Nursing Degrees That Lead To The Practical Nurse License (LPN)

Many individuals, including nurses, make uninformed comments such as, "LPNs don't have degrees." The purpose of this article is to dispel a few misconceptions regarding practical nursing education in the United States. Contrary to popular beliefs, many LPNs have earned degrees just like their RN counterparts. Nurses Announcements Archive Article

You are reading page 2 of Nursing Degrees That Lead To The Practical Nurse License (LPN)

TheCommuter, BSN, RN

102 Articles; 27,612 Posts

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Is there a link for the LPN challenge option?
California allows the option to challenge the boards. West Virginia used to allow this option, but I do not know if their board of nursing still allows it. If you're interested, you can visit the website of the California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians to find more information.

fifi1

4 Posts

i read the same discussion about LPN is not degree, but before i answered the topic was closed.

I personally disagree that statement. I went to community college and earned AAS in practical nursing and took all the general courses that a RN degree requires. I have also taken an IV certification which i started, discontinued and managed all the IV lines that i have started as a PN student in my clinicals. And in that same hospital i did my clinicals, LPNs practiced in all area including MedSurg, psych, peds, family birth center, clinic and etc.. so in my opinion, it depends on where u have taken your program. At this time, i am taking a nursing track that is one year and it is LPN-BSN, and because i have taken all my generals in the PN program, i don't have take any more general education..

HippyDippyLPN

351 Posts

I honestly had no idea LPN's could have associate degrees in the US. I have never met another LPN that had anything but a certifications. Even our community colleges do not issue associates to LPN's. LPN's are way under utilized in today's nursing field. All of this everyone must have a bachelors then a masters then a blah blah stuff gets old. I am getting my RN so I can actually have options instead of being limited to LPN or RN. But I am done after I get it...no desire to manage other nurses or become a NP.

The thing is we ARE nurses as called by all of our BON's so I am not sure why we are pretty much compared to the skill level of PCA's. I actually had a military hospital call me the other day for a PCA job. They actually consider LPN's to basically have no more scope than a PCA. I declined. If the health field in general is going to

Keep scaling back the LPN role then quite honestly they need to get rid of the LPN licenses and just make it RN because the different amount if schooling between a pct and a LPN are huge and I constantly see that comparison that they are the same.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
i read the same discussion about LPN is not degree, but before i answered the topic was closed.

I personally disagree that statement. I went to community college and earned AAS in practical nursing and took all the general courses that a RN degree requires. I have also taken an IV certification which i started, discontinued and managed all the IV lines that i have started as a PN student in my clinicals. And in that same hospital i did my clinicals, LPNs practiced in all area including MedSurg, psych, peds, family birth center, clinic and etc.. so in my opinion, it depends on where u have taken your program. At this time, i am taking a nursing track that is one year and it is LPN-BSN, and because i have taken all my generals in the PN program, i don't have take any more general education..

I attempted to clarify this at one time as well. I didn't get a certificate as well. There are programs that offer associates degrees, and was a direct way to assist in getting prereq's to transfer into a BSN program in my area, but they did end these programs a while ago, which is very unfortunate.

I think that this should be the rule in terms of education for LPNs. We are utilized in many aspects, and are going no where. :)

That is crazy, I can get PCA certified in 2 weeks here, but LPN is 18 months. How can they even come close to the same scope of practice?

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
That is crazy I can get PCA certified in 2 weeks here, but LPN is 18 months. How can they even come close to the same scope of practice?[/quote']

They don't...PCA is closer to a CNA in terms of scope, where as LPNs have a much broader scope; assessment or data collection in a LPN scope; medication administration, wound care, planning, reinforcing patient teaching, on addition to the scope of a PCA's ADL care.

fifi1

4 Posts

PCA and LPN are not the same in any case whether is schooling or scope of practice. And to say so, is slap on face to someone who did almost three years in school and Earned AAS degree. Do i think is not fair to LPNs not get the respect as a nurse, yes i do.. but i know that the degree exists and is not same or even close to PCA.. IN my state we work side to side with the RNs and get as much number of patients as the RN gets. the only difference is that if you have LPN diploma then your practice is gonna be limited because int he diploma, they don't get IV certification, but the AAs LPN are full nurses who could practice in longterm care facility or anywhere else a nurse could practice...

fifi1

4 Posts

you are right about that. i think they should get rid of it for the matter of the NCLEX to me at least. Because what they teach us in school doesn't correspond to board exam. they pressure us in hospital setting care in school and in the nclex is the opposite. on the other hand, the schooling is waste of time for pay rate that you will get uppon graduation. in my area, you cannot go straight RN without being LPN first unless u go to University. and that is not fair.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
the only difference is that if you have LPN diploma then your practice is gonna be limited because int he diploma they don't get IV certification, but the AAs LPN are full nurses who could practice in longterm care facility or anywhere else a nurse could practice...[/quote']

^ Just want to clarify...ANY education that leads to licensure as a LPN or a RN is a "full nurse"...if LPNs are able to access IVs, it's because of licensure and/or facility scope

Friends can u help me . I am Asian bachelor of science on nursing want to do LPN programme am I eligible

JustBeachyNurse, LPN

13,952 Posts

Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Friends can u help me . I am Asian bachelor of science on nursing want to do LPN programme am I eligible

Why? BSN generally leads to RN. LPN is a vocational program

LPNS do recieve IV certifcation depending on the state. In OHIO we start our IV certification in just a few weeks.