2007-08 Colorado LPN
Workforce Survey
Survey Findings
October 1, 2009
Christine Demont-Heinrich, MPH
A Presentation of the
Colorado Health Institute
1576 Sherman Street, Suite 300
Denver, Colorado 80203-1728
www.coloradohealthinstitute.org
Thanks to the following for their assistance in
designing, analyzing and funding the survey…
• The Colorado Trust
• The Joffit Group
• Key Informants
2
Survey methods
• 2,500 surveys were mailed to a randomly
selected sample of active licensed LPNs in late
November 2007
– 107 surveys undeliverable
– 2,393 surveys delivered
– 1,002 LPNs completed a survey (42% response rate)
• Data were cleaned and weighted to represent
9,719 active licensed LPNs in Colorado
3
Profile of Colorado LPNs
[next 4 slides]
4
Age demographics of licensed
Colorado LPNs, 2007-08
2008
Colorado
workforce*
Age group
LPNs
34 years or younger
15.9%
35.8%
35-44 years
20.0%
23.2%
45-54 years
34.1%
23.7%
55-64 years
25.3%
13.7%
4.7%
3.5%
65 years or older
*Includes workers 19 years or older
SOURCES: CHI 2007-08 Colorado LPN Workforce Survey, Q31;
U.S. Census Bureau
5
Gender and race/ethnicity of licensed
Colorado LPNs, 2007-08
Demographic characteristic
LPNs
2008
Colorado
population
Female
89.2%
49.6%
Male
10.8%
50.4%
White, non-Hispanic
81.8%
71.1%
Hispanic
8.0%
19.9%
Black, non-Hispanic
4.8%
4.2%
American Indian/Alaskan
Native
1.2%
0.1%
Asian/Pacific Islander
2.0%
2.8%
Multi-racial/multi-ethnic
2.2%
1.9%
SOURCES: CHI 2007-08 Colorado LPN Workforce Survey, Q32 and Q33;
U.S. Census Bureau
6
Geographic profile of licensed
Colorado LPNs, 2007-08
Geographic characteristic
LPNs
Born in the United States
94.4%
Born in a foreign country
5.6%
Grew up in a rural community
48.6%
Live in a rural community
21.1%
Work in a rural community
23.5%
Grew up in and work in rural
community
13.6%
Grew up in urban community
and work in rural community
5.6%
SOURCE: CHI 2007-08 Colorado LPN Workforce Survey,
Q19, Q29, Q30, Q35
7
First employer after graduation
compared to current employer, 07-08
Type of employer
First employer Current employer
(N=9,157)
(N=6,285)
Nursing home
35.6%
36.7%
Hospital
43.9%
15.8%
Rehabilitation facility
1.6%
2.7%
Home health agency
1.9%
5.2%
Behavioral health facility
1.8%
3.7%
Public health/Community health
0.5%
1.2%
Clinic or physician office
7.5%
17.0%
School-based health center
0.2%
0.5%
Did not work as LPN after training program
0.7%
-
I have never worked as an LPN
0.7%
--
SOURCE: CHI 2007-08 Colorado LPN Workforce Survey, Q7, Q18
8
Rating of Educational Experience
[next 6 slides]
9
Location of LPN classroom instruction
Classroom location
Percent
Traditional campus
67.4%
Hospital-based nursing program
15.9%
On-site program at place of
employment other than hospital
0.6%
Other*
16.1%
*Other classroom locations include: military base, technical school,
vocational school, etc.
SOURCE: CHI 2007-08 Colorado LPN Workforce Survey, Q1e
10
Colorado schools or programs where LPNs
received LPN diploma*
School
Percent attended
Emily Griffith Opportunity School
15.6%
Front Range Community College
7.7%
Pueblo Community College
7.6%
Concorde Career College
7.0%
Pickens Technical College
5.9%
Northeastern Junior College
4.9%
Trinidad State Junior College
4.0%
Pikes Peak Community College
4.0%
Delta-Montrose Technical College
4.0%
Community College of Denver
3.9%
Otero Junior College
3.8%
Other (less than 3% attended the program/school)
31.6%
*61 percent of LPNs received their LPN education in Colorado.
SOURCE: CHI 2007-08 Colorado LPN Workforce Survey, Q1
11
Location where LPNs received most of
their clinical training
Clinical location
Percent
Urban hospital
51.8%
Rural hospital
27.5%
Urban nursing home
9.8%
Rural nursing home
5.0%
Other*
6.0%
*Other clinical locations included: training in both hospital/nursing
home or both urban/rural locations, correctional facility, military
hospital.
SOURCE: CHI 2007-08 Colorado LPN Workforce Survey, Q3
12
Rating of preparation for first LPN
position by graduation year
Year
Positive rating
(4 or 5)*
1950-69
85.5%
1970-79
77.6%
1980-89
79.8%
1990-99
67.0%
2000-07
63.9%
OVERALL
72.8%
*Using a scale of 1-5, 1 represents Inadequate and 5
represents Most Adequate
SOURCE: CHI 2007-08 Colorado LPN Workforce
Survey, Q1c, Q2, Q5
13
Rating of classroom instruction of LPN
education program
Highest ranked content for classroom instruction
Positive rating
(4 or 5)*
Providing patient care fundamentals such as bathing,
personal care, transferring, catheter care, etc.
92.3%
Administration of medications and treatments
89.6%
Decision-making within the LPN scope of practice
77.5%
Lowest ranked content for classroom instruction
Positive rating
(4 or 5)*
Caring for persons with physical disabilities
55.7%
Caring for persons with dementia and other mental
impairments
50.6%
Caring for persons with behavioral health problems
39.8%
*Using a scale of 1-5, 1 represents Inadequate and 5 represents Most Adequate
SOURCE: CHI 2007-08 Colorado LPN Workforce Survey, Q2
14
Rating of clinical instruction of LPN
education program
Highest ranked content for clinical instruction
Positive rating
(4 or 5)*
Providing patient care fundamentals such as bathing,
personal care, transferring, catheter care, etc.
91.8%
Administration of medications and treatments
88.8%
Caring for the elderly
74.9%
Lowest ranked content for clinical instruction
Positive rating
(4 or 5)*
Caring for persons with physical disabilities
57.8%
Caring for persons with dementia and other mental
impairments
55.0%
Caring for persons with behavioral health problems
45.4%
*Using a scale of 1-5, 1 represents Inadequate and 5 represents Most Adequate
SOURCE: CHI 2007-08 Colorado LPN Workforce Survey, Q5
15
Educational Pursuits
[next 3 slides]
16
LPN educational pursuits,
2007-08
Educational pursuits
Percent
Currently enrolled in RN program
15.0%
Plan to pursue an RN education if not currently
enrolled
37.1%
Enrolled in another type of educational program
4.6%
SOURCE: CHI 2007-08 Colorado LPN Workforce Survey, Q10-12
17
Characteristics of LPNs enrolled and
not enrolled in RN program, 2007-08
LPN Characteristics
Enrolled in RN
program (N=934)
Not enrolled in RN
program (N=5,294)
Nursing home
37.7%
37.4%
Hospital
34.4%
1.3%
9.7%
18.9%
18.2%
31.4%
20-39
51.2%
22.5%
40-49
34.7%
25.4%
50-59
1.1%
36.6%
60 or older
0.0%
15.6%
Primary Employer
Clinic or Physician office
Other
Current Age
SOURCE: CHI 2007-08 Colorado LPN Workforce Survey, Q10, Q18, Q31
18
Important reasons of LPNs not
pursuing additional education*
Reasons**
Percent
Cannot afford the cost
63.0%
Other time commitments that take priority
56.8%
Satisfied with current work and do not need
additional education or training
46.2%
No training program close to where I live
19.3%
*Percentage of LPNs who rated these reasons a 4 or 5 indicating
“important” or “very important”
**Other reasons included: retiring soon, too old to go back to
school, waiting list too long, program requirements
SOURCE: CHI 2007-08 Colorado LPN Workforce Survey, Q13
19
Recruitment and Retention
[next 4 slides]
20
LPN workplace incentives,
2007-08
Most common workplace incentives
Percent
Flexible work schedule
49.9%
Tuition reimbursement
21.9%
Signing bonus
9.9%
Student loan forgiveness
1.9%
Rank order of highest importance*
Percent
Flexible work schedule
89.9%
Tuition reimbursement
72.0%
Signing bonus
61.9%
Student loan forgiveness
56.0%
*Percentage of LPNs who rated these reasons a 4 or 5 indicating
“important” or “very important”
SOURCE: CHI 2007-08 Colorado LPN Workforce Survey, Q27, Q28
21
LPN wages earned by employment
setting, 2007-08
Employment
setting
Nursing
home
Hospital
Clinic/physician
office
Other*
2.2%
13.8%
18.4%
4.9%
$15.01 - $20/hr
32.7%
47.0%
57.6%
49.2%
$20.01-$25/hr
53.4%
38.8%
20.0%
36.8%
More than $25/hr
11.7%
0.4%
4.0%
9.1%
Up to $15/hr
*Other included corrections, assisted-living facilities, behavioral health.
SOURCE: CHI 2007-08 Colorado LPN Workforce Survey, Q18, Q21
22
Top 5 reasons of LPNs not working in
a clinical position*
Reason
Percent**
Wages insufficient given the workload and responsibility
57.1%
Too much stress on the job
55.9%
Did not feel respected in the work performed
53.3%
Insufficient benefits (e.g. sick leave, health insurance)
43.0%
Hours too long
40.7%
*28 percent of LPNs reported not being employed in a clinical position
**Percentage of LPNs who rated these reasons a 4 or 5 indicating “very important”
SOURCE: CHI 2007-08 Colorado LPN Workforce Survey, Q16
23
Top 5 reasons of LPNs planning to leave
their employer in next 12 months*
Reason
Percent**
Too much stress on the job
70.1%
The wages are insufficient given the workload and
responsibility
69.2%
I do not feel respected in the work I do as an LPN
66.2%
Insufficient benefits (e.g. sick leave, health insurance)
52.0%
I am pursuing more education
46.4%
*24 percent of LPNs reported that they plan to leave their current employer within
the next 12 months
**Percentage of LPNs who rated these reasons a 4 or 5 indicating “very important”
SOURCE: CHI 2007-08 Colorado LPN Workforce Survey, Q26
24
Full report available
• Colorado Health Institute website
• Publications: 2007-08 Colorado Licensed
Practical Nurse Workforce Survey
• http://www.coloradohealthinstitute.org/Doc
uments/workforce/2007_LPN_findings.pdf
25
Questions and Comments
Contact:
Christine Demont-Heinrich
303.831.4200 x 223
demontheinrichc@ColoradoHealthInstitute.org
www.ColoradoHealthInstitute.org
26