Can I still work as an LPN after I become an RN?

[BlackBettyRN,OCN]

I am currently working as an LPN at a SNF PRN while I'm finishing up my BSN. I am under a contract to work at a certain hospital upon graduating and becoming an RN. My question is, can I still keep my PRN job at the SNF? I know that I would probably be held to the RNs scope of practice, but would they have to officially hire me as an RN?

[SDALPN]

I'm not taking about titles! But if your company is willing to pay you the same amount to perform a job with less responsibility, then they are not utilizing their resources appropriately.

They are if they don't want to lose the case and they are looking at long term.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

In WI it is fine to work as a CNA/LPN if you hold an RN license, but an employer may or may not allow it. I work in a SNF and it's fine for me to cover an LPN's shift, they just pay me at my RN rate. They won't however allow licensed staff to work as a CNA. Whether this employer let's you keep working at an LPN level with the LPN pay instead of requiring you to work as an RN with the RN pay I don't couldn't tell you.

Why not ask them if you can stay on PRN as an RN after passing your boards?

[caliotter3]

Some state boards won't slow that. And why would you need an LPN license when you have RN. RN covers and exceeds the LPN score of practice. That just seems silly and sounds like a misunderstanding of scope of practice, how licensing works, etc. Plus you are paying more money to the BON for no reason. If you're in a state that requires a certain number of hours and CEUs, you'd have to work this hours as an LPN and work the required hours as an RN. Really, just call your BON. I'm sure they will tell you the same.

In states where holding both licenses is allowed, there are some employers that will not hire or maintain a nurse at the lower level without that nurse presenting that lower level of license. That is why some nurses bother to maintain both licenses. That happened to me when I applied online for a lower level job one time. My application was rejected because I did not provide the designation for the lower level of license (in that case CNA certificate).