Hi all! Just a quick question. I am a LPN from TN; I recently moved to Nashville and have taken a position on a Medical Floor. I finished up the initial orientation today, and finally on Monday I get to go to my floor, for yet more orientation. But, today in orientation, both RN's and LPN's had to be checked off on certain skills before we get to our floor. The skill was IV therapy. So, on this dummy arm, I started an IV, BETTER than the RN's, even told one of them tips because he went in at a 90 degree angle. And the Nurse Educator signed all of us off on the skill. There is a place on the sign off sheet that says "request to attend class", I was the only LPN, and she checked that on mine, but no one elses, not even on the 90 degree angle fellow. It took me off guard, as I am excellent at this skill and at my last hospital, when there was a hard stick that no one could get, I, yes me, I was the person that was called to do it. And now, I'm getting told to attend a class. Why? I asked the nurse educator that, and she said it was because I was JUST a LPN and that most LPN's did not have experience in this field. I replied that I had quite a bit of experience in it, as Since being licensed, which has only been since Sept. that I do them pretty much routinely. She stated, that they required all LPN's to do it, and I'm very much offended. Why me, when I can successfully complete a skill and not this RN who can't? Is this routine at other facilities that LPN's must do that? At my last facility, ALL nursing staff had to show that they were competent on it and be checked off on it, and then they were free to go on alone. Which brings me to my next question. Starting IV's is something that LPN's are taught in school, right? Hanging blood, is not! But at this facility, they make LPN's hang blood, something that my cirriculum didn't even touch, yet they won't let me do something that I am adequately trained for? Am I overreacting, or is this just stupid? Why would you keep someone from doing what they are trained to do, JUST because they're an LPN, yet let them do something they have NO clue about. Is hanging blood by LPN acceptable at your facility? And at your facility, are PCTs allowed to: insert foley's, give enemas, or change feeding tube bags out? They are at this one, and I have never heard of such. I even worked as a PCT and never heard of that. I'm sorry that this is so long. Any insight will be much appreciated, thanks!
Holly
