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Discussion

RNs and LPNs - student question.

Hello!

I am a German student, who is currently writing his thesis about a quality comparision in nursing homes between Germany and the US.

I have one question concerning this matter:

I read in a book, that for cost reasons RNs are more and more substituted by LPNs in these days.

This passage in the book confused me a bit, cause I thought, all nurses have to be qualified through the RN certification process.

Can someone here describe this a little more to me? Why do you have the RN certification, when this is not also minimum standard for becoming a job?

It would be also interesting to know, if someone here can give me a source where I can find the minimum legal criterias a nurse has to fulfill in order to become nurse (on a national basis).

Thanks a lot!

Cheers,

Burkhard

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Hi Burkhard. LPNs can provide direct patient care and are paid less than RNs. So many facilities use as many of them to provide patient care because they are cheaper.

In hospitals, however, in order to be accredited the standard is every patient is receiving and RN level of care. Not necessarily meaning every patient has an RN providing that care, but an RN is directing the care.

So many facilities, while wanting to save as much money as possible, must have a certain number of RNs, and indeed many hospitals are hiring less and less LPNs than in years prior, contrary to the article you read. I see this in my hospital, they have a hiring freeze on LPNs right now.

Does this make sense?

That's a regional thing and everyone thinks that if it's happening where they are living, then it's happening everywhere. Not true. My nurse friends in eastern parts of the country are reporting the same as you. My friends in California as well as here in Texas, a different story.

LVN's are alive and well here in ER, ICU, OR, etc. I just scannned the sunday paper as well as online. Many openings for LVN's in these highly acute areas.

My employer only hires LVN's for outpatient/clinic areas but we are far from the norm in TX.

  • Author

@Tweety

Thanks for your reply!

One more question:

How high must the number for RNs be in nursing homes? Do you know any law for that?

Cheers,

Dicky

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