Many people ask, "What's the difference between LPNs and LVNs?" The intended purpose of this article is to satisfactorily answer this frequently asked question.
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First of all, LPN is a commonly used acronym that stands for licensed practical nurse. According to Johnson (n.d.), a licensed practical nurse is an entry-level nursing professional who strengthens the health care team by caring for basic patient needs.
LPNs are utilized in different types of health care settings in the United States, Canada, and several other countries to provide nursing care to a wide range of patient populations.
In the United States, the nurse practice acts of most state boards of nursing explicitly declare that LPNs must work under the supervision of a physician or registered nurse (RN). This supervision can be direct, indirect, or remote depending on the state in which the nurse is practicing. After all, the LPN is very often the only licensed nurse physically present in many health care facilities, home health visits, or private duty cases on certain shifts even though a physician or RN is always available during these hours by telephone.
LVN is another widely used acronym that stands for licensed vocational nurse. So, what is the difference between the LPN and the LVN?
Other than the geographical locations involved, no significant differences exists between LPNs and LVNs.
No major differences in educational preparation, licensure, role, or skill set exist between the LVN and the LPN designation. In other words, they are the exact same type of nurse. The boards of nursing in the US states of California and Texas refer to basic nurses as licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), while the various boards in the remaining 48 states use the title of licensed practical nurse (LPN) to refer to their basic nurses.
For instance, the LPN who lives and works in Seattle, Washington has decided to relocate to Los Angeles. Once he obtains a California license by endorsement and starts working in his new city of residence, his official title is now 'LVN.'
However, if he ever moved back to Seattle or relocated to any US state that used the 'LPN' title to refer to basic nurses, his title would automatically change back to 'LPN' as long as he continued to keep his Washington LPN license in active status or obtained licensure in other states.
I was an LVN for approximately four years and was initially licensed in the state of California prior to attaining licensure by endorsement in Texas. However, I had to obtain an Oklahoma license because I made plans to attend an RN completion program in that state. After my endorsement application was approved by the Oklahoma Board of Nursing, I possessed two LVN licenses and one LPN license.
