Can you hold two licenses in the health care field?

[BrittanyFoley]

I am currently a LPN and have been working for about 2 years in assisted living. I really want to go back to school so I've been looking into different programs. I am really interested in OT. For me to be accepted into an OT program I would have to have a bachelors degree so i was thinking about doing a lpn to bsn bridge program at salem state. I'd be done in 3 years and id have my bsn. my question is, if i do then go on for OT and get a masters in that and get licensed, is my nursing license now no longer valid? can i have two licenses in two different branches of the medical field? I live in Massachusetts if anyone knows of any restrictions in the state. any help, advice, experiences would be appreciated :)

Thank you,

Brittany

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

There are no restrictions on holding 2 licenses as long as you keep them current if you're employed as an LPN/OT etc. You need to make sure that you don't act outside your scope of practice when working as one or the other, however. That would be the most difficult thing, I'd think, because it may become reflexive to act as an nurse/OT while working in the other role.

[BrittanyFoley]

Thank you :) i can definitely see there being spill over into each position but if i already have my bsn i dont want to let it go, just incase the OT thing doesn't work out.

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

Seems smart. Have you considered shadowing an OT before you spend the bucks to get a degree you may not want to stick with?

[Technicolourhobo]

We have an MD who still has an active RN license :)

[TamTamRN-RRT]

I'm a RN for 2 years but still practice respiratory therapy as a RRT 2 days a week. Easy money

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

You can't be an LPN and an RN concurrently, but you can be an RN + any other discipline (PT, OT, RT, MD, DC, LICSW ...)

[BrittanyFoley]

that's a good idea, how do you think I should go about that? In assisted living we work in conjunction with agencies offering OT and i have been present for some therapies but i don't get the full experience obviously.