In some assisted-living facilities in my state, unlicensed caregivers can become medication assistants practically off the streets. I'm not joking. An ALF can hire someone who's never even had CNA training, give them three days' orientation, and turn 'em loose in the med room. They're paid $7.50 an hour to pass meds to as many as 50 residents, and they give everything except IVs and IMs....they even draw up and administer INSULIN!! They also give PRN narcotics, antipsychotics, and anxiolytics.
This is why I didn't stay with ALF nursing very long.......I worked hard for my license, and I'd like to keep it. :stone
Your senario is the exact reason why we nurses (and soon to be) need to step up to the plate, get into administration's butt, and speak loudly so the people in legislation can hear us. My instructor told my class that it is important for us to join and maintain memebership to the National League of Nursing. Power comes in numbers ya know.
i believe everything is getting rather worrisome in the nursing field--no matter where you're at. i believe hospitals and other health care areas should stick to the licensed and registered nurses with medications. no one "right off the street" needs to pass medications with all the precautions and exceptions a good old nursing judgement can take. no one in the medical field should be replaced, we're all needed.
as for as the lpns being phased out, well, that puts my hiney on the burner. i'm an lpn of 15 years. always wanted to be a nurse. like being a nurse. but if lpns are to be phased out we should be allowed to test and get our rn (anywhere in the usa. nowadays alot of the lpns don't have the finances or the time (nearest schools being 45 minutes one way). i'd like to see some legitamite online nursing schools without the clinical (after x amount of years i think a clinical is rather moot). many lpns are very capable. just like other branches of the nursing team, there are some rns and cnas, etc i wouln't want treating/caring for my family.(goes for lpns too).
i wish we could all get together(from coast to coast; top to bottom) for some kind of nursing association, like firefighters and police for benefits upon retirement for extras when we do.
thanks for your time with my little session!
i don't think lpns should just be able to test out to become an rn. it is like saying an aprn should just test out to receive her doctorate in medicine (md). as an rn student, i have put eight months of time just in pharmolcology. with the advancement of title, come the advacement of education. i have met many wonderful, knowlegable lpns that were awesome, but, if you want the rn title, go back and finish. i want the title of aprn therefore, i am going through the ropes to get it.
It would be sad if they did that, as the rn's are not going to do meds and charting, etc, and be in charge. they have the lpn's to do meds and pt care. it would never work. the rn's would be quitting fast. lpn's do alot to help the rn;s, so i don't see how they can even think of doing this.
Here's the deal-(to me) I worked with a Ma (she called herself a medical assistant) for 7 years in a local doctor's office. She had gone to NO formal
school-no training except on the job. She knew many skills-In fact did pretty well. But the patient teaching was nill- so was the professionalism that comes with nursing. She drew blood, gave meds (yes that's right) and until
I came on gave all immunizations. She got away with anything because she's been there so long(coming in late-leaving early-always on the phone)
And even after seven years there were some patients (only two) but they stick out-that didn't want me to draw there blood-just because they were "used" to her.******* Anyway LPN's should NOT be phase out- and
as many of you know I was just hired in labor and delivery at our University
hospital. I just don't get how this co-worker calls herself a MA when she
did not go to school........all the patients think she is a nurse. They will call
and say "may I speak to one of the nurses?" She will get on the phone! I just don't get it.....!
During my employment as an MA (not certified), I had to keep reminding the front office staff to stop referring to me as "the nurse". When I did callbacks, I specifically stated that I was Dr. so-and-so's medical assistant, and I never implied to any patient that I was a nurse. However, another MA I worked with didn't hesitate to use the title of "nurse" when speaking about herself. The only credential she had was CNA. I thought it was pretty deceitful.
When I was living in NC, (I moved two years ago), there was talk about trying to phase out the LPN, or just keep them in LTC. The hospitals were using NA II to do the work that an LPN would do; the hospital I worked at was giving the LPNs 36 months to get their RN licensure or they would be forced to resign. Needless to say, the more education and training medical personnel have, the better the patient outcomes. It's a damn shame that hospital administrators (and NH as well) have degrees in business or health care management instead of nursing or MD. Medical people should be the ones to run medical facilities. But that is just my opinion.
Was this the SAME hospital using NAII on one hand and then getting rid of LPNs on the other hand?
If I understand your post correctly and it is the same hospital, then they are contradicting themselves aren't they?
Was this the SAME hospital using NAII on one hand and then getting rid of LPNs on the other hand?
If I understand your post correctly and it is the same hospital, then they are contradicting themselves aren't they?
Yes it was. Since I have been gone for (June will be) two years now, I can't honestly say what has happened to the LPNs. It is a matter of cost effectiveness. Why pay the LPN (I have no idea so I am throwing out a number) $16.00/hr when you can pay the NA II $11.00 and get a portion of the work accomplished. It isnt right. Yes, I am in an RN program, but I am challenging the PN NCLEX in a few weeks. I hate to think that my value as a nurse is less for the six months or so that I will be working as a PN.
I have a question, sorta off the subject, But i know of a person who works ina prominent clinic in ohio. She has NO medical training, or education other than working in a Dr's office as a receptionist. She is now working as an MA and I was wondering if anyone knew how this could be? Arent MA's required to get some type of certification??? Im just wonder what would happen if JACHO were to inspect, wouldnt there be issues that would arise if they looked at her record and saw no MA certification??
I have a question, sorta off the subject, But i know of a person who works ina prominent clinic in ohio. She has NO medical training, or education other than working in a Dr's office as a receptionist. She is now working as an MA and I was wondering if anyone knew how this could be? Arent MA's required to get some type of certification??? Im just wonder what would happen if JACHO were to inspect, wouldnt there be issues that would arise if they looked at her record and saw no MA certification??
JACHO is in charge of hospitals. As I said in previous post, the MD takes on the responsibility of whomever he hires to provide direct patient care. Their screw up is on the MD and under his license. Many Dr offices are utilizing CNAs and tell me where in the six, eight, or ten week CNA course do they go over IM injection sites. It is up to the doc.
Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.
Is there anyone who can tell me what is wrong with this statement? By all means dont lower yourself to the vocational nurse status! Ive got news for you, if you think this way your value as a nurse will be low RN or LVN/PN.
Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.
Are you kidding me????:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
Yes it was. Since I have been gone for (June will be) two years now, I can't honestly say what has happened to the LPNs. It is a matter of cost effectiveness. Why pay the LPN (I have no idea so I am throwing out a number) $16.00/hr when you can pay the NA II $11.00 and get a portion of the work accomplished. It isnt right. Yes, I am in an RN program, but I am challenging the PN NCLEX in a few weeks. I hate to think that my value as a nurse is less for the six months or so that I will be working as a PN.
Is there anyone who can tell me what is wrong with this statement? By all means dont lower yourself to the vocational nurse status! Ive got news for you, if you think this way your value as a nurse will be low RN or LVN/PN.
I think you may have misunderstood what I was saying. THE SYSTEM, not me, is trying to get rid of LPN. The actions of THE SYSTEM is trying to phase out LPNs, not me. If I felt that it was beneath me to work as an LPN, I wouldn't have paid $400 to sit in on the boards and then turn around in six months or so to pay another $400 to sit on another set of boards. That $800 could have bought me a dozen or so shoes if working as a lowly PN or RN was beneath me. I feel that working as an LPN for six or so months instead of a tech will provide me with invaluable experience. I feel no further need to explain myself. If you have taken offense to my post, I am sorry for you.
punnit_square
46 Posts
Your senario is the exact reason why we nurses (and soon to be) need to step up to the plate, get into administration's butt, and speak loudly so the people in legislation can hear us. My instructor told my class that it is important for us to join and maintain memebership to the National League of Nursing. Power comes in numbers ya know.