A significant indicator of the United States ability to provide high quality healthcare to its population is often represented but the ratio Registered Nurses (RN’s) per capita. Having risen strongly in the recent past this ratio is now believed to be reaching a peak and is further expected to decline over the next decade highlighting a very real issue over the robustness of the health care system.

The main reason believed to be behind this expected decline is a steadily aging workforce who upon retirement are not being replaced by newly qualified individuals. The reasons behind this net decline are complex and not totally clear but may simply be the fact that in today’s society there are many competing roles for prospective nursing candidates and as a result the overall number of individuals seeking a career in nursing will decline.

Demand for health care has been increasing in the United States for a significant period of time. This increased demand is believed to be well understood. Principally it has been driven by two main factors, an aging population who are living longer due to improvements in treatments and treatment technologies, and perhaps more obviously an overall net increase in the population approaching 1% per year. Other factors believed to have had an impact are the increase in incidents of antibiotic-resistant infections and a greater incidence of chronic illnesses.

The role of the Licensed Practical Nurse, or LPN has traditionally been used as a substitute role. Medical facilities have used LPN’s to replace RN’s or their less qualified colleagues patient care assistants (PCA’s). However, it is now believed that a greater degree of success in managing the overall decline in the ratio of RN’s per capita would be to use the LPN role a complementary role rather than a substitution. In this way it is believed that the care offering of such medical facilities might be extended beyond their current capabilities without loss of quality of patient care.

At the start of each day the nursing team meet to evaluate the needs of their patients for that day. The RN, who would supervise all work undertaken, would allocate tasks to the LPN’s and PCA’s based upon their specific skills and experience. In this way the medical facility maximises the return on the particular make up of its staff team as well as involving them in the important decisions surrounding the care of their patients.

This method of using the skills and experiences of the LPN to relieve the burden on the RN can mean that the quality of care is maintained whilst at the same time benefiting staff morale. It also provides an environment in which the RN can concentrate on administering the more complex aspects of patient treatments which can overall enhance the quality and reach of the care provided by the medical facility in question.

In conclusion recent pilot studies have demonstrated the ability of medical facilities to enhance the effectiveness of Licensed Practical Nurses, or LPN’s in the care environment. This method of utilizing LPN’s skills and abilities should undoubtedly be considered as it is an effective way to extend the reach of medical care facilities without compromising the quality of the care they provide. And finally the complementary way in which LPN’s are used, rather than the historical replacement methodology ensures that important measures such as employee morale do not suffer unduly.