What is the difference between rpn and lpn?

[rinks2010]

[elizabeth321]

registered psychiatric nurse

licensed practical nurse

[loriangel14, RN]

That depends on what province you are in. As far as I know all the provinces use the term LPN (licensed practical nurse)except for Ontario, which uses RPN(registered practical nurse). But you have to be careful because in BC the term RPN means Registered Psychiatric Nurse which is something else all together. LPN and RPN are the same thing just different terms.

[rinks2010]

Thanks a lot Loriangel

[elizabeth321]

what am I chopped liver?

[Fiona59]

Lori, west of Ontario, RPN is a Registered Psychiatric Nurse (and probably the Maritimes for all I know).

Currently, the RPN is still a 2.5 year diploma with a huge emphasis on mental health nursing. It's supposed to be changing to a four year degree in the "future" (whatever that means).

I know that in Alberta, we keep hearing about the degree route coming soon. What has stopped a lot of people I know from doing it is a large part of it is at our local Psychiatric Hospital which is down in Ponoka. If you've got family, it's in the middle of farmland and commuting from the Edmonton area just isn't feasible. But it produces great nurses.

[loriangel14, RN]

Thanks for the correction.:)

[rinks2010]

THANKS EVERYBODY