LVN covering as caregiver for a shift

Nurses LPN/LVN

Published

I'm an LVN, working in an assisted living facility in southern CA. So my boss asked me to cover a few shifts or to cover a caregiver when they call out, not available, etc. Since there would be 2 LVNs in the same shift when I cover, they offered to pay me at half my original pay as LVN, similar to that of a caregiver's pay. Is it not ok for the facility to do this? Or it's still ok as I'm working different job codes when I clock in (1 as LVN, the other as caregiver when I fill in for others' absence). I do have 1 resident who needs his colostomy bag changed when it has to, or do I pass that responsibility to the other LVN on duty since I'm only working as caregiver on that shift.

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Don't be a sucker. If they need coverage, they can pay you your LVN wage. If you agree to a cut, count on being "the one" who always gets pulled from the floor to work as a care-giver while your colleagues continue to work as nurses for their full pay.

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I've been feeling uneasy about it these past few days, I only covered once with that rate since it's an "emergency", but yeah, I felt like being taken advantage of. It's really disincentive to be honest.

Thank you

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Specializes in ER, Trauma, Med-Surg/Tele, LTC.

Can they do it? They can if you let them. It's not illegal for them to pay you less if you let them. But don't let them for the reasons Pangea just stated. Absolutely don't accept getting paid less because you're doing caregiver work. You're still responsible to your highest license should anything happen even if you're not carrying out LVN duties.

When I was an LVN, sometimes when we were short of CNAs I'd be assigned as a CNA for the shift because I was one of the few LVNs who didn't mind. I still got paid my LVN wage though. When I'd be assigned as a CNA in a situation like you describe with the colostomy bag, it would still be the primary LVN's responsibility to change it, since I was functioning as a CNA, but I would just change it anyway to help them out since it was within my scope of practice. Just because you're not assigned as an LVN for the day doesn't mean you suddenly aren't one anymore, so don't get paid less than one either.

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Specializes in LTC and Pediatrics.

Where I work, you get paid your LPN wage when you work as a CNA

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I think You will still be held up to your LVN license if something were to happen to a pt you are caring for as a CNA and the primary nurse didn't do anything about it.

And you need to get paid as an LVN when they do this. Do not let them take advantage of you. I did 1:1 one time and I got paid my RN rate even though it was a CNA job.

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I generally don't advocate for LPNs/LVNs, but there is a line you need to draw here. You are above doing CNA work and you should be working at the level of your license. For them to cut your pay and demote you to the rank of CNA is insulting. If my employer dropped my pay and demoted me, I would be gone in a heartbeat.

I wouldn't mind doing LPN/LVN work at my current rate of pay and wouldn't blame a LPN/LVN willing to take on CNA work at his or her LPN/LVN rate. But for both ranking and rate of pay to drop is insulting. Participating in such barbaric practice will allow your employer to see you as a doormat. Don't be a chump.

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I generally don't advocate for LPNs/LVNs, but there is a line you need to draw here. You are above doing CNA work and you should be working at the level of your license. For them to cut your pay and demote you to the rank of CNA is insulting. If my employer dropped my pay and demoted me, I would be gone in a heartbeat.

I wouldn't mind doing LPN/LVN work at my current rate of pay and wouldn't blame a LPN/LVN willing to take on CNA work at his or her LPN/LVN rate. But for both ranking and rate of pay to drop is insulting. Participating in such barbaric practice will allow your employer to see you as a doormat. Don't be a chump.

We are not above CNA work. CNAs work under our license therefore we can do the CNAs work.

What is insulting in OPs post is the company cutting her rate to half. In addition, it was the OPs choice to work as a CNA and get paid as a CNA. She could have said NO to them.

I would not have done my 1:1 gigs in the past if I was not getting paid my RN rate (overtime pay).

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We are not above CNA work. CNAs work under our license therefore we can do the CNAs work.

What is insulting in OPs post is the company cutting her rate to half. In addition, it was the OPs choice to work as a CNA and get paid as a CNA. She could have said NO to them.

I would not have done my 1:1 gigs in the past if I was not getting paid my RN rate (overtime pay).

Just because you can do something doesn't mean it isn't beneath you. There are plenty of tasks that we are able to do that we are well above. To have to perform those tasks is more demeaning to the person with the 4 year degree than the person who needs to have his or her butt wiped. The only consolation is the high rate of pay. Once you take the high rate of pay away, you're working at level of a CNA with the liability of a RN. As I said earlier, no one should be willing to do such a thing.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
I think You will still be held up to your LVN license if something were to happen to a pt you are caring for as a CNA and the primary nurse didn't do anything about it.

And you need to get paid as an LVN when they do this. Do not let them take advantage of you. I did 1:1 one time and I got paid my RN rate even though it was a CNA job.

The LTACH I used to work at occasionally pulled me as an RN to do a 1:1, and I likewise got my full RN pay.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
Just because you can do something doesn't mean it isn't beneath you. There are plenty of tasks that we are able to do that we are well above. To have to perform those tasks is more demeaning to the person with the 4 year degree than the person who needs to have his or her butt wiped. The only consolation is the high rate of pay. Once you take the high rate of pay away, you're working at level of a CNA with the liability of a RN. As I said earlier, no one should be willing to do such a thing.

I routinely wipe butts as an ICU RN, but no disagreement with the bolded part. :yes:

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Just because you can do something doesn't mean it isn't beneath you. There are plenty of tasks that we are able to do that we are well above. To have to perform those tasks is more demeaning to the person with the 4 year degree than the person who needs to have his or her butt wiped. The only consolation is the high rate of pay. Once you take the high rate of pay away, you're working at level of a CNA with the liability of a RN. As I said earlier, no one should be willing to do such a thing.

Wow. Message received. By the way, I don't have a 4 year degree. I only have a lowly associate degree but I don't mind wiping butts when necessary.

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