What Are the Differences and Similarities Between LPNs and RNs?
Nurses play an important role in healthcare delivery, but you may not realize that there are generally two types of nurses that help you when you’re at the doctor’s office or hospital: Licensed Practical Nurses and Registered Nurses. Both LPNs and RNs care for patients, but RNs have greater responsibility and more autonomy. They can perform a broader scope of duties and often delegate tasks to LPNs. RNs also receive more thorough training. Here’s a more detailed look at the similarities and differences of RNs and LPNs:
Training to Be a Nurse: LPN vs RN
The training to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) differs significantly from Registered Nurse (RN) training in terms of duration and depth of education.
To become an LPN, you need to first have your high school diploma or GED. Then, you can train at a hospital, career school, or community college. Programs usually take about 12-18 months to complete.
Your program combines classroom lectures, labs, and hands-on learning. The curriculum includes subjects like nursing fundamentals, anatomy and physiology, and pharmacology. You focus on foundational nursing skills, such as monitoring vital signs, administering medications, and providing basic patient care. You also complete a practicum in a healthcare facility to gain real-world experience under the supervision of professional nurses.
In an RN program, you learn all that you would in an LPN program, and more. RN training can take between 2-4 years, depending on whether you pursue an associate degree or bachelor’s degree in nursing. The curriculum covers more advanced nursing topics and will ask you to use critical thinking, while exploring specialties like pediatrics and critical care nursing. Your practicum is longer than what you experience as an aspiring LPN and you’re more likely to gain clinical experience in diverse healthcare settings.
Licensure and the NCLEX Exams: RNs vs LPNs
Whether you’re an LPN or an RN, you need to be licensed by your state to be a nurse. And to be licensed, you must pass your National Council Licensure Examination. But RNs take the NCLEX-RN (Registered Nurse) exam and LPNs take the NCLEX-PN (Practical Nurse) exam.
The NCLEX-PN exam is considered an easier exam than the exam for RNs. It covers basic patient care, health maintenance, and infection control, and is designed to assess your ability to perform nursing tasks under the supervision of an RN or doctor. The questions are task-oriented with less emphasis on critical thinking.
The NCLEX-RN exam evaluates your ability to perform advanced nursing tasks, use critical thinking, and make sound healthcare decisions for your patients. The content covered includes a broader range of topics than the NCLEX-PN exam, such as management of care, pharmacological therapies, and health promotion for complex conditions. It also emphasizes leadership skills and assesses your ability to delegate responsibilities. The questions on the RN exam are considered more difficult than those on the PN exam and require a thorough understanding of complex nursing principles.
Scope of Practice: LPN vs RN
With more knowledge comes more responsibility, and as an RN, you have a lot of both. You develop patient care plans that document patient needs and provide treatment instructions for other nurses. You administer medications, perform diagnostic tests, and educate patients and families on diagnoses and how to manage illnesses or injuries. You also take detailed medical histories, perform triage, and provide health counseling. You are a key part of the medical team and often work independently, without direct supervision.
As an LPN, you would likely work under the supervision of an RN. You perform important support tasks and direct patient care, but you’re not creating plans. You do monitor the health of patients, and when you notice changes, you communicate them to the RN or doctor on duty. You also take patient vitals and assist with daily living activities such as eating, bathing, dressing and moving around. You may need to change bandages or insert catheters. And under the supervision of an RN, you can give oral medications, administer injections, and make sure that your patients adhere to their prescribed treatments.
Where Do LPNs and RNs Work?
Most RNs work in hospitals, but you might also find work in physicians’ offices, outpatient care centers, or residential care facilities. Or you could work as a home health nurse, or as public health nurses, which may require you to travel to public health clinics, schools, or community centers.
As an LPN, you may also work in a hospital or at a doctor’s office, but you’re more likely to find employment in nursing and residential care facilities.
Whether you work as an LPN or RN, you can look for part-time work or find full-time employment with benefits.
RNs and LPNs Both Care for Patients
The great similarity between RNs and LPNs is that they both care for patients! Whether you choose to become an RN or an LPN, you will enter one of the most trusted professions. You get to help others, provide direct patient care, and improve patient outcomes. What you do really matters.
Are you ready to become a nurse? Charter College offers an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing at our Anchorage campus that can prepare you for a rewarding career as an RN. Our program is offered in blended learning format for greater convenience and can be completed in as few as 19 months. Call 888-200-9942 or fill out the form to learn more.