LVN Vs. RN?

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Can anyone tell me the difference between LVN and RN? Is LVN in demand just like RNs? How much do they usually make and what exactly do they do? Thanks!!!

That really depends on what state you live in, as to the what they can do. That is up to the nurse practice act of that state. You can look on your state's board of nursing website to see this. As for demand? Here, the LPN (LVN) is most in demand in LTC and Dr's offices. Pay? I don't know. Not as much as a RN.

Again, it all depends

We are an all RN hospital. LPN's work mostly out of the hospital setting here. There are differences in training, length of training, course content, scope of practice. I suggst you look online for some good descriptions of the roles of RN's and LPN's.

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Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

This is a load of hocky pocky. :smiley_ab :argue:

Nursing is really a broad term. But in modern health care you have either an MD or an RN, everyone else is an assistant to one or the other of them.

MD

PA, NP, PT, OT, radiology tech, RD, RT, etc.

RN

LPN, CNA, medication tech, evironmental services, dietary services, laundry services, psych tech, etc.

There is no escaping this fact. I suggest if one wants to be a nurse, they become an RN.

The Veridican

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What side of the moon have you been living on? I am not an assistant to anyone. I am an LPN. I hav my own pts to care for, just the same as the RNs.

If one of my pts does require an IVP med, I prepare it and ask one of my co-workers to pop into the room and give it. We work as a team, all nurses, providing the same care to our post op ortho pts.

Assistant to an RN. Please.

There is only one problem I see here. I would hope that the RN who is going to GIVE the IV push med for you would prepare it herself. I would never give a med that someone else prepares for me. That's one of the basic things all nurses learn in school.

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Nursing is really a broad term. But in modern health care you have either an MD or an RN, everyone else is an assistant to one or the other of them.

MD

PA, NP, PT, OT, radiology tech, RD, RT, etc.

RN

LPN, CNA, medication tech, evironmental services, dietary services, laundry services, psych tech, etc.

There is no escaping this fact. I suggest if one wants to be a nurse, they become an RN.

The Veridican

I see several mistakes in this post. First, an NP (I assume you mean nurse practitioner) is NOT an assistant to a doctor. An NP is an INDEPENDENT practitioner and has prescriptive authority and does NOT have to work UNDER a doctor. They collaborate but that's the extent of it.

Veridican, you need to get your facts straight. You have a lot of blatently incorrect information in this one post alone.

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I just quote them and chuckle.

Seriously though. I am willing to admit there is no difference between an RN and an LPN except for pay, but if that's the case, then we are still talking about RNs. If an LPN is as qualified and capable as an RN, and is given the same responsibilities, then we are still talking about an RN, just with different initials. It's still the same kind of nurse.

If an LPN is not an assistant to an RN, then why two types of nurses? Why not get rid of RNs altogether?

Answer: because then all you'd have are LPNs who would demand the same pay as RNs. And to get that pay, they'd go back to school and get more qualifications, and then we'd be back to RNs again.

In my state, an LPN has to work under the supervision of an MD or an RN. So...there you go...that's my point of reference.

The Veridican

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Specializes in Critical Care/ICU.
It's still the same kind of nurse.

They are not the same. Different nurse practice acts. Different scopes of practice.

Look it up.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

I have a question...

Why, when these types of posts get started, do we even necessitate a bunch of responses? One response should be made with links to all of the many previous posts with the same exact question asked, and then close it. Everytime I see the LPN vs. RN post, I cringe because all it turns into is a bunch of people insulting other people and fighting amongst everyone. PLEASE considr ending this post!!!

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They are not the same. Different nurse practice acts. Different scopes of practice.

Look it up.

You may have a point here. If they actually have different scopes of practice, then it could be said that they are two different professions. I have often said that in our hospital the techs would do better and be better served if they had their own chain of command apart from nurses--just as nurses have apart from MDs.

But if the LPN is a different profession, then where do they fall? Is it like MD vs DO? I could accept that. But then don't make me responsible for delegating to an LPN.

By the way, LPNs cannot be members of the ANA. Do LPNs have their own governing body?

Veridican

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I have a question...

Why, when these types of posts get started, do we even necessitate a bunch of responses? One response should be made with links to all of the many previous posts with the same exact question asked, and then close it. Everytime I see the LPN vs. RN post, I cringe because all it turns into is a bunch of people insulting other people and fighting amongst everyone. PLEASE considr ending this post!!!

I completely agree...

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Nursing is really a broad term. But in modern health care you have either an MD or an RN, everyone else is an assistant to one or the other of them.

MD

PA, NP, PT, OT, radiology tech, RD, RT, etc.

RN

LPN, CNA, medication tech, evironmental services, dietary services, laundry services, psych tech, etc.

There is no escaping this fact. I suggest if one wants to be a nurse, they become an RN.

The Veridican

I didn't realize modern healthcare incorporated only two healthcare providers, whether or not you group lpn with rn's or not. We learn (over and over again) in nursing school that we work together as a team, including other lincensed personel like physical therapists and dieticians to name a few. Everyone else is not an assistant, we all have different roles and important roles, including lpns.

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:deadhorse

poor horse

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Nursing is really a broad term. But in modern health care you have either an MD or an RN, everyone else is an assistant to one or the other of them.

MD

PA, NP, PT, OT, radiology tech, RD, RT, etc.

RN

LPN, CNA, medication tech, evironmental services, dietary services, laundry services, psych tech, etc.

There is no escaping this fact. I suggest if one wants to be a nurse, they become an RN.

The Veridican

Yall are executing the messenger without hearing the message. I don't think (my interpretation) that he's putting down those who are not RNs, let alone not MDs. However, he is correctly stating the eschelon that these levels of authority take. I do think that some of those titles are lateral to others...but overall, the idea is sound.

I am an RN...I don't consider myself as "assistant" to the physician...but indeed, what I do is rolled into what the physician will eventually do/order to happen.

MD

RN/PA/NP (depending on the setting)

OT/PT/RD (depending on the setting)

LPN/LVN

CNA

then other ancillary departments as required for pt care or running the facility.

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