Saskatchewan registered nurses speak out about proposed bylaw changes

Watch above: licensed practical nurses and registered nurses try to sort out differences

SASKATOON – Over 1,000 registered nurses (RNs) had their say in response to proposed bylaws that would involve an expanded role for licensed practical nurses (LPNs).

On Monday, hundreds of RNs flocked to the Saskatoon Inn after the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses’ Association called a special meeting of members and the public seeking input on proposed bylaw changes for LPNs.

“In my experience as a registered nurse for approximately 20 years I’ve never known the SRNA to have a special meeting called by the membership,” said Colin Hein, a nurse research and practice advisor for the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN).

Registered nurses raised concerns about the safety of patients since the bylaws, if approved, would allow LPNs to perform procedures RNs say they are not currently trained to do.

“We need to use research, evidence, best practice to guide our decision making and to make sure that the right provider is providing these tasks that has the right education, knowledge, skill and training,” explained Hein.

Training to become an LPN requires a minimum of two years at a technical college whereas RNs must obtain a bachelor’s degree.

“They do study from the same body of nursing, the same core content,” said Hein, who went on to explain why it’s so important registered nurses do more of the important tasks and take care of the more critical care patients.

“Registered nurses have a greater depth and breathe of knowledge meaning they take anatomy and physiology and micro-biology and all of the nursing classes as well as the electives in much further detail than LPNs.

“LPNs is more of a task base nursing might may be don’t know all the kind of in-depth knowledge behind why they’re doing it.”

Registered nurses say specific tasks outlined by the Saskatchewan Association of Licensed Practical Nurses (SALPN) as part of the bylaw changes raised red flags.

“Assisting in the delivery of babies, doing Apgar scoring, neo-natal resuscitation, setting up ventilators, assisting with intubations, things like that that have always been the responsibly of another provider or a registered nurse because the patients in those setting are critical ill and are very high risk for negative outcomes,” said Hein.

According to one registered nurse who spoke to the panel, LPNs are not less than RNs, they just have a different role, one many registered nurses agreed was not clearly defined at times in the health care system.

“They do need to look at them but we need to make sure that the education programs are behind them and that they’re not putting that patient at risk.” explained Shauna Hugg, a registered nurse with the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region.

Another RN in crowd says she can understand the situation from both perspectives; she at one time was an LPN and went back to school.

“I thought I’d go back, I thought it would be easy ’cause I knew everything right and then when I got back there it was really tough, I really found the program hard, I had a big learning curve I had to do.” said Jan Felling, a registered nurse with the Saskatoon Health Region.

Global News reached out the executive director of the Saskatchewan Association of Licensed Practical Nurses however no comment was provided.