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.
I am still a nursing student in an ADN program (graduating in May) and the fact that UAP can pass out meds sickens me. I as a student am not even allowed to get into the med cart with out my instructor standing there. Each and every time I give a med even if it is Milk of Magnesia, I have to tell my instuctor EVERYTHING about the med, actions, side effects, nursing implications, s/s of toxicity etc etc etc. If I cannot tell my instructor this info. she takes the med from my hand and then I get a "U" for the week. My instructor still watches each and every one of us in our clinical group administer each and every med using the six rights of medication administration. Even if this is my patient for the second night in a row and I have given him/her the same med six times already I still use the six rights. I hate that this is going on in my chosen profession. As far as LPN's being phased out. I'd hate to see it. On my last clinical rotation, the LPN's and RN's were so helpful to the students. I learned so much from both disciplines. I hope that something can be done about this.
iam an lpn who works in an assisted living and i'm the only nurse on duty in my shift in a 7 floor facility so on top of having to pass medication on one floor with about 35 residents ,i'm in charge of the building plus about 118 total residents in case of any emergency, have to do some wound dressings,follow up on physician orders /residents change of conditions/ family members and a couple of times medicine aides have not been scheduled so have about 3 floors to pass meds_but the medicine aides come to my rescue.
Problem is they are not supposed to pass meds on more than two floors but i'm also overwhelmed and some of them they don't evn go thru the MAR to see if there are new orders and that freaks me out-My boss knows about this and she thought about hiring more lpn's to pass meds coz there are too many errors but the facility i work at thinks about saving money.It is frustrating just looking for another job right now coz i worked hard for my licence-rant
I used to work at an assistive living facility doing the same thing, I had 80 patients that I was responsible for in addition to supervising CNAs. I left the facility, and eventually after a continuous turnovers, the facility realized that they had to get more nursing staff, in addition to not allowing CNA's to pass medications as CMA's. As long as you continue to do the work they will not change. Why buythe milk if you can get the milk for free? Sometimes we have to make choices in life. It may be time to move on. Good Luck.
I started out as a CNA, for the last three years I have been a Med-Tech, I had to go through a 8 hour training class, 3 day orientation, be checked off with a licensed pharmacist, and have done a med pass with state in our facility. I work in an assisted living facility and am responsible for 26 residents for the 3 to 11 shift. As far as I am concerned, I find this job very helpful towards my nursing career. I am currently finishing my pre-req's to start the nursing program in Aug 05. In the three years I have been a med tech, I have not had one med error, I have become alot more wiser about meds, side effects, interactions, ect..... Some of the comments I am reading on here are quite offensive from my view.
We are not here to steal LPN jobs or we are not nurses true, but at the facility I work at, all the med techs we have are all current nursing students, or working towards a nursing career, degree.
"Any nurse, RN or LPN, who would take a position using Med Aides might as well start Law School at the same time because eventually she will be needing a good attorney"
Well....as an LPN with 19 yrs' experience(most of which was in LTC) I've usually HAD to take jobs in LTC since many hospitals would rather hire CNAs instead of LPNs. I do (and did) realize the enormity of responsibility of "overseeing" CMAs in their duties as well as my many other duties. I got fed up with no breaks, no lunches and 2 hrs' overtime every shift (at times without pay) to get my work done and finally left it for state-serviced group homes with just 3-5 clients and 3-4 staff! What a wonderful blessing my job now is! :) LPNs are generally not appreciated and I so wish I'd continued on for the RN but at 46 yrs old am just too tired(and feel too old) to do it.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
I agree with Hellllo nurse. And since JCAHO makes such a BIG hairy deal about safe med passes, enough to encumber us with Emar and other such horrible systems that are breaking our backs----all to increase our "safety" and "5 rights compliance"---- then it is blatantly obvious; CMAs not only should, but MUST be phased out, not LPNs.
I think that CMAs should be phased out, or never should have existed in the first place. I believe that only a licensed nurse should pass meds.
As an RN, I hate being responsible for unlicensed persons' actions. The people who thought up CMAs should have to be responsible for them.
Are you talking about medical assistants or medication aides?
I am a CMA, Medical assistant, not a medication aide, and actually take some offense to your opinion. (Yes, you are entitled to it, and am glad you posted it. ) However, I loved my job as a CMA, and received a letter from a physician/pt that I administered the most gentle injection that he had ever received. This was a great boost to my ego.....Dr.'s don't write thank you notes like that very often...at least not to my knowledge.
Also, it was under my belief that CMA's are under the Dr.'s responsibility, not a nurse's.
I DEFINATELY agree that some facilities give TOO much responsibility to CNA's, med aides, and CMA's. There are some things that only RN's should be allowed to do!!!!
Maybe after I get my RN license, and actually practice nursing, I'll feel the same way you do.:chuckle Right now, I can only comment from the CMA's point of view.:imbar
I am an LPN student and I am outraged that i'm spending almost $9,000 for my license and $250 for my boards and they want CMA's to do what I'm spending over $9,000 to do?! :angryfire This is horrible! I live in PA but going to school in NY and I planned on getting my NY license because it's a higher standard. I just can't believe the things they are doing to nurses!
I am an LPN student and I am outraged that i'm spending almost $9,000 for my license and $250 for my boards and they want CMA's to do what I'm spending over $9,000 to do?! :angryfire This is horrible! I live in PA but going to school in NY and I planned on getting my NY license because it's a higher standard. I just can't believe the things they are doing to nurses!
But it's about money....med aides are cheaper than LPNs.
I think it's awful, too.
I have been a nurse for 30 years, and to tell ya the truth, I've never been in a facility where they used med aides, but the thought of it makes me angry too.
I think where Arkansas is using them most right now, is in these group homes for Develpmentally/Disabled people.
But I have a problem with that, too. Those people can't read, and therfore cannot follow the label instructions as ASBN requires.
I just do not know how they are getting away with it.
But it's about money....med aides are cheaper than LPNs.
I think it's awful, too.
I have been a nurse for 30 years, and to tell ya the truth, I've never been in a facility where they used med aides, but the thought of it makes me angry too.
I think where Arkansas is using them most right now, is in these group homes for Develpmentally/Disabled people.
But I have a problem with that, too. Those people can't read, and therfore cannot follow the label instructions as ASBN requires.
I just do not know how they are getting away with it.
It's always about the money, and it always will be. I don't agree with it, nor do I really except it. I wanted to be a chef and could've made more money doing that, but I chose nursing because I want to help people not just make them fat LOL. But I'm so frusrtated already and I only started school in Sept. The things I've seen CNA, LPN and RN's do shock me. And they know I'm a student and they look at me and tell me "This is what you shouldn't do." What kind of message are they sending to us students?!?! It makes me so mad and I have to place to say anything either.The people are getting paid to take care of these people, not "forget" them.
I completely agree that nursing positions both RN and LPN are being pushed aside to some extent to less experienced medical positions. I live in Western Washington and I have noticed that traditional RN positions are being replaced with medical assistants.
For example my kids Dr's office instead of having a pediateric RN there to talk to about meds and such I am confronted with a MA. I have a major problem with that. At my Doc's office, I called in with a question about a medication I was taking (I'm a CNA nursing student by the way) and asked to talk with the Doc's RN, I was put through to a MA. Now where I live MA'S have 9-12 months education for certification. The MA told me to call and talk with the pharmacy, who by the way didn't fill the script the doc's office did. So I call a pharmacy, they tell me to talk to the doc who prescribed it. By the way the doc is never available, so I had to go to the internet and my handy-dandy pill book for the info.
Now I knew where to find the info, but what about the uneducated medicaly ignorant community who still thinks doc's are gods? If I have a medical question I want it answered by a nurse who knows what they are doing not a drop out tech school grad.
I also agree that LPN positions are being screwed and the responsibility dumped on RN's. There is a hospital group in Tacoma Wa who just laid off all their or most of their LPN'S the RN's are now doing the job of two ppl and getting paid the same as before and the patients are suffering.
Patient health care is taking a back seat to the corporate bottom line, and there will be diasterous consequences because of it.
) However, I loved my job as a CMA, and received a letter from a physician/pt that I administered the most gentle injection that he had ever received. This was a great boost to my ego.....Dr.'s don't write thank you notes like that very often...at least not to my knowledge.
duckoutofwater
5 Posts
hello :santa5:
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!