LPNs Supervising RNs

[aloha551]

I am a "mature" RN who left the field of long term care after nearly 30 years. After several years off,I decided to return and took a job with an agency. My first day back was with a LTC facility and my job was to pass meds. I find that my direct supervisor, who was the unit charge nurse was an LPN. Back in the day, this would never have happened. I have always had great respect for LPNs but their area of practice was not equilivant to mine. I found it quite uncomfortable to digress to a young woman who frankly didn't know what she didn't know. I refused to carry out an order that I felt was a detrement to my patient. I felt I was within my scope of practice. My question is: Has this happened to any one else or has things changed so much that we now have LPNs supervising RNs.

[txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN]

you could have saved us the 10 pages of fun by contacting the attorney in the first place... however, i am always up for a good argument and stand by all of my comments...

this was never intended to be a 10 page "slug fest" its time we put this to rest. enough i needed a question answered to find out if i was in compliance with my states regulations and i wouldn't be putting my house and lifes saveings on the line if something went horribly wrong that i had no knowledge about. i have no great love for certain rns or lpns for that matter. "remember i said certain" don't confuse the fact that i mean you. to end this nonsence i contacted my state board of nursing and a malpractice attorney this morning. according to the state: an lpn is permittedthe performance of "selected" nursing acts in the care of the ill, injured or infirmed under the direction of a licensed professional nurse whichdo not require the "specialized skill ,judgment and knowledge required in professional nursing. which means "that under no circumstances be it administrative or clinical can an rn be under the supervision of an lpn in my state. to quote the malpractice attorney "are you nuts?? do you want to loose your license ?" so my friends my question has been answered. all of your snipeing is a moot point. my question did not deserve a 10 page reply. to some of you i hope your nursing skills are better than your communication skills. we are all members of the same club worked too hard and payed too little. to quote one of the respondents,"pull up your big girl pants and get back to work"...............remember you wouldn't have what you have gained in this profession if back in the day didn't fight for the rights you now have.

[RN1982]

you could have saved us the saved us the 10 pages of fun by contacting the attorney in the first place... however, i am always up for a good argument and stand by all of my comments...

amen to that. it would probably would have been better if aloha had just contacted her state board of nursing and a malpractice attorney. as has been state before, lpn/rn scope of practice vary from state to state.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

So My friends my question has been answered.

Yes, your question has been answered several times over. I'd like to give an appreciative thanks to all of the members who made meaningful contributions in order to get your question expediently answered. After all, these forums would not exist without our wonderful members (CNAs, LPNs/LVNs, RNs, students, and non-nursing folks).

This thread will be closed for a cooling-off period.