Essay Sample on LPNs: Critical to High-Quality Healthcare, But Face Challenges

Introduction

The Nurse Journal (2019) recognizes the significance of the role of a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in society. LPNs undertake different duties and responsibilities in delivering high-quality healthcare services to patients. Therefore, some of the health facilities across the world cannot function appropriately without the help offered by LPNs. However, LPNs face numerous challenges not only in their careers but also at their place of work (Huynh, Alderson, Nadon, & Kershaw-Rousseau, 2011). The Nurse Journal, 2019). This paper discusses these challenges as outlined in the Nurse Journal and provides and provides corresponding observations.

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Discussion and Observations

The Nursing Journal (2009) explored the topic of challenges facing LPNs in their careers. As a result, the article discussed a total of 10 problems that LPNs must tackle daily. The first challenge is limited job opportunities. Different scholars also explored this challenge and how it impacts the lives of LPN. Gordon, Melrose, Janzen, and Miller (2013) ascertain that LPNs have limited places for work. As a result, most of them work mainly in people's homes and residential settings. LPNs cannot work in specialized areas such as emergency and accident wards. Secondly, all LPNs face the challenge of delegating their duties due to a lack of essential skills for diagnosing, assessing, or evaluating a patient. Thirdly, LPNs have limited opportunities for professional development. LPNs can only achieve higher education and experience by investing in training (Huynh et al., 2011). The failure to seek professional development opportunities may leave numerous LPNs frustrated at work because of continuous control by RNs.

The fourth challenge entails suffering from long working hours. LPNs work for long shifts and at unsociable hours. For example, LPNs often work during public holidays, nights, and weekends (Gordon et al., 2013). However, this is often a common challenge for all health professionals, including RNs. The fifth problem pertains to physical challenges that LPNs face in their daily lives. People are working in this specialty experience physical body problems such as pain in their backs as well as joints. This pain results from spending most of the time standing, bending on several occasions, and walking along with the wards. LPNs also face challenging patients as their sixth problem. Research indicates that most of the LPNs are often at the first line of primary care (Huynh et al., 2011). Therefore, they have contacts with numerous patients as they work in residential settings. Hence, they face multiple issues with patients who may even contact them at late hours.

The seventh challenge entails dealing with death. LPNs must endure the problems associated with the demise of patients despite their attachment. Dealing with hazardous materials due to taking care of patients with infectious diseases is also a critical challenge that LPNs face. Besides, LPNS get less pay despite their job being physically demanding like that of RNs. Lastly, LPNs battle with the problem of anonymity in all the tasks they undertake (Huynh et al., 2011). Their appreciations also go for the RNs. There are various observations to make about the information gathered in the Journal of nursing (2019). LPNs experience numerous challenges that require evidence-based counterstrategies. Therefore, there is a need for contemporary health stakeholders to develop appropriate strategies to overcome these problems. First, LPNs should continue their education to increase their job opportunities and in turn, gain the authority to delegate some of their duties to colleagues. Secondly, LPNs should pursue more training to grow their skills and experience in service delivery. Thirdly, they should seek employment in the private sector to address the issue of long working hours (Gordon et al., 2013). Fourthly, undertaking physical exercise could be crucial in solving the pain in the body while trying to cope up with different problems, including death.

Conclusion

LPNs are critical in any healthcare facility. They help RNs and other medical practitioners to effectively deliver on their mandated responsibilities. However, LPNs face numerous challenges in their occupations that need evidence based solutions. Going for further studies and seeking more training could help in solving some of these challenges, as discussed in this paper.

References

Gordon, K., Melrose, S., Janzen, K. J., & Miller, J. (2013). Licensed Practical Nurses becoming Registered Nurses: Conflicts and responses that can help. Clinical Nursing Studies, 1(4), 1-8. Retrieved from: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/8246/1bddf8322483e3ad01d7ba380fa26c9f3c80.pdf.

Huynh, T., Alderson, M., Nadon, M., & Kershaw-Rousseau, S. (2011).Voices That Care: Licensed Practical Nurses and the Emotional Labour Underpinning Their Collaborative Interactions with Registered Nurses. Nursing Research and Practice, 1(1), 1-10. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3205919/.

The Nurse Journal (2019). Top 10 Challenges for a LPN. Social Community for Nurses Worldwide. Retrieved from: https://nursejournal.org/practical-nursing/top-10-challenges-for-a-lpn/.