Char, so true... Most LPNs are in office/clinic settings, long gone are the days of LPNs on the ward. I have a friend that was an LPN in ED; she was offered to be the unit clerk, or tech... One week later, no more LPNs in ED, just RNs and techs, rest of the jr LPNs got the boot. Some nursing homes are going RNs & CNAs staff only. I see a trend happening that will drive health care cost even further up. Most level 1&2 facilities will be RN and Techs/CNAs only. LPNs will staff the AFCs & group homes.

I see this around NY, Chicago, LA and San Francisco... There is definitely a trend. Remember, these rules or practices are made by DONs (Damn Old Nurse) with alphabet soup parading behind their name. At their 5 minutes of "shine" with the board of directors they come up with budget cuts and patient improvement plans. Medicare has allot to do with staffing also, so does if the facility wants to stay competitive in the private sector.

When I was in practical nursing school many moons ago there was talk about phasing them out, but over the years our local hospitals and nursing homes are re-hiring LPNs. Now our Dr. offices are using MAs or CNAs because the cost is cheaper than a LPN. I am of the mind that you can always learn something every day. I started out as a CNA and over the years became a RN (for the money) and I can honestly say that I learned more about a facility and my patients from the LPNs and CNAs than I ever learned from a RN. I think every RN should be trained by an LPN at some time during their orientation at a facitliy.

It is a shame beacause ALL nursing staff should work as a team. We can all be valuable resources for each other no matter what comes behind our names.

Al: where did you come from? Are you one of those angels here on earth?

Al: I like this !

Al, you seem really passionate about your career, and I totally admire that! I bet you are easy to get along with at work. You've got your priorities right. Keep on doing well!

al_chamizo said:

ccb, we all have that passion, some just show it otwardly more than others.

Advanceweb.com

New-grad LPNs often find themselves holding supervisory positions sooner than they expect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By Joe Darrah

Once new grads grasp their practical nursing diplomas, their expectations begin to rise. With just a licensure exam standing in their way, their dreams of becoming nurses are that much closer to coming true.

While many facilities are developing more sophisticated orientation programs to ease the new-grad-to-new-nurse transition, employment opportunities for LPNs are becoming more demanding as the nursing shortage pervades all areas of healthcare. And with more opportunity comes more responsibility, even for new grads.

Green Hills, an assisted living facility medication-pass training program for the facility’s nursing aide staff LPNs are needed for charge positions and sometimes hold administrative roles. New-grad LPNs can be assigned supervisory positions in acute care, assisted living and home care where nurse’s aides are employed.

‘I’M AN LPN; I CAN LEAD’

Christine Kline, LPN, also knows what it’s like to be thrust into a leadership position soon after taking a nursing job. A member of the June 2005 graduating class Kline, 41, earned her LPN by July of that year and took a job as a med/surg staff nurse that summer.

At Reading Hospital, all LPNs are responsible for assisting RNs with delegating tasks to nurses’ aides and patient-care technicians on their units, Kline said, adding that this duty provides a sense of authority as well as clinical management.

‘YOU’RE AN LPN; YOU CAN LEAD’

Also sensing a need to refine LPN responsibilities when she joined Green Hills, Kline initiated a staffing change that called for LPNs to be designated “unit supervisors” to oversee nursing aides. Kline knew that their practical nursing education helped prepare them for such responsibility, so she assigned Melanie Hartzell, LPN, and Wendy Weitzel, LPN, 10 aides each, the total number of support staff on the day and evening shifts.

As supervisors, Hartzell and Weitzel are responsible for delegating assignments, overseeing med passes and documentation, and ensuring that aides sign off all completed tasks.

I think it is that way, with CNA"S too, I've been in school for nearly, 9 years part-time, because I worked full-time, and changed careers in between begining some of my RN preriqusistes. You get tired. I think will  you  have longer longivity working as a RN, if you go straight thorough, work with the CNA OR LVN license for a brief times, save your strenght for the RN school, and working as a RN.