LPN's Question For you

toto5559 · May 16, 2006

some hospitols may try to phase them out. i worked at one for 6 years as a CNA/HUC and was a union steward for local 113. we would discuss MNA on occasions. MNA wouldnt let alot of the hosp phase out LPN. LPN's are cheaper. where i worked they were thinking about doing core nursing. where there would be an RN and and few LPN and a couple of cna's and they would have a group of patients to work with. i left there because of budget cuts. now i work at a clinic with a family practive doc and love it.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · May 16, 2006

I live in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. LVNs are in hot demand here; in fact, there are usually 4 pages of LVN job listings on the advertisement section of our local newspapers every Sunday morning.

There are still hospital jobs for LVNs in this area, but they pay poorly due to the low demand. Nursing homes in this metro area tend to pay significantly higher LVN salaries than hospitals, so I choose to work at nursing homes.

bignur1 · May 16, 2006

i live in mi, and their are plenty of jobs, in home care,nursing & rehab centers, the wage dif is only $2.00-$5.00 dif. but even myself realize that if i want to be more employable it is best to go after that rn degree

tookewlandy · May 16, 2006

LPN's arent considered nurses......THEY ARE NURSES!!!!!!!!!!!!

belindam · May 17, 2006

Good morning :)

hey sassychris the demand in Northern & Southern New Jersey is crazy.

they will always need lpn's..

im not sure where you live, but maybe u should think about relocating.

luvmy2angels · May 17, 2006

Yes, I very much consider myself to be a nurse!! There are hospitals that DO hire LPNs and then there are hospitals that DON'T hire LPNs. The pay for an LPN to work in a hospital in my area (PA) is around $12/hr. However the pay for an LPN in a LTC facility is around $16-$19/hr. Of course there are always ads for LPNs to work in Dr office but the pay is only around $8-$9/hr, a lot of nurses like working in a Dr office because the hours are great and very seldom do they have to work weekends. There are A LOT of opportunities for LPNs besides working in a hospital.

ljds · May 17, 2006

LPNs are very much in demand in my area, and they are hired in the hospital here, though not in the numbers that Rns and aides are. It helps everyone if you are IV certified (if that is allowable in your state).

I have never been disrespected as a nurse, not that I know of. I feel like my co-workers respect my skills and experience. I have several years of experience, and in a wide range of areas, so maybe that helps. I am very confident in my skills, but also very aware of my professional and skill boundaries, and am not afraid to consult my covering RN or to approach him/her with something that I need help with. I'm sure that helps in terms of my relationship with my fellow nurses, particularly with my covering RNs.

We have white boards in all the rooms where we write the names of the patient's caregivers for that shift, to help them keep us all straight. I always write: "Nurses: Lori, LPN; Soandso, RN." when I am introducing myself. I always note to them that I am their primary nurse, but that Soandso and I are working on a team, so they may see him/her occasionally. If they ask for further details, I give them; but most people don't ask.

I've never had a patient refuse me as their nurse because of my LPN status. Actually, I think patients prefer me, because I always have a TPC; I never work with an aide. So where as the RN typically has 6-8 patients, with an aide doing most of the hands-on care, I usually have 3-4, and do EVERYTHING for my patients. They get to see their nurse more. It's just the way our hospital has things set up; but I like it like that! That is one reason why I am currently still an LPN--the pay is fine, and the position I am in is unique and to my liking, in terms of how my patient care is set up.

Beary-nice · May 17, 2006

lpn's arent considered nurses......they are nurses!!!!!!!!!!!!

:yeahthat: you betcha!!!! amen!

Beary-nice · May 17, 2006

I live in the midwest and most of the LPN jobs are in LTC or clinics. Some of the larger cities do utilize LPNs in acute care, but it varies to facility what they will and won't let you do. Our hospital, or I should say our floor, just last fall changed their LPN expectations. I now get paid lots of money to give baths and ambulate pts. Oh, but when they are in a bind, I get to care for pts and do assessments, give meds, all but the IV stuff, just as I have been doing the last 15+years. Some of the rural hospitals have LPNs but they infrequently hire new ones and when a job opens up they will hire a RN instead.

catzy5 · May 17, 2006

LPNs are very much in demand in my area, and they are hired in the hospital here, though not in the numbers that Rns and aides are. It helps everyone if you are IV certified (if that is allowable in your state).
I have never been disrespected as a nurse, not that I know of. I feel like my co-workers respect my skills and experience. I have several years of experience, and in a wide range of areas, so maybe that helps. I am very confident in my skills, but also very aware of my professional and skill boundaries, and am not afraid to consult my covering RN or to approach him/her with something that I need help with. I'm sure that helps in terms of my relationship with my fellow nurses, particularly with my covering RNs.
We have white boards in all the rooms where we write the names of the patient's caregivers for that shift, to help them keep us all straight. I always write: "Nurses: Lori, LPN; Soandso, RN." when I am introducing myself. I always note to them that I am their primary nurse, but that Soandso and I are working on a team, so they may see him/her occasionally. If they ask for further details, I give them; but most people don't ask.
I've never had a patient refuse me as their nurse because of my LPN status. Actually, I think patients prefer me, because I always have a TPC; I never work with an aide. So where as the RN typically has 6-8 patients, with an aide doing most of the hands-on care, I usually have 3-4, and do EVERYTHING for my patients. They get to see their nurse more. It's just the way our hospital has things set up; but I like it like that! That is one reason why I am currently still an LPN--the pay is fine, and the position I am in is unique and to my liking, in terms of how my patient care is set up.

Boy that is a great example of what its like for you and I can see how you make sure you are giving respect to your other co workers and I am sure that makes a huge difference in the respect you recieve in turn, I am so excited about my future and I love love to read posts like this its exactly what I want!

I also wanted to add most people in the "world" (non medical people) have no idea what an lpn or rn is I know before I got involved in this I never looked anyones tags I never knew what title my caregivers had or cared I just wanted nice kind nurses.

catherine

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · May 17, 2006

Our hospital, or I should say our floor, just last fall changed their LPN expectations. I now get paid lots of money to give baths and ambulate pts.

So, basically, they are using you as an overpaid, glorified aide?