RN's replaced with RPN"S

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Hi,

I am a recently graduated RN, i passed my exam on Feb 2011 and i am looking for a job ever since. I am applying to each and every hospital in and out of Toronto. no one has called me yet. moreover, reviewing the positions it seems that no one will ever hire a new grad since all the positions require at least 2-3, sometimes more years of experience in the same field, 300 different certificates, and other qualification that obviously a new grad does not have.

In addition to that, i have heard a rumor about RN"s being replaced by RPN's , and that in a few years hospitals will no longer hire RN's, and that the later will be placed in administration positions only.

So i have 2 questions which i will be happy to get an answer for:

1. how can a new grad find a job, and where?

2. Is that rumor mentioned above true? can someone confirm this?

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That can't be base on each scope of practice :)

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That's what i thought at first, but then iv'e been told that RPN"s are being trained for 2 months to be "RN's" . apparently they are cheaper to hire, so hospials prefer to hire them and not Rn's. i know it sounds ridiculous, but iv'e been hearing this from many resources... so i don't know..

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There is an old thread somewhere on this.

Basically, CNA has a "plan" that by 2020 the PN diploma will be the entry point for all nurses and that bedside care will be performed by LPNs. The document is linked to somewhere here in a thread. Their idea is that PN diploma will be the entry step with each advance in academics being made from their up until the PhD level.

Since the advent of the BScN in the 1970's, it has been an open secret that the ivory towers of academia would love to have all degree holding nurses in administration.

Why is it ridiculous to hire PNs to work in acute care when they are more cost effective. Not every patient requires blood or travisol administration, which in my hospital is the defining line on who should be performing the care.

Remember that there are still many thousands of diploma RNs working across Canada? Well, the current PN diploma is based on their education. Two years at college for a PN. Many of the diploma holders earned their on the job as student nurses in the old hospital based programme. Alberta graduated their last diploma class in 2009.

The scope of practice (depending on your province) is continually narrowing. The government wants as much nurse for as little money as possible and with many senior RNs in my province making well over $40/hour something has to give.

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so you're telling me that i studied for 4 long years to become a nurse, but i won't be working as a nurse because i will be "over paid", moreover i will be working in administration or something?? if i wanted to work in administrative position i would study it in the first place, don't you think? so yes, i think it's ridiculous...and insulting

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i agree with you Ellab!!

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is there any way to check this, i mean is there an official source who can confirm or refute this rumor? i know people are talking about but it would be nice to hear it from someone who really does know.

And can anyone also answer my 1st question regarding job search for new grads?

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http://www.cna-nurses.ca/CNA/documents/pdf/publications/Towards_2020_Snapshot_e.pdf

It's all out there if you google.

And please bear in mind, that many IENs when moving to Canada with a BScN have been found lacking in the education and skill set to work as RNs in Canada. My province found many were of the same educational level as a new grad PN with limited skills that required a great deal of mentoring from both LPNs and RNs to bring them up to the skill set of a Cdn. educated PN.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Basically there are just not many jobs out there.Where I work they tend to just not fill the empty positions. They just fill the holes with part timers looking for extra shifts and casual employees. That goes for the PN positions as well. I really wouldn't believe for one second that hospitals would eliminate RNs on the floor completely. The PN scope of practice wouldn't support that. The hospital that I work at has very few nurses in administration or managerial positions. Most of them are MBAs with no health care experience.

I would suggest that you just keep applying, even to jobs that state they want experience.There are jobs out there to be had but you may have to take something in an area you are not interested in.

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Strange to read about this since it is about the opposite in the US.

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Specializes in Hospital nursing.

As others have said, there are not many nursing jobs out there right now period. Some hospitals are just finally adding RPNs to the mix, so yes, they have PN jobs up but not RN. However, if you look at the hospital composition, you will usually find way more RNs then RPNs.

As for the experience thing - apply anyways. They may say they want 2-3 years, but from what I've heard, that doesn't mean they won't hire new grads if they think you are good.

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are you from U.S? and Fiona , are you an RPN?

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