Team Nursing

[7pnurse]

I was wondering was there any lpns here that work at a hospital that has team nursing. The hospital where I work will be starting this format in October, 2007. I've heard some bad things about it. One thing I did here that Lpns will be regulated to doing all the leg work why RNs sit back and do paperwork. Can somebody give me some kind of input.

[PACNWNURSING]

We used to do it at my hospital prior to me becoming a LPN, but it has since been faded out along with LPN's. I personally wouldn't work in a hospital as a LPN if my life depended on it. Every RN that I've asked about why there are no longer LPN's have made it loud and clear that we are not an asset but extra responsibility for them. The whole lack of chamaradoree (sp) is the whole bad part about it. If RN's and LPN's could work together as a team instead of against each other it would be great. If hospitals and the state could define the roles of LPN's better and let us work to our full potential then maybe we wouldn't be such burdens to the RN's. If the states and hospitals would remember that we carry our own license and insurance and are responsible for our work, then maybe team nursing might work. Until we as nurses except all levels of nursing then team nursing will not work. I refuse to work in an environment where I'm made to feel imcompetent and less than a nurse.

The reason why RN's can feel this way is because they are still ultimately responsible for overall patient care, and if they are stuck with an LPN or CNA who does a rather inadequate job, it means having to back track to ensure the work was actually done. It also may depend on what the hospital allows the LPN to actually do, if LPNs are not allowed to do Assessments or push IV medications then why bother having an LPN on the team... Regardless team nursing is too stressful on RN's and costs the hospitals more because of the need to hire more staff..

[PACNWNURSING]

"Back in the day" when I was an LPN we did team nursing.

The RN did meds, IVs and orders. The LPNs and CNAs did patient care (bathe, change, feed, ambulate, etc). The LPNs also did dressing changes, trach care, foleys, and so forth. We also charted on all our patients.

You could, after a certain period of time, take a class to become an LPN II and team lead. LPN IIs could give meds and hang IVs but no IV push, blood, etc.

It worked OK if you had a good team. If not, well... There were quite a few nights when I had to listen to the RNs complain about having to chart on the CNA's patients, but they still managed to make it to the time clock ahead of anyone else. We had a pretty good weekend staff but weekdays was another story!

This was back in the early 1980's.

I have to agree, LPNs in hospitals when I became an LPN had more of the role of todays CNA. Then Boards of Nursing decided to give LPN more and more responsibility in order to meet the demands because of the nursing shortage. So, now LPN's graduating today only differ from the RN ADN student grads, by essential not having critical care training. LPNs who have worked hard to get this additional training are now being abandoned by the same hospitals who demanded more nurses. The future Role of the LPN needs to be readdressed.

[Fiona59]

Linzz, check your PMs

[GAnurse05]

I hate to hear that nursing as an LPN in hospital setting is the way that it is for you all and actually feel fortunate to be where I am after hearing some of these blogs. I work on a 40 bed med surg unit and we do not do team nursing. Each nurse both RN and LPN has their own pt load that they are responsible for all the way across the board from assessments, meds, new orders, cath care, dressings, IV therapy, IV sticks, etc. I do all my own charting from A-Z. They do have CNA's that help out with ADL's. A unit secretary that does new orders and advises us when they come in. A charge nurse for back up and a unit manager who has our back. LPN's cannot do central line care and therefore wouldn't be assigned one. There are a hand full of meds that LPN's cannot give all of which are certain IV push. If one of our patients has it any of the RN's on the floor can give it and just sign off on it. RN's and LPN's are equals at our hospital and the enviornment is very plesant. As an LPN I am responsible for myself there is no RN over me as far as patient care except the charge nurse and unit manager and they are over the RN's as well. On any given day there are the same amount of each RN and LPN working on the floor together. Hopefully if any trend is going to become popular this one would be it.

[kstec, LPN]

GAnurse05--- nursing would be a whole lot more pleasant if it ran they way your facility does. It's sounds great. I would love to be able to work in a hospital and not be made to feel like a piece of poop next to the RN's. Since our hospitals do not and will not hire LPN's at present, I will never work there as a LPN even if it changes due to the attitude that has developed around here. I would of loved to work med/surg after school, but that was before I was told that LPN's are inconvenient, needy and do not know how to critical think. I envy your situation, but I will continue to work LTC and clinics and I know that they are lucky to have me, because I'm a good nurse who's good to her patients, always willing to help someone, and always willing to learn new things.

[linzz]

In Ontario, Canada, RPN's (LPN's) are now doing central lines, assessments, starting IV's, almost everything except hanging some IV meds and IV pushes. It really depends on where you work.