RCG acquires NNA

eman · Feb 4, 2004

We were all shocked here yesterday when we heard the news that NNA had merged with RCG. I work for NNA. I am just wondering what will happen with pay, benefits, retirement, etc..and won't find out until March or April.

nursefiggy · Feb 5, 2004

Well, NNA staff gets paid aliitle more than we do so I think they will rasie us to meet NNA. We are having ameeting tonight about changes that we will be going through. Medicare laws now have changed the role of LPNs in the dialysis setting too.

I have foung RCG to be a great company to work for and benefits are very good. This will give us 13 more clinics in the Nashville area. I see only oppertunity.

eman · Feb 5, 2004

I also see it as an oppurtunity because I can transfer back to a clinic in my home town and not lose anything.

ESRD · Feb 5, 2004

Can you elaborate on the LPN role in a dialysis unit. As a traveler I have seen many.. Also, does Medicare "law" over rule state law???

ESRD:kiss

eman · Feb 5, 2004

I work in acute setting but we use LVN/LPN's. The thing that has come down the line is giving blood products they must have an RN start when pt on machine. If I had to guess it would be something to do with being charge and the responsiblity that goes with that.

nursefiggy · Feb 6, 2004

ESRD

I know it varies from company to company and state to state what LPNs are used for. What was changed in our clinic because of Medicare law is that LPNs can no longer charge. Now we will be doing catheters, meds, heparins, trouble shooting, etc.

Good question about state law vs Medicare law. I don't know the answer to that.

Does your company use LPNs for travelling dialysis?

ESRD · Feb 7, 2004

My company told me they don't like to work with LPN's as they feel they don't have enough opportunities for them.

I have worked in Maine..LPN's can do every thing that tech's can but not EPO or any other meds. So they are just higher paid tech's...That's why I got out of dialysis as a LPN when EPO came out...Maine just doesn't use them. They can't be charge either.

IN CT LPN's can do it all...EPO, catheters etc...But not charge.

In NV they can't give meds or be charge. Can't remember if they do cath's

In Cali they can do caths but not meds. No charge.

In NC they can do it alllll Charge if RN present... I.E, the facility administrator is an RN. LPN gives hypertonic, mixes antibiotics etc. This LPN has no dialysis experience.. I don't like hypertonic and when I am on I make that very clear.. I don't know how the powers that be think an LPN with verrrrrrrry limited dialysis knowledge can assess the need for hypertonic... Also, in NC LPN can do assessment pre dialysis... HMMMMMMMMMMMM.. I have always been under the assumption that only an RN can assess.

I wonder if Medicare with put an end to that.

So I wonder how the states will accept Medicare regs....

It will be interesting. As usual many many LPN's are very good and can assess but unfortunately there has to be protocols and rules etc..

JMHO and some facts thrown in for good measure.

ESRD:kiss

jnette, ASN, EMT-I · Feb 10, 2004

In Va., LPNs do everything but charge, taking orders, and blood. In NC, they do everything.

Hey NurseFiggy ! On the way back from Az., I passed a HUGE RCG building adjacent to I-40 on the west side of Nashville.. I thought of you !

I checked out the RCG website, too... sounds pretty good. Wish we had some RCGs in our area. Seems like FMC tries hard to monopolize... although we give great care, their staffing, benefits, and overall tx. of employees sux bigtime.

ESRD · Feb 11, 2004

Jnette,

Have you ever worked for DaVita... Talk about short staffing.. I am dialyzing 36 patients in 12 hours with 5 techs... Many days I am the only licensed nurse in the unit......That didn't happen at FMC..

Just my observation..

ESRD

nursefiggy · Feb 17, 2004

Jnette,

You passed the hub of all RCGs. This is where it started, here in Nashville. What you saw was the business office and help desk, payroll, etc.

Midwest4me · Feb 22, 2004

It will be interesting. As usual many many LPN's are very good and can assess but unfortunately there has to be protocols and rules etc..

JMHO and some facts thrown in for good measure.

ESRD:kiss

Hi, I'm new to this forum and found it interesting to see all the different things that LPNs can and cannot do in the various states. I am an LPN in Oregon. I worked for RCG from Aug. thru Dec. of last year in Portland. I also worked for Gambro. I liked RCG but the intense negativity/rudeness of some of the techs toward patients and staff alike drove me away. The commute had some to do with it too--45mins-an hour or more at times. With both companies the benefits were great(pay and PTO were better with RCG); my duties were "team leader"(charge), meds, EPO, working with pts who had catheters(the techs were able to put on those with caths too which was a plus since Gambro prohibited techs from putting on cath pts.) With Gambro I pre-assessed and post-assessed pts. With RCG, I assessed within 45mins-1 hr of put-on time--that was permitted. I understand the statement of thinking that only the RN could "assess". I was always taught that too. LPNs can only "gather data". t's a shady area. I got the feeling when I worked for ea. company that the LPNs might be on their way out ---or relegated to being "high-priced techs", and wondered if I just worked as a tech if I would lose out on earning nursing hours toward license renewal--never got a real straight answer on that. I really enjoyed my expereince in the field--really liked RCG and the RNs I worked with, but too many techs and nurses were afraid to speak up about/document in writing the frustration with the techs' misbehavior.

From reading some of the posts, it sounds like RCG is well-thought-of. What company is FMC short for? I checked out hte Davita site and it looks like they aren't in Oregon though I hear rumors they may be coming to this state. Does anyone have an opinion on that company or any others?

Thanks for any input.