Supervisory Training for LPN

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · May 25, 2009

I never had any supervisory training.

I received my very first nursing position in early 2006 at a nursing home. Although I was a new nurse with no LPN work experience, I was being hired as a "charge nurse."

Many of my LPN acquaintances who work as managers, ADONs, and staffing directors never had any managerial training. They basically had to teach the essential duties of the job to themselves.

sunbeach73 · May 25, 2009

I received mine through an online course. You get 20 hours on CEU's. The cost is about $35. Go to westernschools.com, look up management and leadership and the course should pop up. The ALF I work at has this as a mandatory course for all our nurses. Hope this helps.

noc4senuf · May 25, 2009

Depending on what state you work in, you may not be able to be considered a supervisor. We train our LPN's to be "charge" nurses but, the state does not allow them to be supervisors.

bethann27 · May 25, 2009

of most concern to me is how did you obtain education to prepare you for "overseeing" direct care staff or were you just expected to do it without any preparation? i've worked in 2 facilities as a cna and the floor was basically ran by the senior direct care staff. the lpn's were so overwhelmed that they just allowed it to happen - possibly due to lack of education and training.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · May 25, 2009

I'm an RN and never had any courses on management in nursing school. I was a staff nurse for less than a year and got promoted to nurse manager of a subacute unit. I was a DNS before I took any classes on management. I always hated the "what's your management style' question at job interviews. I've taken what I've seen my bosses have done in the past...I've used what I thought they did well and vowed never to do what they did that was condescending.

PS. In Massachusetts, LPNs can't be called supervisors.

beckylpn1 · May 26, 2009

I worked in LTC facilities for a total of 8 years out of my 10 as an LPN and I was the "Charge Nurse/Supervisor". My first LPN job was 2 weeks after passing boards when I was the only Licensed staff member for 104 residents and total of 8 staff members. I had no management/leadership training at any of the facilities that I worked. It was learn as you go.

Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN · May 26, 2009

I know in PN school nurses are taught about delegation, but nothing prepares you for the real thing.

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · May 27, 2009

Great question! Years ago when I first started with this company, we had a supervisor training inservices. Yeah, the analogies and stories we went thru were kinda stupid, but looking back at all of that, it probably was a good program that got thrown away. This training hasn't been done in years and I think that is part of our program. At that time, it was just for RNS, but LPNs could have or should have been included.

If your facility is a chain or corp ran, I bet they have some type of program somewhere...ask the adm or DON about this.