No more LPNs?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2008

I am wondering if there would be a job for me as an LPN!

If you're willing to work in LTC, home health, assisted living, or clinic nursing, there should be LPN positions available upon completion of the program. However, the story might be different if your heart is still set on hospital employment.

FutureNS · Jul 3, 2008

hi everyone. i was wondering, if you currently work for a hospital, if yours is phasing out lpns? mine is. every week there are new restrictions, and many days they are pulled down to "tech" (cna work). i am a cna, and wanted to go to lpn school first, and then rn...but now i am wondering if there would be a job for me as an lpn!

is this solitary to my facility, or are other places doing this as well? any insight you have would be appriciated!

hi, i am a cna/ma also and i was gonna go for my lpn until i found this very same thing out. i decided to jump over lpn and go straight for rn because i always wanted to work in the e.r. i don't like that they are phasing the lpn's but atleast i found it out before i got mine.

MrsD723 · Jul 3, 2008

I work in a 200 bed hospital in New York. We are no longer hiring LPN's here as well. We are applying for Magnet Status next year and under those guidelines, LPN's are viewed as tech's as well. It has created quite a contreversy here.

Butterfliesnroses · Jul 3, 2008

I guess my question is...if they move the LPN down to CNA/tech status, would the LPN get paid the same amount as before (for passing meds, dressing changes, ect) to do CNA/tech work?

Because call me odd but I would have NO problem working as a CNA/tech and making as much as a LPN. As a CNA compared to a LPN CNA's don't have much responsibility...they don't have to be supervisors to the point that a LPN is.

FutureNS · Jul 3, 2008

i guess my question is...if they move the lpn down to cna/tech status, would the lpn get paid the same amount as before (for passing meds, dressing changes, ect) to do cna/tech work?
because call me odd but i would have no problem working as a cna/tech and making as much as a lpn. as a cna compared to a lpn cna's don't have much responsibility...they don't have to be supervisors to the point that a lpn is.
good question as i am curious also

puppylover · Jul 3, 2008

I guess my question is...if they move the LPN down to CNA/tech status, would the LPN get paid the same amount as before (for passing meds, dressing changes, ect) to do CNA/tech work?
Because call me odd but I would have NO problem working as a CNA/tech and making as much as a LPN. As a CNA compared to a LPN CNA's don't have much responsibility...they don't have to be supervisors to the point that a LPN is.

In my facility, you are paid the same payrate regardless of what your status is, unless you charge. So an LPN would be making his/her regular LPN salary while working as a CNA...if a CNA is pulled to sit, they make CNA wages, etc...

I am assuming this is part of the reason we are no longer hiring LPNs. I agree that it would pay to do CNA work and be paid as an LPN, but this seems to be the case ONLY for the LPNs that are already hired...I don't think they will be hiring on LPNs when they could just be hiring techs and pay less...

stormymemphis · Jul 8, 2008

Yes, the hospital I work for is currently phasing out LPNs. They don't even offer LPN programs here anymore. They are not requiring that all LPNs go back for their RN (not yet anyway), but they are no longer hiring anything less than an RN.

coolpeach · Jul 9, 2008

About 9 years ago when I first started throwing around the idea of going back to school I heard they were phasing LPN's out. My sons school nurse at the time told me that eventually there would be no more LPN's. When I started it was several years later, and there were still LPN's so I assumed she didn't know what she was talking about. When I considered going the LPN route my A&P professor who is also head of the medical professions club talked me out of it. She told me that LPN would soon be a think of the past, and I would be wasting my time and money (that was about 3 years ago).

Just recently I started reading on Allnurses that a lot of states are now phasing out LPN's. I was told that Texas is one of the few states that will still hire, but that will change soon too.

I am really glad I listened to my professor.

ohmeowzer RN, RN · Jul 9, 2008

it's a shame but hospital no longer hires LPN's. The hospital only accepts agency RN's. no agency LPN's to cover call offs . LPN's work in LTC facilites.

Butterfliesnroses · Jul 9, 2008

I don't see them phasing LPN's out at the LTC facility I work EVER!!! RNs and LPNs do the exact same thing where I work. The only difference is RNs get paid more. Each nurse is the charge nurse on her end of the building. Each one is responsible for their end of the building. The requirement is 16 hours of RN coverage so they generally have 1 LPN and 1 RN (on the floor) for days and evenings and then 1 LPN on nights...SO I just don't see them wanting to phase this out unless the state made them because they are paying the LPNs less.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2008

I was told that Texas is one of the few states that will still hire, but that will change soon too.

The ANA first proposed the phasing out of the LPN designation in 1965. To make a long story short, 43 years has elapsed since they made this proposal, and LPNs have not been phased out.

As long as one is willing to do anything other than hospital work, there are plenty of LPN opportunities. Hospitals comprise less than 55 percent of healthcare nursing jobs in the US, so one should still be able to find LPN employment as long as he/she is not insistent on working in critical care or L&D.