they could count teeth!

What we don't do in this state and by we I mean RNs and LPNs is mix TPN...yikes..are you crazy??we don't even do TPN anymore because the medicare reimbursement is so low for all the aggrevation you have to go through.

And, in no LTC or SNF that I've worked in would we ever ever ever hang blood products.

[jadedRN04]

NO WAY!! Lpns in our state do everything that RNs do in the ltc setting except for maybe a few things per facility policy. The facility I work at does not differentiate what can be done between lpn/rn other than the rn is ultimately in charge. Our adon is a lpn.

[maryjose1]

That is so untrue. They obviously must work in a pretty shallow work environment. The facility that I work in EVERYONE is there for the same reason....THE RESIDENT ! It is not below me or any other nurse in our facility to render care to those in our care, ( what ever that care may be) from changing a soiled brief to passing a food tray at meal time. Any nurse that feels the should not have to do CNA work in a long term care facility ,has forgotten was true nursing is all about.

[Hospice Nurse LPN, BSN, RN]

Let's see we have an RN in the building Mon-Fri from 7-3 and a total of 16 hours on the weekend. That's a whopping 56 hours a week! There are 168 hours in a 7 day week. Who do you think is running the joint the rest of the time?

[txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN]

in texas a lvn can do everything with a iv, but we cant pronounce... i think that is dumb dumb dumb...why can i fill a patient full of iv goodies, but cant tell when one is dead...

i work in ltc, i am a lpn and i do exactly the same thing as the rn's with the exception of putting in an iv. i can pronounce, give meds, hang iv"s (just not put them in), tube feeds...all of it) but each facility is different in what a lpn is able to do.

[txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN]

not being able to admin the first dose of a abt...are you kidding?

at the faciliey where i work, the only thing i can't do as an lpn is hang blood, administer 1st dose of abt and pronounce.

[txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN]

lol, right....:yeahthat:

let's see we have an rn in the building mon-fri from 7-3 and a total of 16 hours on the weekend. that's a whopping 56 hours a week! there are 168 hours in a 7 day week. who do you think is running the joint the rest of the time?

[ocb_dave_ocb, LPN]

As a DNS, I like to hire good nurses. The first thing I ask is how much experience do you have?...the RN vs LPN question is about the last thing I ask. In long term care the only thing LPN's can't do is pronounce someone dead.

Not a single LPN but two LPN's can pronounce (at least in TN)

[banditrn]

I recently had a couple of nurses tell me that LPN's are just basically glorified aid in LTC settings.

I though that LPN's did mostly the same work as RN's in the LTC setting.

I know that everyone needs to be a team and pitch in and get whatever needs to be done, done. But LPN's as glorified aids? Why go to LPN school then?

Don't know where you live, but where I am, the LPN is the heart and soul of LTC!! As an RN, I worked on an equal footing with the LPN's. I don't know where those two are coming from - sounds like a case of poor self image on their part.

[Tasha_R.N.]

Hi I'm new here. As far as my LTC facility goes, you can tell which nurses have been CNA's (or for that matter LPN's) before becoming RN's. It really does show. Those that were so quick to rush to the big R.N. tend to think of themselves more highly than someone who is "just" an LPN. Now let me say that this isn't always the case. We have a couple older RN's who seem to think that because they never had to wipe a butt as a CNA or console a dying person as an LPN means that they're better, in my opinion, they're not the better nurses. I believe that LPN's are just as good as RN's. (I just quit signing LPN not too long ago.) Then there are the nurses that were CNA's that went on to be LPN's who finally went on to be RN's who forgot where they came from and look down their noses at those without that oh so high and mighty RN behind their name.

I've always told my co-workers, whether they be CNA's, UAP's, LPN's, or whatever the case maybe that if I ever even begin to act like I see myself as better because of the two high and mighty letters behind my name, then they should call me on it, and smack me back into reality.

Truthfully, I believe LPN's are just as good as RN's (sometimes W-A-Y better.) Just because you went to school to get the degree doesn't always mean you have common sense or that you can apply what is behind that degree! SO if you're an LPN you need to give yourself a pat on the back, keep your head held high, and don't ever forget YOU'RE A N-U-R-S-E too.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~Tasha~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

[CITCAT]

in some states that is not the case absent of vital signs,no corneal reflexnoted time date year dr called and aware some lpns in some states do this legaly