"A nurse can oversee more patients if the nurse has the support at the elbow that they need, and the LPN and the nursing assistant assigned as a team gives them that support." — Claire Zangerle, DNP, MSN, MBA, RN, FAONL, NEA-BC, chief nurse executive, Allegheny Health Network While COVID-19 continues to exacerbate the nursing shortage, Allegheny Health Network (AHN) of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is filling nurse staffing gaps with a pilot program that welcomes back licensed practical nurses (LPNs). Though LPNs—alternately referred to as licensed vocational nurses (LVNs)—have been phased out over the last decade by health systems seeking higher-educated nurses who can provide a wider scope of duties, AHN's chief nurse executive, Claire Zangerle, saw them as a staffing solution. In our lead story this week, I spoke with Zangerle about the pilot program and how it's working. | 