More than aides
Friday, November 20, 2009
What? Newman Regional Health wants to reduce LPN (licensed practical nurse) status to aide (tech) status?
LPNs are educated and trained for bedside patient care and have been an integral part of Newman Hospital on all the Units. LPNs are are tested and licensed by the Kansas State Board of Nursing. LPNs do much more than pass water, take vital signs, make beds and answer call lights, but under the new proposed policy can only go find a registered nurse to take care of the patients’ needs. There are not enough registered nurses, so those employed will have an increased work load. Patient care and satisfaction will be decreased.
Some LPNs have already left Newman’s because of the threat of losing their status and employment at Newman’s. The hospitals in the larger cities are happy to hire trained nurses, since there is such a nursing shortage in our Country.
What impact will this have on the LPN course at Flint Hills Technical College? Our community and hospital has always supported this program.
Marianne Dixon RN, retired
Emporia
Jean Brockelman RN, C, retired
Emporia
madpoet (anonymous) says...
Are they trying to reduce the LPNs pay that way so save money or what? It makes no sense to me. With the RN shortage, I'd think they would be doing just the opposite and using more LPNs. Sounds really odd to me.
November 20, 2009 at 9:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
workingmomma (anonymous) says...
This is such a sad state of affairs at the hospital, as many of these nurses have been practicing for 20+ years and are more experienced and qualified than some of the RNs that pass through the hospital. They will be a much missed asset our hospital and medical community.
November 20, 2009 at 11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
Newman Regional Health lost my trust and respect about two years ago in a billing dispute......and virtually everything they have done since then has done nothing but confirm that loss. This appears to be but one more nail in the coffin.
November 20, 2009 at 12:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
madpoet (anonymous) says...
I swore about 7 years ago never to set foot in their ER again. And I fought with them over the bill, then too. A dr. reading my lab results to me is not an exam. I sat for hours freezing in a gown for no good reason. He didn't even take my pulse and I was darned if I'd pay for an exam I didn't get. We go to the Coffey County Hospital now and have always had compassionate care and they are very nice in the billing dept.
November 20, 2009 at 1:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
upsetcitizen (anonymous) says...
Just because an employee of the hospital has certain letters behind their name (RN BSN) does not make them a good nurse. A good nurse is someone who goes the extra mile and who is kind, compassionate and willing to help others. They listen to the concerns of the patients and family members. Good nurses are those who are willing to be part of a team and not say "That is not my patient, so I can't answer that call light." It is so sad that the nurses who got into the field because they truly care about helping others are now being forced to look for jobs outside our community and spend money to travel out of town in this state of economy. Instead NRH is hiring any nurse who has the title of RN whether or not they have the compassion to care for their patients.
I HOPE OUR COMMUNITY SPEAKS UP AND SAYS SOMETHING TO THE BOARD. This is supposed to be a community ran hospital, instead the administration is deciding how our hospital is being ran. Do we not think that our community should have a voice in how they are treated and how our hospital is being ran.
In fact, if you are not an RN, then you are demoted even more by having to wear different color uniform to distinguish that you are not worthy of working there. Which is very sad, because many patients enjoy seeing the different uniforms that are bright and cheerful when they are not feeling good.
November 20, 2009 at 2:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gooseylucy (anonymous) says...
Why in the world would NRH ever think this would work??
Point #1 - When you are having financial problems, why would you get rid of lower paid LPN's only to replace them with higher paid RN's?
Point #2 - Where are you going to get all these RN's to replace the LPN's? You cannot fill the open RN positions that you have posted right now.
Point #3 - Why would you not let an LPN function in their full capacity? Why are you limiting their abilities?
Point #4 - Why would you pay an LPN salary only to let them do aide or clerk work?
Who's idea is this anyway?? Is this how you treat your long term loyal employees? What does the Board of Trustees or the Ly Co Commision think of this? What do the citizens of Ly Co think of this? Come on people, make your voices heard!!
November 20, 2009 at 2:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scarlett01_98 (anonymous) says...
Oh lord! Having been a patient in NRH, I don't know what I would have done without the RN'S, LPN'S, and CNA'S. I have the utmost respect and admiration for these hard workers. I cannot imagine how this hospital can run without them. I understand that times are hard, but come on!!!! i don't post because of personal reasons, but running out professional health care workers is just crazy.....
Just my opinion....
November 20, 2009 at 4:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scarlett01_98 (anonymous) says...
I have to much time on my hands. Is this why there so many long faces, heavy sighs, sad eyes, and tension in the halls at NRH? Also, does the new dir of nursing, have anything to do with all the changes at NRH? like I said, I have to much time on my hands .....
November 20, 2009 at 5:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
spectator (anonymous) says...
In a post in response to a letter from a former nrhc RN, I offer the following: Yes, Kathy, they are[trying to be another Mayo Clinic]. The latest hiree with horsepower is from the Mayo Clinic and has indicated she wants to make nhrc another Mayo. The hospital has already tried 3 times I know of to make it an all-RN facility and I agree this is ridiculous. Some of the best caregivers I've met are *lowly* aides, LPNs or CMAs. The more time spent in the classroom will shorten the amount of time a new nurse has in actually taking care of the patient as a person as opposed to a number. Just because you have 1/2 of the alphabet behind your name does not mean you know squat about being a nurse. We've all met people who are 'book smart' who couldn't pour water out of a shoe even if the directions were printed on the bottom. Letters are good but are worthless without common sense.
November 20, 2009 at 7:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
spectator (anonymous) says...
upset, as for the comment 'That is not my patient, so I can't answer that call light." , I haven't actually seen that. My wife and my mother have both been in-patients [the horror was getting past E.R.] and the care was reasonably good. The staff seemed to team up and try to help one another as best that could. They were ALWAYS short staffed due to some idiot's numbers schedule that dictated how many people could be there at any one time. In addition, another moron determined that it would be a good idea for each person to care for patients in each of the two halls. The ward being L-shaped, the staff literally ran themselves ragged. I recall one particular evening when the nurse had to time my mother's IV drip. It was apparent that she relished this opportunity to simply stand still for a few moments. The L-shape, and the directive to run both halls, also made it necessary for the nurses to beat it to the junction each and every time a call light went off to see who's patient it was and who was available, if anyone, to answer it or if more than one person was needed. Sounds like a plan to me [to run the staff into the ground]. The staff, most of them anyway, really did try to provide good patient care. Like I said, outpatient is a whole 'nother story.
November 20, 2009 at 7:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Anywhere (anonymous) says...
I don't understand the purpose of getting rid of the LPNs at NRH. They sure don't either and if you ask for a reason, you don';t get a straight answer. It certainly isn't for financial reasons!! And changing their job discription to aid or ward clerk and cutting their hours is ridiculous. Are we out to just hurt others and their families?
November 20, 2009 at 9:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
knute (anonymous) says...
The peons in the trenches make newman's function in spite of itself.
November 21, 2009 at 12:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wildcatnurse (anonymous) says...
I know and have worked with many LPN's that have no desire to be an RN or BSN. Some nurses prefer bedside care, not paper pushing and management. BSN is just that........Bull S*&^ Nurse. People who only want to sit behind the desk and get all the credit for the hard work the RNs, LPNs, and CNAs do.
Also, it is not that simple to just "enroll in school for a few hours each week". Do you realize how hard it has become to even get into nursing school? There aren't enough teachers and class sizes are small. Compound that with schools that want all their teachers to have a Masters Degree and it's just ridiculous.
Tell me how a new BSN is a better nurse than a 15-year LPN. Tell me how a small community hospital can afford to go all BSN? It can't. NRH is drowning and about to die and no one in the community seems to care.
To all of the truly amazing LPN's at NRH, I am so very sorry. I am sorry the new management doesn't realize what you mean to Newman's. I am sorry the old management that is still left doesn't have the guts to stand up to the new guy/girl. It's sad.
To the new DON, you are in Emporia,Kansas.....not Rochester. If it's a Mayo clinic you want, you are more than welcome to go back. I'm sure they will be happy to have you and your small-minded views back. You do not belong in a small-town, community hospital.
Okay....I think I'm done.
November 21, 2009 at 10:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
Would this have anything to do with the NRH/ESU School of Nursing's disdain for the "lesser" FHTC LPN's? I always thought that the politics there are awful and now it sounds as if it's getting worse. I have had many friends either pay out the nose to go to the Nursing School so they could get a job here, or plan on and almost always end up moving to KC or Topeka so they can work in a hospital or Dr. office with their LPN. If they stay here with an LPN, they are typically banished to nursing homes for their entire careers as the few LPN openings in Dr. offices stay filled and NRH doesn't want them. I don't think it's such a good idea to have ESU and NRH so interconnected that it ostracizes FHTC students. The ESU/NRH school of Nursing won't acknowledge the course credits from FHTC, so you can't get your LPN at FHTC and then extend your degree later at ESU/NRH. Our community needs to have variety of usable and accessible educational levels---we don't need a monopoly run by a County hospital and State college.
November 22, 2009 at 3:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gooseylucy (anonymous) says...
Oh4, I don't really think this is being brought on by our RN program here. This is coming from NRH Administration. Once they have banished the LPN's, their next targets are the RN's. They are already pushing the diploma RN's to all go back to school and get their BSN. Which makes no sense, as once again you would have to pay them higher salaries. Where are they going to come up with all this $$?
And it really can't be all about the higher level of education. Because wether you are a diploma RN or a BSN, they all take the same State Board Test. So really, what difference does it make?
The current NRH Admin, wants to make NRH a magnet hospital. Which in itself is not a bad thing. But, they think you have to get rid of the LPN's to attain this. That simply is not true. There are at least 2 magnet hospitals right in our area, and they still hire and employ LPN's!! So what's the deal?? It just doesn't make sense!!
But, you are correct about the FHTC. This will affect them greatly. And yes, ESU should accept their credits. Why can't we all just work together, for the best interests of the people of Lyon County?
November 23, 2009 at 9:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
clueless (anonymous) says...
WHY is it,,,that the NRHBoard cannot and Has Not stood up for the NURSES,whether they are RN or LPN's?? The NURSES are the backbone of the hospital,THEY are the ones providing the bedside care,THEY are the ones who run non stop,24/7,while the ppl on the board and the ADMINISTRATION,(esp the new DON)go home in the eve,stay home on the holidays with the families...and then bitch and moan about the $$$$$$ being spent..Change into the "specified scrubs" just one day,and actually find out just what it is the NURSES do...whether it be a diploma RN or and LPN,THEY are the ones holding your mother's hand while she is taking her last breath,they are the ones comforting that family,they are the ones celebrating the birth of that new baby,they are the ones catching all the grief when they are short handed and cant be 2,3,4 places at one time.Yet the DON and the other ADM,are the ones sitting back in their offices,calling ALL the shots!!! Not once have they taken the time to talk to the nurses,to get their views on all the BS that has taken place,,,and ppl wonder why the long faces,why the disheartend nurses,and CNA's and wardclerk who work their butts off as well. I've heard,not one time, has the DON been seen actually providing NURSING care,is this because she doesn't know HOW???????What has happened to the GOOD OLE days when the DON actually came to the floors,and WORKED,,,not to mention any names (Paula Wilson) and knew how to work and WOULD answer your questions and genuinely CARED!!!! Those days are long gone.
And where is the COMMUNITY support,,come on Emporia,if we are to KEEP the doors of NRH open,then get out and support the NURSES,,all of them!!!!!!! because NRH isnt listening to the nurses they have!!! And why,when its the nurses carrying out the Dr's orders,havent the nurses have any type of support FROM the Dr's?????
November 24, 2009 at 8:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )