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

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I recently had a couple of nurses tell me that LPN's are just basically glorified aids 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?

What are typical LPN duties in a LTC setting?

Specializes in med/surg/tele/neuro/rehab/corrections.
LVNs are used almost exclusively at LTC, they only have I think 1 RN for the whole floor and she does paperwork. LVNs do all the nursing care. Hospitals here are a different story. Palomar/Pomerado health system has phased out their LVNs entirely, (2 hospitals) they don't hired them for acute care at all. Scripps (where I work - 5 hospitals) hire LVNs for the CNA job, they are on the schedule interchangeably used as CNA/LVNs. The other huge system in our are (San Diego) is Sharp, they also have 5 hospitals and I don't know what their policy is on hiring LVNs but I think it's much the same after looking at their job website online, there is not much for LVNs at all.

Melissa

Hey Melissa,

Looks like we live in the same area! :) I don't live too far away from Sharp Grossmont, just across town, and just checked their website today for CNA jobs and LVN jobs. (I just Googled it) They had nine LVN jobs listed at Grossmont Hospital alone and most required exp but a couple didn't. They have numerous jobs for someone that has thier CNA so that looks like a good place to start out. One of the benefits listed is that they will pay for training/education. (I hope this means that if I work as a CNA there that they will pay for LVN school. It's $2000! :eek: ) This is what I intend to do now. CNA to LVN to RN and work there.

My husband's job is ending in November/December so I need to work and will start summer next year. If I the leisure of time tho I would just continue going to school to get my RN first rather than later but life's circumstances often steer us a certain way and I guess this is life throwing me right in there right away! :chuckle No more waiting around! :rolleyes:

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i tend to ignore these kind of comments because they obviously have no idea what an LVN does. Where I work, the CNA's do the CNA job (no kind of invasive procedures at all, like f/c, They do nothing that I went to school for except the ADL part of it and V/S. Even with that, if I think the v/s for that rsdt is off, I go recheck it myself and get the accurate numbers. I can definately say I am not a 'glorified NA'. I am a LICENSED VOCATIONAL NURSE!!! and very proud of it.

People are gonna think what they will though.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

I dont necissarily agree that in the actue care setting LPN's do the same work as a Rn excpet IV pushes, but i guess that could depend on the facility. In mine they dont do the same job as the RN, however I dont agree that they are "glorified aides" thats just rediculous. If thats the case then so are the Rn's but the RN's have more responsiblity. It in no way means RN's arent also responsible for commode duty, empty urinals or pass ice, or give baths when needed.

All i can say is,, those that give respect, get respect. Whatever letters are behind the name on the badge.

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I have had just the opposite experience. As an RN working in LTC, it is the LPN's and aides that point me out as the RN, trying to make me responsible for this and that. Apart from some things like the rare IV's, we are about the same. Many LPN's are much better at aide work than me because they have been aides. I am hopeless because I haven't. I know a lot about various clinical subjects because I have worked in other positions and I have taught. I think we all respect each other for what we know and help each other out that way. And if anyone looks down on aides they are truly idiots, they do a big job for a pittance. They vary in their performance, just as RN's, LPN's and everyone else.

Sonya :uhoh21:

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What is this nonsense?

I thought that LTC was one setting where LPN's even charge the units.

I know I did when I was an LPN in LTC, has this changed?

I remember the RN's and LPN's being interchangable in LTC, one charged and one passed meds. Some days the RN passed meds and I charged, it wasn't uncommon, especially if the RN wasn't familiar with the floor.

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Hi there! Well good luck with school, I hear Sharp Grossmont is nice. I got hired there for L&D but decided the drive was out of the question - I'm in Escondido.

Can you skip LVN entirely and just do RN? I wouldn't waste time being an LVN, the schooling is nearly as long, just as expensive but the job opportunities much less.

Melissa

Hey Melissa,

Looks like we live in the same area! :) I don't live too far away from Sharp Grossmont, just across town, and just checked their website today for CNA jobs and LVN jobs. (I just Googled it) They had nine LVN jobs listed at Grossmont Hospital alone and most required exp but a couple didn't. They have numerous jobs for someone that has thier CNA so that looks like a good place to start out. One of the benefits listed is that they will pay for training/education. (I hope this means that if I work as a CNA there that they will pay for LVN school. It's $2000! :eek: ) This is what I intend to do now. CNA to LVN to RN and work there.

My husband's job is ending in November/December so I need to work and will start summer next year. If I the leisure of time tho I would just continue going to school to get my RN first rather than later but life's circumstances often steer us a certain way and I guess this is life throwing me right in there right away! :chuckle No more waiting around! :rolleyes:

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What is this nonesense?

I thought that LTC was one setting where LPN's even charge the units.

I know I did when I was an LPN in LTC, has this changed?

I remember the RN's and LPN's being interchangable in LTC, one charged and one passed meds. Some days the RN passed meds and I charged, it wasn't uncommon, especially if the RN wasn't familiar with the floor.

it still is...i'm the charge nurse at night

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I'm an LPN in a LTC facility (Ive worked in LTC for about 9yrs, and the facility i work at has a floor that is pretty much the equivalent to med/surg) and i've never been asked, or even "allowed" to work as an Aide, though i have offered to at times when we were short staffed, it just doesn't happen. The RNs and LPNs are interchangable, and as someone else mentioned, sometimes the LPN acts as the charge nurse while the RN passes meds, etc, and sometimes it's the other way around. The med techs are sometimes utilized as aides, but not very often. I did work in a Psych unit once, and there they used the LPNs and the Aides interchangably. This didn't bother me, and it didn't bother any other LPNs i knew at the time, either. It was actually a nice break, at least we got to go home on time when our shift ended. Working as nurses, well, you know how that can be sometimes, you're stuck at work till you've tied up every loose end and all your work is finished, sometimes up to 2hrs after your shift technically ends!

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Can you skip LVN entirely and just do RN? I wouldn't waste time being an LVN, the schooling is nearly as long, just as expensive but the job opportunities much less.

The schooling for some isn't nearly as long or expensive.

Becoming an LVN first affords the opportunity as a nurse, while going back to school (if one chooses to), which at some schools, also increases the odds of getting accepted to RN school.

Granted i know none of that is what this thread is about, but it's a problem to me when LVN education and title is refered to "as a waste of time".

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Okay, I'll put my two cents in.

I'm a charge nurse in LTC. Things are starting to change now, but for the past year I was the only nurse on my wing. That wing has 59 residents with various levels of acuity. I have one CMT who does the majority of the med pass. I do a med pass of my own at 4pm and 8pm to patients that have g-tubes, and for the meds that the CMT isn't allowed to pass...and a few pills in between that are time specific. I do several tube feeds, and a dozen flushes per 8hr shift. I have an average of 8 breathing treatments to be done twice a shift, and a number of treatments. There are all the flow sheets (treatment, behavior, pain, ADL's) and daily charting (new admits, readmits, antibiotic, skilled, incidents) along with anything that comes up during the shift. I round the the physicians when they come in, otherwise, when one of the four physicians we deal with calls back with orders from the problems that dayturn called in, I take those off. I do my glucoscans...I think I just have 10 of those now. And of course, there are the falls, the phone, the families, the visitors. Public relations is a big part of LTC.

When I have the time I'll catch a call light. If I'm in the area I'll answer an emergency light or get an alarm that's going off. I also try to feed a patient when I can, but that's a rare occurance. I also have 10 primary care patients that I'm responsible for doing a weekly full assessment on, and keeping track of labs and ppd's.

I'm not a "glorified aide". I have my own duties for which I am responsible, but I'm not above taking someone to the toilet or helping one of my four aides clean, change or transfer a patient.

I've never been asked to work the floor as an aide. In those instances when we're that short staff, the CMT is pulled to the floor, and another nurse called in to help with the med pass. There are a couple of nurses who will volunteer to work the floor on occasion.

Hmmm ~ must have been in a talky mood. I'll stop now.

Chel

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Okay, I'll put my two cents in.

I'm a charge nurse in LTC. Things are starting to change now, but for the past year I was the only nurse on my wing. That wing has 59 residents with various levels of acuity. I have one CMT who does the majority of the med pass. I do a med pass of my own at 4pm and 8pm to patients that have g-tubes, and for the meds that the CMT isn't allowed to pass...and a few pills in between that are time specific. I do several tube feeds, and a dozen flushes per 8hr shift. I have an average of 8 breathing treatments to be done twice a shift, and a number of treatments. There are all the flow sheets (treatment, behavior, pain, ADL's) and daily charting (new admits, readmits, antibiotic, skilled, incidents) along with anything that comes up during the shift. I round the the physicians when they come in, otherwise, when one of the four physicians we deal with calls back with orders from the problems that dayturn called in, I take those off. I do my glucoscans...I think I just have 10 of those now. And of course, there are the falls, the phone, the families, the visitors. Public relations is a big part of LTC.

When I have the time I'll catch a call light. If I'm in the area I'll answer an emergency light or get an alarm that's going off. I also try to feed a patient when I can, but that's a rare occurance. I also have 10 primary care patients that I'm responsible for doing a weekly full assessment on, and keeping track of labs and ppd's.

I'm not a "glorified aide". I have my own duties for which I am responsible, but I'm not above taking someone to the toilet or helping one of my four aides clean, change or transfer a patient.

I've never been asked to work the floor as an aide. In those instances when we're that short staff, the CMT is pulled to the floor, and another nurse called in to help with the med pass. There are a couple of nurses who will volunteer to work the floor on occasion.

Hmmm ~ must have been in a talky mood. I'll stop now.

Chel

wow, u described my night, except the resp part of it..we have a resp dept in house...we have over 20 trachs...but other than that, we got a pretty busy night

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I recently had a couple of nurses tell me that LPN's are just basically glorified aids 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?

What are typical LPN duties in a LTC setting?

Ok...while there may be differences between LPN and RN...schooling, things that they are licensed to do...they are both NURSES. Now I am starting school this fall to pursue my ADN and later in life a BSN completion program, I will say that in my years of being is settings where I have worked with both LPN's and RN's...some of the LPN's that I have worked with ran CIRCLES around the RN's. Overglorified CNA...hardly. I have worked with RN's that had such a Florence Nightingale complex that they couldnt do their job correctly and guess who cleaned up the mess...an LPN. So give credit where credit is due...sometimes it's all in the life experiences following graduation and licenture that makes the nurse...not the letters behind the name. Maybe the RN's that made that comment need to take a good harl look at themselves and see why the feel the need to belittle a co-worker based on the letters. :nono: :banghead:

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