Promotions in LTC?

[michael79]

How much room for advancement is there for an LPN in LTC? What other things can you do besides bedside care? I currently work in a LTC facility and I love it. I just can't see myself doing floor nursing forever. I am an LPN and don't want to get my RN either. What have you seen in your LTCs?

Thanks!

[Mabel 29]

How about joining the skin team and doing wound care. I pushed a med cart for a year or so until I got really bored with it. After that I had an opportunity to do the weekly wound assessments and care. I found that I liked it much better because I got to spend a little more time with the residents and could better assess their conditions. I worked closely with the staff podiatrist and learned a lot from him. I wouldn't say that it was a promotion, but it was a pretty good experience and a different view on LTC.

[nightmare, RN]

Continence care and assessment. Dementia care and assessment.Infection control,Health and safety,fire safety, these are all things we have 'link'nurses for.

[PsychNurseWannaBe, BSN, RN]

Well I know if you work in LTC for a real long time you can get promoted from staff to resident. LOL

Sorry...woke up in a humorous mood.

LOL

[Rexie68]

in our facility, lpns can be wound nurse, restorative nurse, infection control, and rnac assistant (that's me...doing all the mds' and writing all the care plans). on the floor, they can be the med nurse, treatment nurse, or charge nurse.

[noc4senuf]

My medicare coordinator is an LPN and so is my PM supervisor. It all comes down to what the management in the facility are willing to go along with and the availability of RN's.

[KaroSnowQueen, RN]

All of the above, plus you could be the asst DON.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

All of the above, plus you could be the asst DON.

I don't know where y'all are from, but around here the assistant DNS MUST be an RN.

[Rexie68]

i don't know where y'all are from, but around here the assistant dns must be an rn.

there are a few facilities around here where the assistant don is an lpn. again, i guess it's all in what your facility decides, as long as the don is an rn.

[JeanineLPN1984]

I don't know where y'all are from, but around here the assistant DNS MUST be an RN.

In NY and FL all the ADON's were RN'S, but at my facility in TN, she is an LPN with 20 years at the place. They are encouraging her to get her RN thru Excelsior but she hasnt started.

She really is quite brilliant, and her and the DON really do a great job.

[kstec, LPN]

Depending on where you live is whether you can do other jobs. In Illinois LPN's are considered LTC emplyees, not hospital, so I've seen LPN's as ADON's, MDS coordinators, Clinical Education Coordinators, Wound Care Nurses, and Unit Supervisors (they do scheduling, teaching, fill in, and make sure all the paperwork is done for each resident to free up the floor nurse) and I'm sure there is more, but that is all I can think of now. Some people will beg to differ and say LPN's should not hold these titles, but the ones I've encountered are wonderful and definitely know there stuff. Yes I as a LPN with no desire to go back for my RN wonder after the body is broke and the brain still working just fine, if I will ever be able to do one of the above jobs. If Illinois keeps putting more restrictions on LPN's, by the time I'm ready for a change, I'll probably only be qualified to wash toilets. (Just kidding, but in a way serious). Good Luck in getting a promotion some day.

[Hospice Nurse LPN, BSN, RN]

ADON here can be LPN, only the DON must be RN.