LPN in ICU?

Specialties MICU

Published

i am currently in school getting my LPN. my career goal is to be a CRNA. ive mapped out my academic path and i intend to work in the icu before i apply to a crna school... question is... are there LPN's working in the ICU? or will i have to wait til i get my RN...

To the OP,

Please do not be misled.......99.9% of CRNA programs require that you have 2+years( minimum) of RN experience in an ICU enviroment.

Folks, listen when people come on to this site looking for info we need to give them the rule, not the exceptions to the rule. The OP needs to know that he/she will not be competitive enough if he/she works as an LVN/LPN in the ICU for 2+ years and then tries an gets a BSN and apply to a CRNA program all at once. A seasoned vet in the CRNA field and current SRNA's will be the first to back up everything I am saying. If the OP tried to compete with there 2+ years of experience as an LVN/LPN against someone that has 2+ yrs of experience as an RN....they would just be setting themselves up for failure (again this is in reference to applying to a CRNA program).

So to the OP.......if CRNA is what you desire RN is what you need.

I agree as well, but maybe you misinterpretated my posts. The OP asked if a LPN can work in the ICU and her goal is to go to CRNA school. I stated if her state alllows LPN's a wider scope of practice, it would be good for her to work in the ICU. In many states, LPN"s have a limited scope, and they would be useless in the ICU.

Yes, she should get her BSN. But I have seen a LPN working in the ICU/ER get his BSN and go to CRNA school. They did count his LPN time towards the criticial care requirement. Maybe some schools dont, but some schools do.

I hope this clears things up.

figured out my path...

while im working as an LPN (not too sure where yet tho...) i will be working to get my ADN... as an RN i will work in ICU while working on my BSN... and then off to becoming a CRNA!

anything can happen in the process, things may change.. but thats the plan so far...

Our ICU just phased out last LPN, that had been "grandfathered" in. She was given a few years to go back to school to finish her RN and didn't follow through. We don't hire LPN's and can't even use agency LPN's.

Delite,

I admire and commend your efforts towards such a dedicated goal. I would suggest that instead of getting your LPN - to immediately get your RN via the ADN program. There are also many programs that will take you from RN to MSN - skipping the BSN part. This will save you time, money, and ultimately loads of frustration.

I have seen many LPN's get stuck because of life responsibilities, job requirements, lower pay, and a plethera of other reasons. Its only a few more months for that ADN and the pay and job opportunities far outweigh the time invested.

Currently in my high acuity Progressive ICU, or "step-down", we have a couple of LPN's working. This unit takes trachs, vents, drips, all post cath patients, all surgical, medical, trauma patients. Our LPN's can give IVP medications, they can even give Morphine and Ativan IVP up to 2mg. They can hang blood and TPN (Hyper-al) after it has been checked by an RN. Each state does differ when it comes to what LPN's can do. But it is correct that LPN's cannot perform assessments of any kind. What they can do is gather data, it is then up to the RN to assess the data and formulate the careplan.

I wish you luck on your journey and I truly hope you get the support you need to complete it!

Delite,

I admire and commend your efforts towards such a dedicated goal. I would suggest that instead of getting your LPN - to immediately get your RN via the ADN program. There are also many programs that will take you from RN to MSN - skipping the BSN part. This will save you time, money, and ultimately loads of frustration.

I have seen many LPN's get stuck because of life responsibilities, job requirements, lower pay, and a plethera of other reasons. Its only a few more months for that ADN and the pay and job opportunities far outweigh the time invested.

Currently in my high acuity Progressive ICU, or "step-down", we have a couple of LPN's working. This unit takes trachs, vents, drips, all post cath patients, all surgical, medical, trauma patients. Our LPN's can give IVP medications, they can even give Morphine and Ativan IVP up to 2mg. They can hang blood and TPN (Hyper-al) after it has been checked by an RN. Each state does differ when it comes to what LPN's can do. But it is correct that LPN's cannot perform assessments of any kind. What they can do is gather data, it is then up to the RN to assess the data and formulate the careplan.

I wish you luck on your journey and I truly hope you get the support you need to complete it!

To say getting your LPN is a waste of time is not true.....Here you can take a fast track/accelerated RN program which is 10 months long. You bypass the first 2 semesters. So its not really a waste of time. But you are true in the fact that it does delay many LPN's from reaching their ultimate goal of getting their RN due to financial reasons. But to say its a waste of time is making a bad statement. I would think every state has the availability of LPN"s taking an accelerated program. Maybe im wrong.

I did not mean to imply that getting a LPN was a waste of time, only that there were faster ways to reach the ultimate goal of CRNA. There are some people who believe that you "have" to follow the progression of LPN, ADN, BSN, MSN. That is simply not the case. I was hoping to provide alternatives to help expidite Delite's progression.

i know i dont have to follow a certain progression, but its what it going to work for me... i have about 102 college credits from university, which im sure a big chunk of them will be carried over, so it wont really be that long... i am financially supporting myself throughout all of this, so the progression aids the ability for me to work and support myself as well as go to school... i also considered the availability of step programs in my area... i am already a third of the way through my LPN program and i am doing very well with my grades, and i am also class president... i dont think theres any stopping me now to start all over again to get my RN... i am not the type of person who doesnt keep working to attain a goal when i get "stuck"... but i am definitely open to any suggestions, advice, or information that anyone experienced has to share... i still have a long way to go...

Hello ICU nurses. I am kind of new here. ICU nurse since 1992. Very busy with kids, school, yadda yadda !

I suppose that this girl is getting her LPN first because of the waiting list in the RN programs?? We have a big problem where I am from. There are 2yr waiting lists for the ADN and BSN programs. The pcts (patient care techs aka nurses aids) are on the lists but obtaining an LPN degree until able to get in. Not a bad idea, just thinking that some might not want to return to the RN progams when they become available. I work at a level one trauma center, we have careflight, magnet status, etc....We take care of the sickest of the sick and unfortunately, we dont have staff. We are considering LPNs. No one wants it. More responsibility for the RNs and this could be a potentially dangerous situation. They will be glorified PCTs with the RNs picking up the slack. No offense to LPNs, please. Good luck to you !

I have worked in three different states at Level One Trauma Centers and each employed LPNs in the ICU...usually lower acuity patients and the LPN had to go through a short "critical care course" but absolutely go for it!

We had one LPN whose was grandfathered into our CCU. She is the best nurse there. We used to tease that she forgot more on after a night out than most of us will every know. The RNs and MDs have the utmost respect for her. Godforbid anyone I knew would be admitted to the unit, she is the nurse I would want.

+ Add a Comment