Working below your license

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Hello. I'm a LPN in NJ and where I work they will have there LPNs work as aides when there's not enough aides scheduled. Is this legal? I was always told you can't work below your license. I looked on the BON website and found nothing, and when I called I was given a number for complaints.

Anyone know where I can get information??

I get it. Thank you all for your responses :)

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Specializes in Operating Room.

Could you call your state BON directly since the website has been of no help? I can't speak for other states or positions but it is within my job description to do "CNA" type duties. We have CNAs and other support staff in order to allow nurses the time to provide care that only a licensed nurse can provide, but if needed I still take vitals, clean up and bathe patients, assist them to the bathroom/commode/bedpan, etc. On occasion I have worked as a 1:1 for a patient until an aide was available. But I certainly wouldn't want to consistently spend half of my shift working as an aide and if thats the case for you maybe you should discuss this with your manager/someone in HR. It doesn't seem like a smart move for your company to pay nursing pay for aide work so they must be really desperate and understaffed?

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Dreaming. Sorry but I have never been in a situation like this where there is a general disrespect. Is that asking for too much? I don't think so.

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

it was explained to me that we are to work to the top and the bottom of our scope. As a nurse, my scope includes everything an aide does. As long as I getting paid what I contracted to, it doesn't really matter-although it would be kind of boring, for me.

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when i was an LPN i worked as an CNA many of plenty of times. never had a problem with it. altough my employer at the time didnt "make" us do it....many of us just wanted the extra hours and the less stress if passing meds to 40-50 patients. Most of the LPNs i worked with, including myself, were already aides before, so it didnt bother us.

I say, continue to keep researching and trying to get in touch with your state board of nursing so you can get an answer thats right for you.

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Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.

During the time you're working as an "aide" you're still being paid as an LPN, no?

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Specializes in Home Health (PDN), Camp Nursing.

When I did LTC this happened time to time. My issue wasn't that anything was "below" me or somehow endangering my license it was more that I had never worked as a CNA so my time management was not good enough to take an assignment and get everything done. So I would be the bath aid, I can do 6 baths and the other duty's assigned with that job. Ask me to take a 12 person assignment, it's gonna get messy.

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They are permitted to work as STNA's. However, your are held accountable for your highest license.

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Specializes in ICU.

I've worked in hospitals where there were only RN's and NO aides, meaning, you were doing the job of both. I work in an ICU now that has no aides, so we RN's do all the things an aide would do, so I fail to see why that would be a problem. I don't consider it as "working beneath my license."

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Specializes in school nurse.

Actually, it's sort of a treat to do hands on without the rest of it. Also, it helps you keep a sense of empathy with the unlicensed staff.

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Specializes in School Nurse, past Med Surge.
True. What I'm talking about is using myself, an LPN, for part of the shift, then an aide because only 1 is assigned for 11p-7 am. The general consensus is "use the LPNs as aides". This was never communicated to me during hiring process. So if I refuse because I don't want anything to happen that would go against my license, can I be fired in a " at will state" .

What would you be doing that would go against your license? I remember learning bathing in school, I remember learning how to ambulate patients safely in school...anything an aide could/would do is certainly within the scope of nurse duties as well. Are you actually reporting off on your patients & then being used as "just an aide?" Or are you taking on more "aide duties" after the one you have leaves? Doesn't matter...we should never be above doing what an aide does just because we have different letters after our name.

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Specializes in Case manager, float pool, and more.
You can work below your license but you are always held accountable to the standard of your license. The reason you have been told not to work below your license is that it is a liability to you since you are not made aware of all the pertinent patient information but will still be held to the same level of expected care.

I worked at a place were we would routinely bring in RNs who would start the shift as CNAs and then switch to their role as a RN once the admissions started to flow. It was sometimes troubling because even though they were just walking, feeding, bathing patients they were still expected to to assess the patient and take all appropriate behavior that a registered nurse would take.

This. When I was a LPN working med- surg we were asked to work in the capacity of a CNA if we were short CNAs and when short nurses we worked as LPNs. Got paid the same either way. I was never bothered either way as patient care is patient care and pay was same. I never took any kind of "offense" to working "below" my license. Regardless of "title, letters, etc", whatever care my patients may need is never beneath me, never has been and never will. I don't see any problem with being used in a manner to meet pt needs on the ward. I don't think it is illegal to work "below" your license but it sure is not legal to work above your scope of practice.

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