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. Read on…
Hugh Pedersen, CLPNA President, and Linda Stanger, CLPNA Executive Director
Collaborative practice is a goal and focus for change throughout health organizations. Today, work is underway provincially and nationally to integrate interprofessional collaboration strategies into health care education and practice. The new National Interprofessional Competency Framework (CIHC, 2010) provides a launch point for such direction by focusing on role clarification, team functioning, interprofessional conflict resolution, and collaborative leadership (see pg. 23 of CARE Fall 2011 for more details about this Framework). Health organizations across Alberta are recognizing the need for collaborative directives to guide and support teams and are committing to such practices. These discussions are not new; in fact, several research projects conducted in our province have clearly noted these components and their connection to collaborative practice (Besner et al., 2005; Cummings et al., 2011; White et al., 2009).
In recent months, CLPNA has expressed concern around a possible new staffing plan within Alberta’s new mega hospital in south Calgary. This potential model involves a move to registered nurse (RN)-health care aide (HCA) staffing, which could exclude the LPN role in this facility. CLPNA is very concerned about any model where LPNs are excluded particularly when current evidence and best practice, much of which comes from within AHS, demonstrates the value of the LPN on interprofessional teams. Read on…
The Knowledge and Education Project (KEP) report was a collaborative effort between the LPNs, RPNs and RNs. It was an interesting qualitative research process comparing the education and knowledge held by all three categories of nurse prior to graduation. It did not deal with actual real-life nursing situations, so there are limitations to it use in policy and decision making.
The language in the report about LPNs being trained to deal with “stable patients” is very unfortunate, and is sometimes being misinterpreted and not presented as the researchers intended. (CARNA Letter to the Editor of the Edmonton Journal, published April 18, 2010.)
The following article, Understanding KEP: A non-researcher’s guide (reprinted from the Spring 2010 issue of CLPNA’s CARE magazine), explains a more rounded context about the KEP report and its place in nursing evaluation. Read on…
The Alberta health care system has been in a state of turmoil and change for some time now, with regional boards superseded by the new Super Board, threats of bed closures, various labour issues, a Cabinet shuffle, the Budget, and a new Minister who is reversing many prior policy positions, all adding to the turbulence.
The CLPNA has been looking at this situation and learning from it. We have also been wondering what this confusion is doing to the public’s perceptions of what they want from professional nursing in Alberta. So we commissioned Cambridge Strategies Inc. to do a survey of Albertans and CLPNA members to get some answers. The conjoint survey was designed to get information, insight and clarity on what values Albertans, and LPNs, see as most important for driving and guiding the delivery of professional nursing care in the province.
What we found was very interesting and especially helpful for LPNs and our work in the health care system. Read on…
