Working as a nurse is a highly rewarding and well-compensated profession. Although you will have to devote long hours of work to give care and help in treating your patients, it is a job that can be much more fulfilling that you initially anticipated. And with the increasing demand for nurses in recent years, many people are interested in taking up nursing degrees.
Even those who are already working in other industries are opting to study nursing as a second career choice. Some are interested in working as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) while there are others who want to pursue a nursing education further and work as a registered nurse (RN). If you’re just starting out in a nursing program, you might be wondering to yourself, “What’s the difference between LPN and RN?” While the roles are similar to some degree, they have key differences that are important to understand. There are many different types of nurses, and Registered Nurses typically have many more doors open to them than LPNs.
Difference Between LPN and RN
Licensed practical nurses and registered nurses are not entirely different. But there are certain differences that distinguish an LPN from an RN. For one, an RN has to earn a professional nursing degree. On the other hand, LPNs have to finish a practical nursing degree. In earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing, you have to take longer courses, and it takes a longer time to complete these compared to earning a practical nursing degree.
LPNs spend about a year in school to earn their certificates and prepare for roles doing everyday tasks, while RNs spend two or three years earning diplomas for nursing jobs that require more critical thinking and patient analysis. Most Licensed Practical Nurses spend less than 18 months in one of the accredited LPN Programs.
Job Description of an LPN
Licensed practical nurses offer different services, but compared to registered nurses, their scope, responsibility, and accountability are much more limited. In hospitals, LPNs are often the first medical professionals who work with patients upon admission. For one, they record a patient’s history and they also enter information into computers. Overall, the LPN job description is much more narrow than that of a Registered Nurse.
Apart from this task, they are also responsible for giving medications as prescribed by the doctor. They can also take vital signs, temperatures, weights, and blood pressure readings. LPNs assist registered nurses and doctors. But apart from these tasks, they also have specific duties that they need to attend to. For instance, they have to manage IVs, monitor patient food intakes, and take care of patients’ daily comfort requirements while charting this information.
Licensed practical nurses often work in nursing homes or assisted-care facilities. They are also common in rehabilitation and home healthcare facilities. Other tasks that they are required to do can include monitoring a patient’s reaction to certain medications, assessing mental health, providing physical care and emotional support, updating medical records, and more.
Job Description of a Registered Nurse
The specific responsibilities of a registered nurse vary depending on his or her specialization. In general, nurses monitor and educate patients regarding their health conditions and give treatments as well as advice to patients’ families. Unlike licensed practical nurses, registered nurses give more advanced care to patients. They can also engage in decision-making, especially when it comes to treatments and exams. Unlike LPNs, registered nurses work more closely and more often with physicians.
Work Setting
A licensed practical nurse is under the supervision of a registered nurse or a physician. Unlike RNs, LPNs cannot assess the condition of a patient. But they can gather all kinds of data, such as blood glucose levels and vital signs. They relay the data to the physician or the registered nurse. However, they cannot interpret the data and they cannot make any decisions for a patient, which an RN or physician can do.
The job scope of an LPN is somewhat limited. If you are an LPN, you can only proceed if there is direction from the nurse or physician supervising you. That is why many LPNs are really interested in pursuing work as registered nurses. Most LPN to RN programs take a year or less to complete.
High Demand for Registered Nurses
One of the main reasons why you should consider working as a registered nurse is the fact that there is an increasing demand for this profession. It is expected to increase by 20 percent by the year 2024, which translates to about 711,900 jobs based on information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.The demand for LPNs is also strong, just as there is a high demand for RNs. But with the more opportunities available for an RN, you should go for the long haul if you have the time, money, and, most importantly, the desire. Although the average LPN salary is now close to $50,500, Registered Nurses make substantially more.
In the United States and even in other highly industrialized countries, there is an increasing demand for healthcare jobs like registered nurses and licensed practical nurses. With more and more people added to the population every year, the trend is expected to increase further.
Deciding Between Being an LPN or an RN
Deciding to become a licensed practical nurse might be an attractive choice, especially because you do not have to spend more time in school compared to going for a professional nursing degree. But if you are going to take a look at it, being a registered nurse has more advantages. For one, registered nurses can have bigger salaries.
The median annual salary of a nurse is about $60,000. This highly depends on a nurse’s educational level, experience, and other factors. The salary may range from $40,000 to $100,000. On the other hand, an LPN’s salary is slightly lower compared to an RN’s. The median salary for an LPN based on figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics is about $47,400 in 2018.
Another advantage of being a registered nurse is the fact that you get to have more options. If you are a registered nurse, you can have many opportunities when it comes to career change. Registered nurses can take further schooling and earn higher salaries. Scholars say that physicians and other colleagues working in the industry have more respect for registered nurses compared to licensed practical nurses. This issue has always been an on-going debate, however, and it shouldn’t discount the hard work LPNs do on a daily basis.
The choice as to whether you will opt to become an LPN or an RN really depends on your preference and other essential considerations. But before you finally decide on one, make sure that you carefully weigh your options. If you want to further advance your career, then you should definitely aim to become a registered nurse so you can work in clinical management or in other fields.