A Bit of Confusion - ADN = RN?

[Perseus Mandate]

I'm a bit confused with something. When a person goes ahead and gets their ADN, do they then start work as an RN? Or LPN?

If it's RN, then how do you wind up as an LPN?

If it's LPN, what else do you need to get to RN?

The way I understood it, ADNs and BSNs make you an RN. I'm not seeing there being an LPN fits into this, though.

[pirituba]

ADN mean associated degree in Nursing is We are Registered Nurses, we take the same NCLEX as nurse with a BSN!

[Dan's Sunshine]

I am an LPN in FL. I do IV therapy. I initiate and hang abx. I push all kinds of meds including narcs. I push meds using both peripheral and central lines. I start peripheral IVs. I hang blood under the supervision of an RN. There are very few things that I cannot do in my hospital, and the hospital rules are stricter than the state rules. According to the state of FL there are only 3 things I cannot do - insert a midline, insert a central line, and administer a clot buster. That being said - all my orders are double checked and signed off by an RN. Also, the RN does the 1st assessment when a patient is admitted. The pay is a lot lower for an LPN, about $6 to $8 less starting pay.

B~

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

LPNs cannot give narcotics, do a primary assess or reassess a patient, or educate.

The scope of practice for LPNs varies from state to state. I give multiple narcotics on a daily basis (Percocet, Morphine Sulfate, Oxycontin, Fentanyl, etc.), do assessments upon admission, reassess patients weekly, and provide education to patients and family members. However, I am in Texas, which is known to have an extremely wide LVN/LPN scope of practice. In general, the Southeastern states have the widest scopes of practice, and basically allow their LPNs to do virtually anything.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Also I forgot, LPNs can't push meds.

Maisy;)

My state permits me to push meds through PICC lines or midlines. However, the RN must push meds through central lines.

[MadisonsMomRN, BSN, RN]

In my state, LPN's can give narcotics. They cannot push IV meds though. They cannot do initial/admission assessments.

[Perseus Mandate]

Thanks for all the answers, everyone!

[MAISY, RN-ER, BSN, RN]

Before I get quoted to death, I was only speaking of my experience in NJ as mentioned in my first post.

LOL,

Maisy;)

PS I think it has something to do with how many different level nurses are available in state. In the northeast, at least in NJ, we have a large amount of RN, BSN and MSN in hospital setting. Some hospitals only hire BSN for staff. Maybe that's why....who knows?

[Hydakins]

Where I work, the LPNs do all of that. Sometimes it depends on the facility.

[Ms Kylee]

In PA, LPN's can't hang blood or blood products, titrate drugs, or push IV's. There may be a few more things that they can't do that I don't remember off the top of my head (brain fried-- Nutrition final on Monday). I have heard that by the time I graduate in 2009, LPN's may be allowed to push IV's. I remember the days when LPN's couldn't give shots....

[CHATSDALE]

an lpn can take courses to advance them to the point where they can take nclex for reg nurse..

we are short of all nurses at this time but we have had time about 10 years ago where there was a shortage of jobs and the only rns being hired were lpns who were being a new career as an rn

my dtr graduated and had to take a job out of town within six months all the excess nurses had disappeared and the hospitals were begging for rns and she could pick out of several job offers