[tmoorelpn]

A hospital in my area decided they would try a all RN staff. Do you know how long that lasted? Five weeks and they were hiring LPNs again. They undervalued LPNs and what they contribute to the overall healthcare team. They realized pretty fast that patient care dropped out and patients and their families were not too happy. I would really point out what the typical day would be like for the RNs on the unit if the LPNs weren't there to help carry the load.

[SoftSteel]

Paprika, you are not alone. This happened at a hosiptal where I worked as a CNA. They told all LPN's they would now be classified as CNA's if they stayed. All but two left, the reason I got hired. Also they would not get anymore pay raises until the CNA staff was up to/equal with the once existing LPN staff.
Which really shuts a lot of doors because most hospitals are owned by the same corporation, simply meaning, if they do this in one of their facilities they will do it in the rest.
The only two states in this country that extend a hand to LPN's, as I see it, are CA and TX. What I seem not to grasp is this.....if the LPN level of nursing is no longer acceptable by these facilities (which are extremly powerful enities) why do schools still insist on providing the LPN program?

[nursinghumor]

[ QUOTE ]
SoftSteel said:
The only two states in this country that extend a hand to LPN's, as I see it, are CA and TX. What I seem not to grasp is this.....if the LPN level of nursing is no longer acceptable by these facilities (which are extremly powerful enities) why do schools still insist on providing the LPN program?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll give you one big reason, Long Term Care.

Here in the North East, the majority of nurses in nursing homes are LPNs, with a few RNs at best.

It's much more cost effective to use LPNs to pass medications and do the bulk of the nursing work than to have RNs do the same.

This is probably consistent throughout the U.S. The nursing home industry is growing extremely quickly due to the baby boomer generation reaching retirement age.

I wouldn't expect to see the lack of demand for LPN/LVNs go away anytime soon. With the shortage worsening by the month, hospitals may too soon open their doors to LPNs.

Time will tell.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.nursefriendly.com/lpn