What's happening to the RN's being replaced by RPN's, if that's even true.

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So I've been hearing a lot of rumors going on that RN's are being replaced by RPN's. Are they being bumped up to management positions or just getting laid off? I'm wanting to pursue a degree in nursing. Is this a good idea, or should I just get my diploma? I would rather finish school in two years and get a job instead of wasting more time and money and end up being jobless.

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Hello Bluer

I have to say that after reading your post I'm a bit irritated. Nursing is so much more than just a job. I know a few nurses who are just in it for the pay check and I can say that the passion is just not there. I would suggest doing some good old "soul searching" and find out exactly why you want to go into nursing. It's not all fun and glory. The reality of nursing is a slap in the face (but I wouldn't have it any other way).

If (in the end) you are just interested in a pay check, I suggest another line of work.

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There is a trend to replace RNs with RPNs. RPNs are cheaper and it is a convenient way for hospitals to get around the RNs that are now required to graduate with a degree. Way to go College of Nurses! Now RNs are going to find themselves scrambling for a job.

Hospitals will train the RPNs to do pretty much everything an RN can do. I don't know how they got away with being able to do that.

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There is a trend to replace RNs with RPNs. RPNs are cheaper and it is a convenient way for hospitals to get around the RNs that are now required to graduate with a degree. Way to go College of Nurses! Now RNs are going to find themselves scrambling for a job.

Hospitals will train the RPNs to do pretty much everything an RN can do. I don't know how they got away with being able to do that.

Hospitals aren't "getting away" with anything. Every skill that an LPN has is being utilized to accomodate the ever shrinking healthcare budget.

The Practical Nurse education programme in Ontario and Alberta are the two most intense in Canada. Based upon the old hospital diploma RN programme.

Look at your average surgical or medicine unit. Unless you are doing a lot of transfusions or TPN there are very few patients that cannot be cared for by an LPN. I've worked shifts where there has been a Charge RN and ONE RN on the floor (usually it's three RN, three LPN) and five LPNs. No care was substandard. It's the luck of the draw when staff is short.

The big problem these days is the fact the working LPN isn't consulted about the ever increasing scope of practice and utilization of skills. The provincial colleges are quick to accomodate the health authorities with approving the scope changes but when the working nurses ask about a wage increase to reflect the expanded use of PNs we get the old refrain "we don't negotiate your wages talk to your union".

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Why is there even two different type of nurses (RPN & RN) if RPN can do pretty much everything an RN can do for a fraction of the cost?

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Specializes in ICU, ER.
Why is there even two different type of nurses (RPN & RN) if RPN can do pretty much everything an RN can do for a fraction of the cost?

"The foundational knowledge base of RNs and RPNs is different as a result of differences in basic nursing education. Both categories study from the same body of nursing knowledge. RNs study for a longer period of time allowing for greater depth and breadth of foundational knowledge in the areas of clinical practice, decision-making, critical thinking, leadership, research utilization and resource management. RPNs study for a shorter period of time, resulting in a more focused body of foundational knowledge in the areas identified above."

From CNO's Utilization of RNs and RPNsdocument.

A presentation I found through Google...

http://www.ona.org/documents/File/professionalpractice/March2010PCM_Slides_RN-RPNScopeofPractice.pdf

PS

The scope of practice for a RN is relatively the same no matter where you go, but the scope for a RPN varies from province to province, country to country, and even hospital to hospital. For example, many posts on here describe RPNs that are able to do almost everything RNs can do, but at my hospital the RPNs are not allowed to practice anywhere near what the CNO allows.

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Hello Bluer

I have to say that after reading your post I'm a bit irritated. Nursing is so much more than just a job. I know a few nurses who are just in it for the pay check and I can say that the passion is just not there. I would suggest doing some good old "soul searching" and find out exactly why you want to go into nursing. It's not all fun and glory. The reality of nursing is a slap in the face (but I wouldn't have it any other way).

If (in the end) you are just interested in a pay check, I suggest another line of work.

I pretty much wrote a whole 'essay' as a response to this, but decided it wasn't worth it for me to stoop that low and post it. I suggest you practice what you preach. Maybe after some soul searching, you'll realize that it's not your place to judge people you don't know. No offense.

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Thanks for all the replies. Would you recommend studying the RPN or the RN program? Do you think it's worth it to begin the RN program in 2012?

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Specializes in ICU, ER.
Thanks for all the replies. Would you recommend studying the RPN or the RN program? Do you think it's worth it to begin the RN program in 2012?

I don't think anyone can answer that but you.

Yes, I'm having a hard time getting my dream job right now but the job market has been like this before and will get better and then it will get bad again, etc. It has been through this cycle MANY times in the past. Regardless, it was my dream to be a RN and I'm 100% happy that I fulfilled that dream. So obviously I'm going to suggest the RN program. However, RPNs that feel the same way I do are probably going to suggest the RPN program.

I suggest you research both carefully and make your decision from there. Good luck!

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Wow...some pretty harsh comments. Im an Rpn with "just a diploma" and I'm "cheaper" (perhaps maybe nicer terminology?). I worked very hard for my diploma and I'm a darn good nurse!

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Wow...some pretty harsh comments. Im an Rpn with "just a diploma" and I'm "cheaper" (perhaps maybe nicer terminology?). I worked very hard for my diploma and I'm a darn good nurse!

I really hope you didn't think I was asking the question because I was being condescending. I really want to be a nurse and I'm willing to spend more years in school if it means I'll have more/better options in the field. My friend is currently in the third semester of the RPN program. There are way more students in the RPN program and it seems very difficult to find so many professors that can actually teach. Most of the professors are in the field, but they probably couldn't teach if their lives depended on it. She worked hard, yet barely passed the second semester. She told me that the students have complained many times about the professors. She also told me nearly half of the students from the second semester didn't make it to the third semester (this includes some students that have already graduated with honors from a different faculty). I highly doubt the reason they didn't make it was because they slacked off, and I wouldn't be surprised if the RN program isn't even that much more difficult. I'm sure you worked hard to come out of that program alive. Congratulations

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I really hope you didn't think I was asking the question because I was being condescending. I really want to be a nurse and I'm willing to spend more years in school if it means I'll have more/better options in the field. My friend is currently in the third semester of the RPN program. There are way more students in the RPN program and it seems very difficult to find so many professors that can actually teach. Most of the professors are in the field, but they probably couldn't teach if their lives depended on it. She worked hard, yet barely passed the second semester. She told me that the students have complained many times about the professors. She also told me nearly half of the students from the second semester didn't make it to the third semester (this includes some students that have already graduated with honors from a different faculty). I highly doubt the reason they didn't make it was because they slacked off, and I wouldn't be surprised if the RN program isn't even that much more difficult. I'm sure you worked hard to come out of that program alive. Congratulations

Your question did come across in a condescending manner. But then we try to allow for the typed word coming across differently than the spoken.

Nursing instructors (there are very few Professors that teach in nursing programmes) are usually BScN holders or hopefully they have a Masters. They have no additional educational qualifications. Most haven't even taken a course in Adult Education.

It's not uncommon to have a high failure rate in the Practical Nursing Course. My intake lost 25% of the class at the end of the first semester. We graduated just over 60% of the group that started. We had people drop out who had degrees in unrelated subjects (this was in the days before the accelerated BScN started)

People go into it with a very skewed idea of what the role of a PN is, how much study is required, and how much hands on work on the units is involved.

There is also a certain amount of being able to suck it up and take it involved in any nursing education and those who don't accept or understand this usually fail or drop out. I remember one semester telling myself that the instructor wasn't going to be with me after that semester and they would not force me out. Swallow my pride? Yes, but I did learn.

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