How do RN and LPN Duties Differ? The biggest immediate difference between an LPN and RN career path is the degree. Only registered nurses earn a professional nursing degree while licensed practical nurses earn a practical nursing degree. Professional nursing degrees consist of more courses so it takes more time to complete then a practical nursing degree. Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses may sound alike, and have some similar roles but in fact they have very little in common in terms of job task. Licensed practical nurses usually provide more basic nursing care and are responsible for the patient care and the overall comfort of the patient. Related: How to Unwind After a 12-Hour Shift Notable Differences The Essentials of nursing are the same for both licensed practical nurses and registered nurses. Both care for people who are suffering. Registered nurses are considered the next in the healthcare hierarchy after physicians. The range of work they do ranges significantly, and they can diagnose and treat a patient, this gives them considerable status in the medical field among sick people. Registered nurses can give patient injections and in most states licensed practical nurses cannot. Licensed practical nurses work under the supervision of a registered nurse or a physician and cannot legally diagnose or treat patients. However, many long-term licensed practical nurses have experience and training to officially assess the patient's condition with expertise. Within the profession, these workers are highly appreciated for the practical knowledge they may bring to the patient care. From illness and injury, providing medical and functional assistance to helping the patient live as pain-free and as comfortable as possible hopefully moving forward in their journey to better health. The medical system requires the talents and skills of both licensed practical nurses and registered nurses; they are both a valued asset in their position. Common Factors For both, helping patients is physically hard and can be very demanding as they must handle the mentally and emotionally draining stress of interacting daily with people in pain and people who are dying. In many circumstances licensed practical nurses are selected to provide in-home hospice care which can take a toll on their emotional well being. A registered nurse may come by and visit the hospice patient one time daily, while the staff of licensed practical nurses covers a 24 hour shift if deemed necessary. A nurse that
provides continuous care for a patient is encouraged to take regular breaks and off days due to the stress level involved in their work. Differences Differences are found in workplace settings, types of duties, and levels of responsibility at work, years of education, licensing requirements, rate of pay and status. Education and licensing It takes one to two years less in most cases to get the education needed to practice licensed practical nursing than it does to become a registered nurse. The cost of the programs is almost always far less for a licensed practical nurse then it is for registered nurse. Regulations For the licensed practical nurse, the training is both based in the classroom and hands-on in the clinical setting. This prepares students to work in hospitals, long-term care facilities and other medical settings. Training is available at a large number of community colleges and technical colleges. A number of them allow the student to apply the college credits earned getting a licensed practical nursing certificate to a nursing degree at a later time. Each school has its own requirements for getting into the licensed practical nursing program. Registered nurses need to fulfill the national licensing requirements before they can work in the profession. This means graduating from an approved program and passing the National Nursing Council licensure examination, both the written and practical sections. There are also state-by-state licensing requirements especially if the registered nurse works in a specialty. All registered nurses need to keep up with continuing education credits annually to maintain their state license. Related: International Nurses Association - Licensed Practical Nurses(LPNS) Clinical differences There are significant differences related to critical thinking skills with a registered nurse and a licensed practical nurse. The care planning nursing scope of practice and education differ. Registered nurses are independent in many areas, while licensed practical nurses must work under the supervision of a registered nurse or physician and cannot practice independently. Scope of practice defines the specific task a nurse is allowed to perform in a given state. Each state has a board of nursing; some states combine registered nurses in licensing by the same board that license practical nurses, instead of separate boards. The board determines which tasks fall under the registered nurse license and which can be performed by a licensed practical
nurse. The registered nurse scope generally includes more complex and potentially dangerous tasks such as adjusting the dose of medication based on the patient's condition invasive procedures such as inserting a central venous catheter for giving intravenous chemotherapy. The nursing process consists of four steps assessment planning implementation and evaluation licensed practical nurses have a limited role in each of those steps but cannot perform any of the actual procedures within the steps. The registered nurse generally performs the initial physical assessment of a newly admitted patient and may also perform a daily assessment. A licensed practical nurse may be instructed to take the patient's blood pressure and pulse, he or she would report their findings to the registered nurse who then determines how those findings and readings fit into the clinical picture for the individual patient. The care plan implementation includes performing the daily care of the patient. When the registered nurse determines that the patient would benefit from walking at least three times a day, then include that as an intervention on the care plan. The licensed practical nurse would actually help the patient walk at the end of each shift the registered nurse evaluates the patient's progress toward specific goals. This will promote recovery as a registered nurse adjusts plans when necessary depending on the patient's needs. Only registered nurses can develop and make changes, although licensed practical nurses can contribute suggestions. It’s very apparent both registered nurses and licensed practical nurses have a very important part in the care of patients. A registered nurse works more on the clinical aspects and a licensed practical nurse helps the patient more physically. There is a demand for both registered nurses and licensed practical nurses as there is a place for both as well. Hospitals tend to hire more registered nurses simply because of their versatile ability. However doctors’ offices may hire a licensed practical nurse as an assistant. Many correctional facilities hire licensed practical nurses to administer medication to inmates. They will then have one registered nurse on staff to oversee the process of medication administration and continue to see patients for their medical needs. Related: International Nurses Association Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and Twitter