NJ LPN's in Hemodialysis

Specialties Urology

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Hello

I am a new LPN who works in dialysis in northern NJ as a PCT. Why is it that an LPN is called a PCT and can only do PCT work in Hemodialysis. I read this Nephrology article on delegation from the May-June 2014 edition www.anna.org Titled The Authority for certain clinical tasks performed by unlicensed PCT's and LPN's in the hemodialysis setting, it clearly states that an RN can DELEGATE responsibilities to the appropriate staff (PCT and LPN) in NJ. LPN's can become IV certified and administer IV medications also. which is and will be great for the RN. NJ is a state that goes by the delegation rule which means that if the LPN has all the qualifications to do the task the RN can delegate that task to LPN. I was told by my manager that LPN's and PCT's have the same scope of practice and that is why the LPN is call and used as a PCT. I work for the company that hires LPN's and I am told by my manager that I have to keep my title PCT what can I do besides leave and take my 15 yrs of dialysis experience.My company says they are a company where u can grow, but I am not feeling that way. I am planning on going back to school for my RN in the future. I am also now IV certified and still used and called a PCT. am I reading to much into this article

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You have 15 years experience as PCT? You may have to start fresh as an LPN with another company.

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why another company

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Companies have the right to hire people who happen to be LPNs in a non-LPN capacity, ie hire them with a job title like "Patient Care Technician". This is fairly common. Urgent Care Centers where I live will hire LPNs, Medical Assistants and Paramedics as "Clinical Support Associates" or CSAs. They all have the same job description, no matter their individual credentials. And they all do the same tasks and have CSA as their sole designation within that job. CSAs who happen to be LPNs do not have any more responsibilities or privileges than CSAs who happen to be medical assistants.

Just because your state allows LPNs to administer IV medication, that does not mean that individual companies are obligated to allow their LPNs to do so. In fact, many hospitals and clinics have strict "no IV" policies regarding LPNs, despite the fact that their legal scope of practice allows it. A company can limit what they allow their LPNs to do any way they want. All they aren't allowed to do is to assign tasks to LPNs that exceed the state's scope of practice laws.

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Because the company you're with has you "locked in" at the PCT level. If you want to utilize your LPN training and take on greater responsibilities, your employer has made it clear that you"ll have to do that somewhere else.

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why another company

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why another company

If you want to work to your full scope as a LPN, you will have to move to a company that utilizes LPNs to their full scope.

If you're content being a PCT, and there's nothing wrong with that, then stay put.

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I can agree with u on that however my company allows LPN to work to there full capacity. According to the NJ state regulation-guidlines they in fact hire. LPNs Its my manager who won't promote me.

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I can agree with u on that however my company allows LPN to work to there full capacity. According to the NJ state regulation-guidlines they in fact hire. LPNs Its my manager who won't promote me.

Are you saying your manager allows other LPNs to work there in a LPN role, but is making you stay in a PCT role? Or are you saying the larger company utilizes LPNs in other settings, but the clinic you work at only uses them in a PCT role?

If it's the former, I would be offended.

If it's the latter, there's not much you can do. The large company I mentioned in an earlier post does this. In their urgent care centers they do not utilize LPNs as nurses, rather places them in a CSA role (along with paramedics and MAs). But in their long term care facilities they hire LPNs as, well, LPNs.

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yes there is LPN's working

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yes there is LPN's working

Another thing to consider is the possibility that these LPNs were "grandfathered in".

When I was an aide in the hospital,there were a couple LPNs on my floor. But they were both older and had been there for quite a while. The hospital hadn't actually hired a LPN on a med surg floor in 15 years. When I got my LPN while working as an aide, I was not offered a LPN job on my unit. I wasn't expecting it. I was welcome to stay on in my aide/tech role. But just because two of the ladies I worked with had been grandfathered in ages ago, that didn't mean they were going to create a LPN slot for me. It wasn't a slight against me, the staffing model simply stated that no new LPNs would be hired.

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That unfortunate for u however I was told by my Manger several times before graduation that she would hire me as an LPN and now my manager is saying when u become an RN I can use u more. Its been a long lived problem because in other parts of NJ they will hire an LPN I work in dialysis so for me to continue doing the work of a PCT is not the problem being that RN's do the exact same work but give medication. For me it's the status change which was told to me would happen. And now I am being asked to keep my PCT certification going so that I can be called a PCT. Which is a waste because my License trumps my certification. Its just very unfortunate and a disrespect to me.

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