Wow! Just wow. NB needs to get with the times.

[lilaclover6984]

This is a poster that NBNU is currently circulating in New Brunswick in response to a recent increase of LPNs on the hospital units there.

It's disgusting how LPNs are disrespected in New Brunswick and constantly kept down and not allowed to practice to full scope ( not even half scope). This province really needs to get with the times and look at how well LPNs are working as a professional part of the healthcare team in the rest of the country. I really find this sickening.

[Trishrpn80]

I work as an RPN (registered practical nurse) in Ontario. I can do everything an RN does at my employer except IV pushes and I think PICC lines. We rarely have them (only seen 1 pt in the last 7 months). In Ontario, the allowable things to do varies by employer so some places have way more restrictions. We are northern and rural so we can have 1 RN on shift and the other 4 are RPN's. we work well together and no one puts themselves above anyone else. The RNs we have had said they learned tons from experienced RPNs..

If people just worked together instead of the ever increasing horizontal violence in nursing then all nursing levels would be more respected.

I am proud to be an RPN and i am getting my RNs only because I do want to work in other countries and this is how I can. One country I want to go is Australia..

Dansamy - LPN in the USA is totally different then Canada. We do 2 yrs college which at my school was the old RN program. Our scope is more expanded from what I have read on the boards and people i know.

[Fiona59]

I don't know about Canada's scope of practice, but in the US the RN is responsible for the LPN & her assessments. When my facility did have LPNs, usually 2 RNs and one LPN would split 16 patients. Sometimes, the 2 RNs would each take 8 & the LPN would do all meds & treatments. Sometimes, the 2 RNs would each take 5, the LPN got 6 & the RNs were each responsible for consigning 3 of the LPNs assessments.

Sent from my HTC One X using allnurses.com

Comparing American and Canadian LPNs and their scope of practice is similar to comparing apples to oranges. The only RN that the LPN reports to is the Charge Nurse, just as RNs do. We are responsible for our own practice decisions.

[lilaclover6984]

I think LPNs in New Brunswick could be better compared to LPNs in the US. They are not even on the same page as the rest of the country and I really think its past time that they catch up

[loriangel14, RN]

Where I work RPNs can access PICC lines.

[Fiona59]

Yup, and now we can IV push out here in Alberta. I'll never use either of these skills on my unit, but what they hey, I'm educated and certified. (and no, that's not a 72 hour certification, lol)

[loriangel14, RN]

I have heard we are going to getting push training here too.

[lilaclover6984]

Where I work RPNs can access PICC lines.

Yup, where I work LPNs access PICCs as well.

[Trishrpn80]

We dont access PICCS where we are because we hardly get them and we need to be sent out for training. Not cost effective and i am ok with that lol

[loriangel14, RN]

We were trained at work.We had a learning package to read, then a written test and and a skill demonstration.

[aywl]

i am in calgary, working for a acute hospital, our unit is same like NB, limited LPN's practise scope even if LPNs are certified, manager said: "you can initialize IV in other unit, doesn't mean you can do in this unit;", once patient have central line, this patient have to assigned to RN, sometimes, RNs are short, charge nurse will ask schedule to call RN for overtime, instead of calling LPN for straight time;

[Fiona59]

i am in calgary, working for a acute hospital, our unit is same like NB, limited LPN's practise scope even if LPNs are certified, manager said: "you can initialize IV in other unit, doesn't mean you can do in this unit;", once patient have central line, this patient have to assigned to RN, sometimes, RNs are short, charge nurse will ask schedule to call RN for overtime, instead of calling LPN for straight time;

You need to talk to your CNE to find out why she is allowed to do this. It is in violation of AHS's mandate that all staff work to full scope of practice.

[Trishrpn80]

Lori our skill demonstration could take up to two yrs to do (half of our staff doesnt even last that long lol). In the past 7 months we had 1 child who was in our hospital less than 24 hrs with a picc..