LET’S GET SOME FACTS STRAIGHT!
CLPNA speaks out on behalf of the Licensed Practical Nurse profession
Recent discussion generated by CBC Radio’s Eyeopener (Nursing Shortage; Looking for Nurses) related to nursing shortage and hiring of “lesser trained” nursing personnel showcases some major historical biases and beliefs, which are not relevant to or supportive of healthcare in Alberta.
First, it is unfair and inaccurate to refer to the LPN as a “lesser trained nurse who puts patient safety at risk”. There are three types of professional nurses in Alberta: Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), Registered Nurses (RNs), and Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs). Each group has a defined scope of practice and is educated to function safely and effectively within their legislated scope.
Licensed Practical Nurses are educated through a comprehensive two-year diploma program delivered by community colleges throughout Alberta. Licensed Practical Nurses educated prior to the diploma-standard completed a comprehensive mandatory education upgrade to elevate their knowledge, skill, and ability to the new standard in the late 1990’s. (More about Alberta LPNs & Statistics.)
Just as Licensed Practical Nurses have advanced to a diploma, Registered Nurses (RNs) have advanced from a diploma to a baccalaureate degree as entry to practice. With this in mind, it is important to consider that 45.8% of today’s RNs still maintain a diploma education level (CARNA Annual Report 2009-2010, p. 35).
Secondly, health care is delivered by teams that include a mix of professional nurses along with unregulated Health Care Aides (HCAs), and allied health professionals (Respiratory Therapists, Social Workers, Physiotherapists, etc.). These teams are challenged to match client needs with provider competencies in all areas of care. Therefore, many factors must be considered when deciding what type of nurse to hire and what nurse competencies are appropriate.
In addition, there is value in the different competencies of health providers, and Alberta research underlines the importance of introducing nursing teams that optimize the utilization of all nurses (Enhancing Nursing Role Effectiveness Through Job Redesign, Alberta Health Services, 2009). Outcome from a recent project at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton also supports optimizing teams when multiple factors in patient care have been transformed (Care Transformation pilot project boosts acute care access, Alberta Health Services, 2011) (CARE, Summer 2011).
And finally, nursing leaders across Canada are now acknowledging that most nursing research involves limited if any studies that examine teams including all levels of nursing providers (LPNs, RNs, RPNs, and HCAs). Therefore, in an era when creative clinical best practices along with formal research are considered in decision making, historical ways of thinking are being challenged. Research taken out of context to represent one profession over another creating fear of safety issues related to changes in professional practice only increases confusion and distrust in the health care system.
Alberta Health and Wellness and Alberta Health Services, in consultation with Alberta’s health professional regulatory colleges and other stakeholders, are focusing on developing an interprofessional collaborative practice culture among health teams. Requisite to building high functioning teams is the development of trusting and respectful relationships starting by educating all professionals with an interprofessional collaborative focus. Belief systems that maintain turf, hierarchies, and an unhealthy culture are archaic and it’s time for us all to move forward.
Albertan’s need and deserve a health system that is collaborative, interprofessional, and supportive to the patients we ALL serve. The reality is: No single profession can do this in isolation of the team.
About the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA)
I am a former Registered Nurse with my Bachelor of science in Nursing Degree. I am here to tell you that the comment : “Registered Nurses (RNs) have advanced from a diploma to a baccalaureate degree as entry to practice” is not true. That was their goal in the 90′s to have all R.N.’s with a baccalaureate degree so the profession would look more like a profession. They failed in that goal. To become a Registered Nurse again, even with all of my training and years of experience, I must take a full-time year long refresher course. If you do not get 80% on an exam (There are about 20) after two attempts you can no longer try to become an R.N. ever. With an unsupportive profession like that it is no wonder why LPN’s have become increasingly more popular and relied upon in our Canadian Health Care system.
Is this the same article or another bash agaisnt LPNs
http://beaconnews.ca/blog/2011/09/liberals-worried-govt-will-fix-nurses-shortage-by-hiring-more-lpns/
That article from beaconnews.ca is NOT the article we’re referring in this Blog post.
See the first paragraph in our “Let’s Get the Facts Straight” post for links to the CBC Radio’s Eyeopener stories titled “Nursing Shortage” and “Looking for Nurses” to hear the original comments.