[Jeanne in CA]

I think I may have found the answer to my question below about whether or not to do the CNA thing to get my foot in the door at the hospital (but then again maybe not - that's why I'm asking here).

Today, I spoke with the instructor of a local CNA class, and she informed me that most hospitals in California are no longer employing CNAs; they are being phased out entirely. Now CNAs are working primarily in elderly care and long-term care facilities.

Truly the case?

[jodeee]

i feel like they are doing the same with lpn/lvn's. i feel if they would just let us do the job we are trained for to our full capacity we both could be an assett to the medical profession

[Aaron C.]

so then, who's going to take care of the patients? The nurses don't have time to do that now. How will they do that without the assistance of a nurse's aide?

[Jeanne in CA]

Originally Posted by shortbus

so then, who's going to take care of the patients? The nurses don't have time to do that now. How will they do that without the assistance of a nurse's aide?

Good question...and it doesn't seem to make good financial sense for hospitals to be doing this either, unless they've somehow factored lawsuits into the equation (I'm make a real rookie guess here, lol.).

And Jodee is right about this practice spreading to the LVNs too (in this area anyway). I attended an informational meeting regarding one of the RN programs taught in a local community college, and an LVN was there who was returning to get her RN. The rep leading the info meeting was encouraging people interested in the RN program to go into their LVN track first, because they have a higher priority getting into the RN program, i.e. more of them get in and there isn't typically as long of a wait, if any. The LVN took exception to her advice and said she would never advise that anyone do that, because it's so difficult in this area for new grad LVNs to get jobs in local hospitals. She said that as an experienced LVN, she works parttime for two hospitals just to get enough work to support herself.

A few weeks ago, our teenage son was in Kaiser (dehydration - flu), and while he was rehydrating, I had the chance to chat with 3 or 4 of the nurses there, asking them what they thought about going LVN first, because I could get into that right away. All of them were adamant that that was NOT a good way to go - to go for the RN only. All mentioned the fact that the LVNs are gradually being phased out.

At a time when California is SCREAMING for more nurses, I just don't understand these trends; I'm genuinely trying to make sense of them.

[medi]

Sad (for all of us) but so true. I've worked at several hospitals that didn't employ CNA's and many that didn't employ LPN's at all either. They make the RN's do it all under various names-- "team nursing", or "primary care".... making it sound as though they're going to those "methods" in order to "provide better patient care" because the RN will have more "hands on" with the patients and can better assess them etc.

Ha!

The real reason is that they figure something like this-- RN's are taught how to give bed baths, empty bed pans, bathe patients ets-- and the ANA has preached two levels of nursing for a while--- the BSN or "professional" nurse, and the ADN or Diploma nurses-- which will not be "professional nurses but will be denigrated to the status of today's LPN.....

SO-- why should we pay for CNA's and LPN's when we can get the RN's to handle those duties as well (since they're trained to do all that anyway)? We can cut labor expenses and pass it off as "improving patient care" by giving the RN and patient more direct contact!

Ka- ching!

Everyone can't afford to spend 4 or 5 years to become a BSN right off the bat, but rather than spend 10 months or a year becoming an LPN these days I'd advise prospective students to go the associate degree in nursing route and then get a job and let your employer's education plan help you get the BSN via distance or online education after that.

[JermNurse13]

Crazy! I hate answering things with politics but it's the truth guys. I have been in the Nursing profession since 1994 and more and more, companies are hiring employees not based upon skill but upon whether they can benefit from any cutbacks such as hirring minorities (so called), individuals with a criminal history, and those individuals who may depend upon some assistance from a Government or State Program. I don't know about you but this type of hirring process is discrimination and unjust...We must start taking stands not for ourselves but, for our patients/residents welfare and the future reputation of Nursing as whole.

Loyally,

Jeremy JERM Washburn,
CNA II/RNA, RMA, RPT