Abstract
Background: Licensed nurse (registered nurse [RN] and licensed practical nurse [LPN]) roles in nursing homes are often viewed as interchangeable. Interchangeability occurs when the differences in RN and LPN education and scopes of practice are not recognized or acknowledged, leading to staffing patterns where the roles and clinical contributions of RNs and LPNs are perceived as equivalent. Purpose: This study describes the perspectives of directors of nursing about interchangeability between RNs and LPNs and factors that contribute to interchangeability. Method: This is a secondary analysis of data from a larger study in which 44 Directors of Nursing from Nurisng Homes in two different states were interviewed about their perceptions of the roles of RNs and LPNs. Findings: Interchangeability of RNs and LPNs was influenced by directors of nursing's knowledge and awareness of the scopes of practice for the two types of licensed nurses, corporate policies, and educational background of RNs. The findings suggest opportunities for better differentiating roles through the use of job descriptions that more clearly delineate the distinctive contributions of both RNs and LPNs in nursing home settings. Discussion: While increasing the number of RNs in nursing homes is desirable, there is immediate opportunity to ensure that the few RNs in nursing homes are used effectively to ensure that the professional nursing care needs of residents are met. Note: The review process and decision for this article was managed by Barbara S. Smith, PhD, R, FAAN Associate Editor, Nursing Outlook.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 560-569 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Nursing outlook |
| Volume | 66 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 1 2018 |
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Keywords
- Director of nursing
- Interchangeability
- Licensed nurses
- Nursing homes
PubMed: MeSH publication types
- Journal Article
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Cite this
Interchangeability of Licensed Nurses in Nursing Homes : Perspectives of Directors of Nursing. / Mueller, Christine A; Duan, Yinfei; Vogelsmeier, Amy; Anderson, Ruth; McConnell, Eleanor; Corazzini, Kirsten.
In: Nursing outlook, Vol. 66, No. 6, 01.11.2018, p. 560-569.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Interchangeability of Licensed Nurses in Nursing Homes
T2 - Perspectives of Directors of Nursing
AU - Mueller, Christine A
AU - Duan, Yinfei
AU - Vogelsmeier, Amy
AU - Anderson, Ruth
AU - McConnell, Eleanor
AU - Corazzini, Kirsten
PY - 2018/11/1
Y1 - 2018/11/1
N2 - Background: Licensed nurse (registered nurse [RN] and licensed practical nurse [LPN]) roles in nursing homes are often viewed as interchangeable. Interchangeability occurs when the differences in RN and LPN education and scopes of practice are not recognized or acknowledged, leading to staffing patterns where the roles and clinical contributions of RNs and LPNs are perceived as equivalent. Purpose: This study describes the perspectives of directors of nursing about interchangeability between RNs and LPNs and factors that contribute to interchangeability. Method: This is a secondary analysis of data from a larger study in which 44 Directors of Nursing from Nurisng Homes in two different states were interviewed about their perceptions of the roles of RNs and LPNs. Findings: Interchangeability of RNs and LPNs was influenced by directors of nursing's knowledge and awareness of the scopes of practice for the two types of licensed nurses, corporate policies, and educational background of RNs. The findings suggest opportunities for better differentiating roles through the use of job descriptions that more clearly delineate the distinctive contributions of both RNs and LPNs in nursing home settings. Discussion: While increasing the number of RNs in nursing homes is desirable, there is immediate opportunity to ensure that the few RNs in nursing homes are used effectively to ensure that the professional nursing care needs of residents are met. Note: The review process and decision for this article was managed by Barbara S. Smith, PhD, R, FAAN Associate Editor, Nursing Outlook.
AB - Background: Licensed nurse (registered nurse [RN] and licensed practical nurse [LPN]) roles in nursing homes are often viewed as interchangeable. Interchangeability occurs when the differences in RN and LPN education and scopes of practice are not recognized or acknowledged, leading to staffing patterns where the roles and clinical contributions of RNs and LPNs are perceived as equivalent. Purpose: This study describes the perspectives of directors of nursing about interchangeability between RNs and LPNs and factors that contribute to interchangeability. Method: This is a secondary analysis of data from a larger study in which 44 Directors of Nursing from Nurisng Homes in two different states were interviewed about their perceptions of the roles of RNs and LPNs. Findings: Interchangeability of RNs and LPNs was influenced by directors of nursing's knowledge and awareness of the scopes of practice for the two types of licensed nurses, corporate policies, and educational background of RNs. The findings suggest opportunities for better differentiating roles through the use of job descriptions that more clearly delineate the distinctive contributions of both RNs and LPNs in nursing home settings. Discussion: While increasing the number of RNs in nursing homes is desirable, there is immediate opportunity to ensure that the few RNs in nursing homes are used effectively to ensure that the professional nursing care needs of residents are met. Note: The review process and decision for this article was managed by Barbara S. Smith, PhD, R, FAAN Associate Editor, Nursing Outlook.
KW - Director of nursing
KW - Interchangeability
KW - Licensed nurses
KW - Nursing homes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85055023092&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85055023092&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.outlook.2018.09.004
DO - 10.1016/j.outlook.2018.09.004
M3 - Article
VL - 66
SP - 560
EP - 569
JO - Nursing Outlook
JF - Nursing Outlook
SN - 0029-6554
IS - 6
ER -