LPN'S Supervising RNs'? How would you feel?

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I would like to start out by saying that I do respect LPN's and I am in favor of advancing in everyones careers. I am an RN on a PCU. Our hosp changed the "directors" title to Clinical Care Coordinator. Now, our floor with mostly RN's are under the direction of a LPN whom reports to the director of acute care/pcu. Let me explain further, we had seperate directors at one time, but now have one director. We are in the basement of the hospital and our director in upstairs on the acute floor. However, our newly hired clinical care coordinator is in an office with us downstairs. I am having a very difficult time in falling under this type of leadership umbrella. I also think its a dif positon for the LPN to be in too. Any thoughts?

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Welcome to allnurses, cowgirl. I moved your post to a more appropriate Forum for more responses.

Suebird :)

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Specializes in OB, NP, Nurse Educator.

Does this nurse do a good job as a supervisor? Are her clinical skills sharp? Does she have good leadership/management skills? Does she have many years of experience? There must be some reason she was put into that position. Over the years some of the best nurses I have ever worked with were LPN's.

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Hi,

Legally, an LPN can't supervise an RN. It's like the PA telling the MD how to treat or the Paralegal instructing the attorney how to practice law. We can learn a lot from each other, but the bottom line is that it's not legal. However, your employer can do whatever they want right. If they downgraded the job from Drector to Clinical Coordinator, they also downgraded the pay. These companies now a days are using everyone to save a buck, RN & LPN's alike.

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Specializes in MedSurg-1yr, MotherBaby-6yrs NICU 4/07.

I was an LPN for 5 1/2 years. I just graduated with my ADN in May. While I agree that some of the very best nurses out there are LPN's hands down, I do believe that I, too would have trouble with the scenario presented. Maybe it is because at the facility where I work, to hold ANY management position whatsoever you must have a BSN, preferably higher. There are a few assistant managers who are ADN's, but they have been given "X" amount of time to complete their BSN, or they must resign their position. Also, I can't see a person with a "lesser" degree (sorry I didn't know how else to word it, don't blast me!) can manage those with higher degrees. I don't think this happens often in other professions either. Just my $0.02.

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Once upon a time, in a land far far away, I had 2 DON's. One was an LPN who was the director of nurses, and an RN who was director of nursing. The LPN functioned as the DON, while the RN functioned as an ADON. I didn't have a problem working under either of their direction. They both were very good nurses and filled their perspecive roles well. However, today, I would probably be upset (to say the least) if an LPN were to be my supervisor. It would have nothing to do with her skills, it would be a matter of the level of formal education. just my 2 cents.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I am employed at a large long term care facility where the three ADONs are all LVNs and, yes, they supervise the floor RNs. I am not quite sure of the legalities involved with this situation, but there are three LVNs who supervise floor RNs at my workplace. They have the power to bring disciplinary action, hire people, and terminate the employment of those who have been deemed 'incompetent'.

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I had a boss who was (and still is) an LPN, in Phx...She was required to inactivate her license (for a management job)...She was and still is (31 years w/ same company) a center manager (DON) for a nationwide HMO (Cigna) managed care facility (primary care, urgent care, OB)...Best boss I have ever had, and ever will have...

A back office LPN that understands how to run a business...

End of story...

I am a proud 11 year RN, BSN, ACLS, DAD, LUV, LMAO, ETC...

Get over it...

Depends on the person and the situation...

My dad quit college and made tons of cash...

Tradition is overrated

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I don't care if the person who supervises me is an LPN or an RN or a trained monkey if they are capable and good at their job and IF it is legal. The simple question is: is it legal for a LPN to supervise an RN? That's all I would need to know.

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

The answer is as close as your state Board Of Nursing.

Allnurses of course cannot give legal advice, and I would be quite wary of anything read on the internet.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

I feel like someone needs to check out the Board of Nursing definition of an RN vs an LPN scope of practice.

And no, I would not feel comfortable with having an LPN in authority over me, simply because the BON's definition of our roles contradicts such a situation.

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That is just rediculous.I would be mad as hell.Think you need to find out why that happened.Just doesn't sound right.

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