phasing out?

Soup Turtle · Jan 31, 2007

One of my aunts knew she was losing her job because her place of employment (ob/gyn clinic) decided to go all RN. She said she'd heard the same thing elsewhere. On the other hand, One of my friends just graduated as an LPN and she had no trouble finding a job. She works in meg-surg. I'm in San Antonio, Texas.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jan 31, 2007

Many hospitals have stopped hiring LPNs/LVNs altogether. There has been talk regarding the phasing out of LPNs since 1965, so this subject is really old news. However, the large-scale phasing out of LPNs/LVNs has not ever happened.

I never had the desire to work at a hospital, so it was perfectly fine with me that hospital LPN jobs were being phased out. I work at an upscale nursing, enjoy my job, and earn much more money than my LVN counterparts who work their butts off at local hospitals for peanut pay. There's a whole world of great LPN jobs in home health, hospice, outpatient clinics, agency, rehab, assisted living, and psychiatric nursing if you have no desire to do LTC.

vamedic4, EMT-P · Jan 31, 2007

At my facility they are "quietly" phasing out the LVN position, in favor of an "all RN" gene pool, so to speak. We have a few extremely competent LVNs but the majority of them don't want to further their education to become RNs.

One of my best friends/coworkers just lost his job as an LVN at my facility, and he told me many times that he had no desire to become an RN. Now he's full time employed with a home health agency, works during the day so he can be home with his kids, gets paid better, and enjoys the work AND the fact that he doesn't have to sleep all day (we worked nights together).

There are benefits, you just have to look around for your best employment options. I doubt seriously that LVNs/LPNs are disappearing for good. With as much of a need for nurses as there is...why organizations would do this just boggles the mind.

just my $.02

Have a good day.

vamedic4

pagandeva2000, LPN · Feb 1, 2007

I think that there are seasons for everything. At the moment, the cycle seems to be pro-RN, however, if the nursing gap has not closed, I can see them shifting again towards LPNs in some level. Years ago, my clinic laid off many RNs in favor for LPNs. It was a big uproar, I understand. If my job told me that I had to leave because they needed RNs, then, I would bow out gracefully and seek employment elsewhere. I don't want the headache of going to nursing school again or being an RN.

As mentioned, depending on where you live, there are many options for the LPN. Home care does pay a great deal more (at least here in New York City) and less headaches. There is corrections, assisted living facilities, all sorts of things.

BigB · Feb 7, 2007

california is phasing out out LVN's bigtime. We are left with corrections and nursing homes basically.

Ks mommy nurse · Feb 7, 2007

california is phasing out out LVN's bigtime. We are left with corrections and nursing homes basically.

Are you sure about this? Like The Commuter said, there are different specialties to look into. I do home health... and I started with three agencies and cut down to one because I couldn't handle all the shifts. :nurse:

PralineLPN · Feb 8, 2007

This is entirely false. There is only a re-distribution of the labor and skill sets. I don't know where this rumor started, or why, for that matter. The facts are-LPN/LVN usually work in LTC/rehab/dementia/nursing homes. RN/BSN's do the hospitals and management. There are exceptions, of course, but this is generally true. Do you have any idea of how many LPN's there are? Do you know how hard it would be the phase us out? I hate to say it, but is LTC going to pay for several RN's (say, at $30/hour), when they can have a few LPNs (around $24/hour in my area),a few med techs and a few GNA's handle the entire floor?? I don't think I have the skill set necessary for a very acute floor. I could do a med-surg floor, but ICU, no way. That is why there is the division of labor. Why pay for a skill set you don't need? Anyways, I do not believe LPNs will be phased out. If you are in school to be a LPN, get used to the fact LTC and rehab is pretty much your only option. Believe me, as a LPN on a transitional care unit, or acute rehab, you will have your hands full, be using every skill you learned, and then some.

Paul

caliotter3 · Feb 8, 2007

I was recently on an employment site and read the write-up for the LVN position being offered at a certain acute care facility in SoCal. Very specifically, it stated that anyone hired into the position had to be actively in an RN program or as a minimum, taking pre reqs for an RN program. When I look at the job postings by the employment dept for nurse positions, I see 16-25 listings for LVN versus 200-300 for RN.

jelorde37 · Feb 9, 2007

honestly, it is really hard to get a job at a hospital for lvns, but it is possible. when i say possible i mean that your going to have to have alot of certifications such ask IV, ACLS, etc etc. one of the hospitals around my area are actually hiring lvns for the icu, but as i said, they must be IV cert and acls with a certain amount of years of experience. i currently work at an LTC facilty with a cardiac and rehab unit. i get my share of action specially when i work in cardiac. also, keep this in mind, an LTC nurse can handle a med surg floor, but can a med surg nurse handle an LTC floor? crazy question, but true. good luck

postmortem_cowboy · Feb 12, 2007

Yes very true, also too you have to figure here in california you have LVN schools that are pumping out a new batch of new grads every three months, and there's tons, and I mean tons of LVN schools out here. It's like you finally get somewhere and you have to compete with every tom dick and harry just to find a decent job...

That's why I'm taking pre-requisites, I love my job, but geez, i'm not fighting this fight any longer, I should be applying by this december to the program, should find out if i get my bridge for summer next year by April and then semester 3 & 4 and doneski. Also too, to add insult to injury, alot of the schools out here now are taking away pharmacology and anatomy credits from LVN's, and we have to take those courses as pre-requisites to the RN program just like everyone else.

Wayne.

Bluehair · Feb 12, 2007

I have heard this for over 30 years and there are more LPN's in practice than ever before. I agree with the OP, there does seem to be seasons where the push for all RN's in certain states gets pretty strong at times. I do think there is a stronger push for increasing profesisonalism in Nursing in general. RN's are being encouraged to have their BSN more than ever. I graduated with my ADN in 1979 and am finally pursuing my BSN. So, as an LPN, you are not alone in feeling some pressure to further your education. In most areas it would mean an increase in pay if you can take the time to get your RN. A lot of places do NOT pay more for your BSN. BSN does open some career opportunities you might not have otherwise, so if you are thinking of becoming an RN, keep that in mind.

ps - my hospital hires LPN's in all areas (even ICU) except the E.R.