ADVANCE Angle: LPNs

Versatility of LPNs

Joe Darrah — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:56:00 GMT

I know many LPNs believe they're underutilized and underappreciated.

I get the phone calls and the e-mails, I see these feelings conveyed all over our online forums, I hear it at each and every conference I attend.

And I can't help but believe those LPNs who harbor such notions are their own worst enemies.

Sure, some states are more restrictive of their LPNs, disallowing such tasks as delegation. Of course, there are facilities out there who don't allow their LPNs to perform what many nurses see as being the full extent of their scope.

But I can't help but think some LPNs let this get the best of them. Sometimes it sounds like these nurses spend more time worrying about what they can't do instead of embracing the wonderful jobs they have, and the opportunities that remain out there.

Then, there are the exceptions. We at ADVANCE like to promote and celebrate these individuals.

Take Gail Buccini, LPN; Karen Stegeman, LPN; and Diana Cooper, LPN; for example.

In our March print issue we highlight the versatility of these three individuals. Buccini, a nurse working in Newburyport, MA, co-leads a support group for individuals who have loved ones living with Alzheimer's. Stegeman, a nurse based in New York, is a member of a treatment team that cares for those who've developed health problems as a result of 9/11 through a federally funded program. In Harrisonburg, VA, Cooper has been named administrative assistant at her home health agency. In this capacity she's responsible for such non-clinical tasks as scheduling and recruitment. She also works at the bedside.

So, I can't help but scratch my head when I hear LPNs say they can't utilize their skills when nurses like these individuals are probably working beyond the tasks they were hired to perform.

The next time you're told you can't perform an assessment or push a med, don't beat up yourself or your fellow nurses' ears by sulking. Find something you can do, and do it with the passion you were born to do it with.

Rock On, LPN!

Tom Kerr — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:00:00 GMT

If you're an American Idol fan, or even an occasional viewer, you've noticed Amanda Overmyer, dubbed the "rocker nurse."

But did you know that Overmyer is an LPN?

The 23-year-old native of Camden, IN, earned her practical nursing credentials 3 years ago and works as a home health respiratory nurse with Lincare, Kokomo, IN. However, Overmyer's career path may change now that she has wowed Idol judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell with her grounded personality and her bluesy Janis Joplin-like voice.

Overmyer is currently one of the final 16 contestants in the competition.

Kathy Dunbar of Delphi, IN, a friend of the Overmyer family, told the Carroll County (IN) Comet that Amanda should go far in her singing career.

"She has the whole package," Dunbar told the newspaper. "She has terrific talent, stage presence and a deep voice that draws you in. She also has an outstanding, supportive family behind her. Sometimes it's all in the timing, and this is her year."

Dunbar said the judges are calling Amanda the female version of former Idol rocker contestant Chris Daughtry. She added that Overmyer has been the lead singer in three different bands and that she likes to ride her Harley Davidson motorcycle when she's not performing on stage or working.

Overmyer lists Bob Seger and Janis Joplin as musical influences on the American Idol Web site (http://www.americanidol.com/).

As far as her nursing career, Overmyer reports one of her "proudest moments" was when she "received an award at work for my high numbers."

'Defeating the Devil'

Tom Kerr — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Over the past few days, my thoughts have been consumed by the double-murder suicide at Louisiana Technical College in Baton Rouge.

Sadly, it wasn't the initial reports of the school shooting that caught my attention during the mid-morning hours of Feb. 8. The murder of innocent youth is always tragic, but unfortunately, such disasters are not as rare as they should be. Instead, it was the news that a female shooter was involved. Of all the recent school tragedies, this one seemed very different.

When I learned the assailant shot two females at a technical school before turning the gun on herself, I sensed practical nursing students could be involved. My suspicions were confirmed later in the afternoon when it was reported that one of the victims, Taneshia Butler, 26, was in the PN program.

In fact, all involved in this tragedy - victims Butler and Karsheika Graves and their killer, Latina Williams - were PN students. The incident happened in a classroom of 20 PN students. All women were in their 20s, and Butler and Graves were mothers who were trying to improving their job prospects by earning their LPN.

Police reports Feb. 11 indicated Williams had psychological issues. It seems that Butler and Graves were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yet, the deaths of these two individuals caused so much hardship for so many. How could anyway forgive Williams or feel compassion for her family?

But that's just what the victims' families did.

Soon after she learned of her daughter's death, Bobbie Landry, Butler's mother, told a TV reporter that her family felt sympathy toward Williams' mother, Jennie.

"[Children are] out of your hands once they grow up," Landry said. "I pray for you. I'm sorry for your loss."

Over that weekend, Jennie Williams issued a statement regarding the tragedy. She apologized for her daughter's actions and said she would be "haunted to the end of my days by what my child has done."

Those words stuck with Graves' aunt, Karlyn LeBlanc, who asked to arrange a meeting with Williams and the Graves family Feb. 10.

"I didn't want her to think I was angry with her, or that we have a grudge," LeBlanc told KSLA-TV in Baton Rouge.

LeBlanc said they had a conversation the family will never forget. "She started crying and said she was so sorry for what her daughter did to my niece. We got in one circle and prayed. This is one occasion where the devil will be defeated."

LeBlanc told reporters she wants all those who were in that second floor classroom, who lived it, to remember that.

It's a lesson we should all heed as well.

A memorial fund has been established in the memory of Taneshia Butler and Karsheika Graves. For more information on "The LTC, Baton Rouge Campus Student Memorial Fund," visit www.lctcs.edu/ltcRemembers/default.asp#fund

Because of Donna

Tom Kerr — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 21:47:00 GMT

All of us want to be remembered after we die. To provide a lasting legacy that will carry on well after we're gone.

As a hospice nurse in Edmond, OK, for 13 years, Donna Taylor, LPN, never forgot the patients she provided comfort for in their waning days of life. Her commitment to providing comfort to them and their families was evident even after her own diagnosis of cancer.

"We had a staff member here that was diagnosed with lung cancer," Leah Ann Wynn, Grace Living Center Social Services director, told the Edmond Sun. "And he had fallen away from the church. And she sat down with him. I'll never forget that night. But she stayed for 2-and-a-half hours with him, talked with him, brought him back and gave him peace. And he died about a month ago. And that was the one thing he said. He was ‘at peace because of Donna.'"

Eventually, Taylor needed hospice services herself. She died in July. Now the very room at Grace Living Center where Taylor died has been transformed into a place of solace for dying patients and family members, according to the Edmond Sun.

Taylor's children, friends and members of the Grace staff gathered recently to dedicate Donna's Place. Grace Living Center's owner Don Greiner named the room after Taylor after learning how it brought comfort to Taylor's family of six adult children and six grandchildren while preparing for Taylor's death.

It seems to be the fitting tribute to a nurse who provided solace for so many.

Donna Taylor's presence is still being felt by those who visit Donna's Place. Helping countless others find peace "because of Donna."

Alzheimer’s and Relationships

Nicholas Schaefer — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:27:00 GMT

This is a story of courage and understanding.

Sandra Day O'Connor, long considered a role model as the first female Supreme Court justice, could now be considered a role model for her acceptance of her husband's new relationship - a romantic affair with a woman in his nursing home.

According to various news reports, O'Connor has announced that she will not divorce her husband John, 77, of 55 years despite his new relationship.

John lives with Alzheimer's.

O'Connor deserves a lot of credit for putting her family first. Her husband seems to be a happier person because of her selfless acts.

But what would you do if you were in this situation? As a nurse, do you think it is good for Alzheimer's patients to be allowed to engage in romantic relationships with others at a nursing home or assisted living facility?

Read the Agence France-Presse's account on Yahoo at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071118/hl_afp/lifestyleushealthalzheimers;_ylt=AtU2uWReirfnV6tc6ooW9MnVJRIF

Presidential Debates: Waste of Time?

Nicholas Schaefer — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:16:00 GMT

"UFOs are equally as important as healthcare issues."

This was the basic message democratic presidential candidates and NBC sent to Americans during the Oct. 30 debate on MSNBC.

Almost equal time was spent discussing healthcare issues and supposed spacecrafts that aliens use for travel.

The candidates are not the only ones to blame. NBC and its debate hosts, Brian Williams and Tim Russert, should have focused more time on a more pressing topic such as healthcare instead of asking silly, pointless questions about UFOs and Halloween costumes.

Having read the debate transcript, the word "healthcare" might have been spoken more than 30 times during the 2 hour debate, but none of the candidates went into any detail on their healthcare platforms. All seven candidates barely glazed over the complex topic.

The only question hosts directed at candidates regarding healthcare was what each of them would do to attract young people to work in medicine.

This simply is not enough.

Basically, what the network and candidates are relaying to the American people is that they don't see healthcare as important enough to spend more than 3-4 minutes discussing.

Much of the debate was filled with rhetoric about war, including a potential conflict with Iran. The setup of the debate should have been flip-flopped, with the majority of the questions focusing on issues like healthcare, education and environmental concerns and less about war.

Our politicians, both republicans and democrats, have focused so much of their efforts on the war and terrorism the last few years that they have abandoned critical issues at home. Our educational system is completely failing and we are in the middle of a healthcare crisis, but they continue to take a backseat.

Some people point out that the U.S. is winning the "War on Terrorism" because it hasn't been attacked within its borders since 9/11. However, our obsession on war/terrorism hampers our ability to take care of our country's people.

The government has done little to nothing to help improve our healthcare system or schools. How else can you explain why the by the World Health Organization ranks the U.S. 37th of 191 countries in a healthcare system comparison that addresses such areas as overall level of health and finance distribution. Moreover, UNICEF ranks the U.S. 18th among 24 nations in terms of the relative effectiveness of its educational system.

The causalities of the war are not only escalating in the Middle East but in our own neighborhoods because our government is ignoring the issues that are critical to our well-being. More than 47 million people in the U.S. are uninsured and millions more are considered underinsured. This number continues to escalate each year.

We claim to be the leader of the free world, but we can't even provide health insurance for everyone, especially children and elderly. We are one of the only industrialized nations in the world that doesn't have universal healthcare. It is about time we jump on the bandwagon.

All of these candidates talked about how important it is for our country to change its direction, but nobody seems to have a plan for doing so. At the very least, they are not communicating this effectively.

We need to communicate our concerns on these issues by contacting (www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml) not only these candidates but local government officials. Let your voice be heard and demand some answers.

Dog Shoots Man

Tom Kerr — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 14:06:00 GMT

Throughout the years, man's best friend has taken the blame for many human errors. "My dog ate my homework," anyone?

But a report out of Iowa is doggone incredible.

The Associated Press reports that James Harris, 37, was shot in the leg while hunting with some friends on Saturday afternoon.

This wasn't your typical gun accident.

Someone from Harris' hunting group shot a pheasant which landed on the other side of a fence. As Harris went to retrieve the bird, he placed his gun on the ground and hopped the fence near the muzzle end. Bad idea.

As he crossed the fence, his hunting dog stepped on the gun, which discharged and struck Harris in the left calf at 3 feet.

That's right ... gun violence in America has really gone to the dogs.

Harris was treated at a regional medical center and later transported by helicopter to University Hospitals in Iowa City. He's reportedly in good condition after surgeons took between 100-120 pellets out of his calf.

Not to make light of such a serious subject as gun safety, but it was hard to not crack a smile while reading this news brief. Harris is doing OK after the incident, though he's probably sick with embarrassment.

I could just imagine the reaction of the medical staff members when they asked Harris what happened to him. "You're dog did what?" I'm sure many of you have your own "unusual" patient stories, but I doubt any of them could top this one.

By the way, no charges were filed in this case, but if I were Harris, I wouldn't turn my back on Fido.

What Moves You?

Tom Kerr — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 19:25:00 GMT

"We have to do something about this, Tom. We have to get LPNs more involved."

The conversation I recently had with a state board of nursing member wasn't the first time I heard such a desperate plea. Why aren't LPNs joining more nursing associations? Why aren't they challenging their state's board of nursing regarding issues that involve their scope of practice? I hope you don't shoot the messenger here, but I feel it's important to relay what some LPN leaders are saying about you.

LPN organizations struggle to get members, and when an issue affects an LPN's scope of practice, all other interested parties - RNs, long-term care administrators, educators, etc. - make sure their voices are heard. However, too often, LPNs are nowhere to be found.

So the question I ask is, "What moves you to act and take a stand for your job and your profession?" If you don't like the way an organization is run, why not join and try to encourage change? If a board issue involves your job and how you'll practice over the next 10 years, make sure your voice is heard during the comment period. If you hear talk about eliminating a PN school, stand up and let everyone know how your PN education has helped you make valuable contributions to the health and well-being of your community.

This is your life, this is your career. You work hard and you're proud of being a licensed practical nurse ... So, what will move you to let others know who you are?

-Tom Kerr, editor

Eliminating LPNs Not The Answer

Joe Darrah — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 19:43:00 GMT

Sure, it would have been nice if the ADVANCE staff could have used its first blog to write about a heart-warming story regarding an LPN or the practical nursing practice in general.

But we don't live in a sugar-coated world and, with ADVANCE Angle, we're more interested in making sure we offer our LPN readers pertinent info regarding their practice - whether we find it to be positive, negative or indifferent news.

So, while I was scouring the Internet this week in search of a topic I thought would spark some interest in our readers, I came across some interesting and rather disturbing news regarding a nursing program in the state of Indiana.

According to The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne, one school is attempting to help rectify its state's nursing shortage by eliminating seats in its practical nursing program and adding more seats to it's ADN program. Clearly, this is a case where the school is only considering an RN shortage.

Yep, this is the case at Ivy Tech Community College Northeast, a school located in Fort Wayne.

Reportedly, the school will go from one class of 50 RN students annually to two classes of 50 RN students while cutting its PN student enrollment from two classes of 50 to two classes of 30 each year.

Is this really the best scenario officials could come up with - "alleviating" one nursing shortage by fostering another? Couldn't they instead try to entice their graduating PN students to consider going back to school for their RN through a ladder or scholarship program?

Now, I understand that many states consider solving their RN shortages first because they tend to be more severe and require more schooling for the students involved, but this just doesn't add up for me.

The newspaper also reports that the Department of Workforce Development has compiled a Hoosier Hot 50 Jobs, list for each of the 11 regions in the northeast section of the state. This list is said to be based on a statewide "hot jobs" list the department released last year, and topping the list is a projected need of RNs totaling 1,490.

But the need for LPNs is No. 25 on that list, which signifies there is a need for them in the state. Maybe as the need for LPNs continues to grow people will become more creative in how they approach the nursing shortage. I just wish more of these people would be more proactive today.

- Joe Darrah, associate editor/Web editor