Prefering RNs to LPNs

LoraLou · Apr 11, 2008

Around the area that I live LPNs are not being hired into hospital work. If there is an lpn that has worked in the hospital they are not being fired or anything like that, but cannot even transfer to other floors, once leaving the floor where they are they can no longer find hospital work.

Otessa, BSN, RN · Apr 11, 2008

Around the area that I live LPNs are not being hired into hospital work. If there is an lpn that has worked in the hospital they are not being fired or anything like that, but cannot even transfer to other floors, once leaving the floor where they are they can no longer find hospital work.

Yep. That is what I have seen.

ann945n, RN · Apr 11, 2008

I live in a major city and there are as many LPN positions listed in hopsitals as there are for RN positions. I have seen though once you leave the city this is not as true. You will not have any trouble finding work as a LPN or a RN. If you have the option of doing one or the other I would say RN hands down. You will make more money and have more choices of job areas to work in. You cant do wrong with either though. I always tell people apply to both LPN and RN programs and then make your choice based on where you get into. If all you get is a LPN acceptance take it, you can do a bridge program later and save time versus waiting another round of applications the following year. If you get the RN acceptance take it over the LPN.

LPN will not be going away anytime soon.

Is there a difference? You bet. But LPN are vital, capable, well educated, and I have much respect for them (having been one myself up until last week when I got my RN)

Best of luck!

Fiona59 · Apr 11, 2008

LPNs are going to go the way of the dodo in a hospital environment anyway.They belong in a SNU or nursing home,not a fast paced hospital. Between having to do all of their IV meds,do their charting,do their consents,do their discharges,asses their patients as well as yours,they are just more of a liability than they are helpful. Unless you totally trust your LPN to do the assessment well,you have to do it yourself.Then if anything happens to this patient down the road and the LPN didnt see it or didnt tell the RN,the RN covering the LPN is the one who gets popped. I would much rather have 7 patients on my own than have 5 and cover 2 LPN patients.
They just don't belong in a hospital where things need to get done now and fast that an RN has to do for them.I hate to say all this,but it's the truth.
Spend the extra year in school,become an RN,you will make twice as much and be much happier for it. LPNs dont make much more here than a patient care assistant/nurse aide, but you have 1000x the responsibility.Frankly most of the LPNs we have are lazy,they wanted a fast way out of school to make more than they could at wal mart.Again,sad but true.There are some dedicated LPNs,but at my hospital at least,1 of 5 is actually worth having there.

Thank you for your vote of confidence.

I work to full scope in my province. I start my own IVs, I hang my own IV meds, I admit and discharge my own patients. My work is not covered by an RN. I work in a regional hospital that has one of the highest GSW and stabbing traumas in my country. Patients are assigned by vacant beds not acuity. I carry my own malpractice insurance and my license covers my work.

If you isolated all LPNs to continuing care the acute care, operating rooms, cast rooms and dialysis wards here would grind to an immediate halt.

We are educated for a minimum of four college semesters. There are no two year RN programmes here. Just two year licensed nurses and four year BScNs.

I am sorry you work in such a unprogressive environment that you do not understand the value of a well educated and skilled licensed nurse. I honestly hope you never require hospitalization while you are in Canada because chances are you will be cared for by a licensed nurse in either the ER or on the floor.

Good Health to you.

buzkil · Apr 11, 2008

LPNs are going to go the way of the dodo in a hospital environment anyway.They belong in a SNU or nursing home,not a fast paced hospital. Between having to do all of their IV meds,do their charting,do their consents,do their discharges,asses their patients as well as yours,they are just more of a liability than they are helpful. Unless you totally trust your LPN to do the assessment well,you have to do it yourself.Then if anything happens to this patient down the road and the LPN didnt see it or didnt tell the RN,the RN covering the LPN is the one who gets popped. I would much rather have 7 patients on my own than have 5 and cover 2 LPN patients.
They just don't belong in a hospital where things need to get done now and fast that an RN has to do for them.I hate to say all this,but it's the truth.
Spend the extra year in school,become an RN,you will make twice as much and be much happier for it. LPNs dont make much more here than a patient care assistant/nurse aide, but you have 1000x the responsibility.Frankly most of the LPNs we have are lazy,they wanted a fast way out of school to make more than they could at wal mart.Again,sad but true.There are some dedicated LPNs,but at my hospital at least,1 of 5 is actually worth having there.

*hrumpf* *buzkil(LPN) adjusts her crinolines and ignores these rude comments*

Leo2 · Apr 11, 2008

LPNs are going to go the way of the dodo in a hospital environment anyway.They belong in a SNU or nursing home,not a fast paced hospital. Between having to do all of their IV meds,do their charting,do their consents,do their discharges,asses their patients as well as yours,they are just more of a liability than they are helpful. Unless you totally trust your LPN to do the assessment well,you have to do it yourself.Then if anything happens to this patient down the road and the LPN didnt see it or didnt tell the RN,the RN covering the LPN is the one who gets popped. I would much rather have 7 patients on my own than have 5 and cover 2 LPN patients.
They just don't belong in a hospital where things need to get done now and fast that an RN has to do for them.I hate to say all this,but it's the truth.
Spend the extra year in school,become an RN,you will make twice as much and be much happier for it. LPNs dont make much more here than a patient care assistant/nurse aide, but you have 1000x the responsibility.Frankly most of the LPNs we have are lazy,they wanted a fast way out of school to make more than they could at wal mart.Again,sad but true.There are some dedicated LPNs,but at my hospital at least,1 of 5 is actually worth having there.

I can't believe you would lump such a large group of NURSES together and call them lazy and not want to work with them. I have been an LPN for 22yrs. (and proud of it) I have always done my job 100% , there are good and bad LPNs & RNs. LPNs are needed in hosp. they are wrong to want to get rid of us and so are you! LEO2

linzz · Apr 11, 2008

The hospital which is near me has a surgical floor that is 50% RN and 50% RPN. My second day of clinicals (2nd semester), I was giving IM injections, doing post-op assesments and dressing changes. Here in Ontario, the RN is now required to obtain a BScN for entry to practice which is 4 years and the RPN entry to practice is now a college diploma course which is to date 2.5 years long.

Things are very much in a state of change here in Canada with educational requirements ever increasing and many hospitals are openly stating that they will give preference to BScN grads, so I would say it is certainly worth it to obtain a BScN.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Apr 11, 2008

LPNs are going to go the way of the dodo in a hospital environment anyway.They belong in a SNU or nursing home,not a fast paced hospital. Between having to do all of their IV meds,do their charting,do their consents,do their discharges,asses their patients as well as yours,they are just more of a liability than they are helpful. Unless you totally trust your LPN to do the assessment well,you have to do it yourself.Then if anything happens to this patient down the road and the LPN didnt see it or didnt tell the RN,the RN covering the LPN is the one who gets popped. I would much rather have 7 patients on my own than have 5 and cover 2 LPN patients.
They just don't belong in a hospital where things need to get done now and fast that an RN has to do for them.I hate to say all this,but it's the truth.
Spend the extra year in school,become an RN,you will make twice as much and be much happier for it. LPNs dont make much more here than a patient care assistant/nurse aide, but you have 1000x the responsibility.Frankly most of the LPNs we have are lazy,they wanted a fast way out of school to make more than they could at wal mart.Again,sad but true.There are some dedicated LPNs,but at my hospital at least,1 of 5 is actually worth having there.

I really feel bad that you had negative experiences with LPNs, but please be fair and do not lump all of us in that catagory. My hospital still uses LPNs and those that care do work really hard in creating a team with the RNs. What I see is that the RNs are being burdened down with too much paperwork and nonsense. While we are not supposed to be assessing, we do have licenses that a board of nursing will penalize us for not providing safe patient care under our scope of practice. And, to say that we are lazy because we wanted a quick way out of school to avoid working for minimum wage is just plain insulting. I can say the same...that some of the RNs I have met are an embarassment to the word NURSE.

Lorie P. · Apr 11, 2008

lpns are going to go the way of the dodo in a hospital environment anyway.they belong in a snu or nursing home,not a fast paced hospital. between having to do all of their iv meds,do their charting,do their consents,do their discharges,asses their patients as well as yours,they are just more of a liability than they are helpful. unless you totally trust your lpn to do the assessment well,you have to do it yourself.then if anything happens to this patient down the road and the lpn didnt see it or didnt tell the rn,the rn covering the lpn is the one who gets popped. i would much rather have 7 patients on my own than have 5 and cover 2 lpn patients.
:madface:lets see, i can take 6-9 pts, do a complete assessment, admits , dc's, start my own ivs, blood draws from peripheral, picc, port, access ports, give iv meds, care plans, i educate my pts and families. no rn has to sign or verify my work!
the only thing i can't do is spike blood or give certain cardiac iv meds.
they just don't belong in a hospital where things need to get done now and fast that an rn has to do for them. tell that to the pt who's life i saved the other night! cause i actually took report from (2245) a lazy rn that said pt was confused and was mean and not very nice to her! well you would be too if your bs was 25!! and had been dropping for 2 hours cause the 2100 blood sugar was only 70 and the pt had had 65 units of lantus bid for the past 3 days and was on clear liquids yet that rn did not bother to look at the whole picture, she was too busy cause she had 3 pts! they were too much to handle and she was so stressed.
soooo:
excuse me? i pray you never come to the facility where i work prn because you will have lpn's taking care of you! i have you to know lpns are educated, skill smart and nurses too! what do you think lpn stands for.licensed practical nurse!
i hate to say all this,but it's the truth.
:nono:
spend the extra year in school,become an rn,you will make twice as much and be much happier for it. lpns dont make much more here than a patient care assistant/nurse aide, but you have 1000x the responsibility.frankly most of the lpns we have are lazy,:madface::madface:do not group all of us lpn's together! i personally know many lazy rn's, cna's and yes lpn's, each has it own but not every one is lazy!!
they wanted a fast way out of school to make more than they could at wal mart.again,sad but true.there are some dedicated lpns,but at my hospital at least,1 of 5 is actually worth having there.
not even worth commenting on!! but i will, the wait around here in my neck of the woods is almost 2 years to get into rn school and only 6 months to get into lpn.
nurse hobbit licensed practical nurse and darn proud to be one!!:yeah:

Lorie P. · Apr 11, 2008

ouch! you're gonna get nailed for that one. i shall sit and watch...

i was the one !:d

nurseby07 · Apr 11, 2008

i was the one !:d

and i lovveedd it!

i have to go because my lpn husband is about to come home and he called to say that he didn't get a break today (in 12 hours) so he had to run his orifice off. lazy, schmazy. :yeah:

PsychNurseWannaBe, BSN, RN · Apr 11, 2008

Too funny. This topic just goes on and on.