LVNs say they are equal to RNs...how true is this? much more schooling...

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Hey everyone, i am a second year nursing student (RN) and i notice a lot of controversy about LVNs saying they do exactly what a RN does. Can someone clarify the two??? i have an idea, but would like to know the major differences. Our LVNs come in our second semester after the first six weeks!! wow that's a huge diff in school. We almost have 2.5 semesters more of study than them. I absolutely have nothing against LVNs, but there are plenty out there that continuously say this. I have worked with amazing LVNs and yes they are huge huge huge assets for a RN and not to mention a patient. I just would really like to know the huge differences....is it really that simple "oh they can't push blood, push any IV meds, or do care plans" (which is huge, well at least in nursing school lol).

Thanks for you input

Specializes in Geriatrics.

And, likewise,MsSocalRN, us LPN's NEED our RN's! Have an awesome night! :)

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Lens do a year and a half to two years of school to become an lvn si they can bridge into an rn program, because they have already completed the first 2 semesters you are doing.

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I have been a LPn for almost 18 years, and have never once heard an LPN say they do the same as an RN. I know I sure don't. I think that people just need to get over whatever inferiority complex, or ego they have and work together. A highly experienced LPN does not make me "just the same" as a RN. Can I help a new grad RN, LPN, or CNA? you bet I can. But I also know that even with all of my years of experience, a RN I am not!! It would be a beautiful world if everyone could check there attitudes at the door! Please dont think that all LPN's are RN "wanna be's"!!!!!! I thank my lucky stars for my RN co-workers! I need them to get the job done, and they need me. We need to get back to teamwork!!!!!

love love love it! Thanks! i love your attitude and i bet it has gotten you very far with a lot of respect.

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Lens do a year and a half to two years of school to become an lvn si they can bridge into an rn program, because they have already completed the first 2 semesters you are doing.

our LVNs come in second semester on the sixth week...there is 16 weeks in a semester. We are a very reputable program with high pass rate.

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I am an LPN, and I DO MORE than my RN supervisor.

not only does she not have a clue as to what is going on with our patients, she can't do a schedule

right to save her life and doesn't know who is working when or if!

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okay still no straight forward answer on why we have to go to school longer! for critical thinking skills????

Although LPN's have courses in leadership, RN's are more theory based, management, leadership skills, more focused on that aspect of nursing. LPN's are leaders and managers in a number of different forums, however, RN's can have the potential to be nurse leaders in every forum.

Depending on facility, LPN's also are more clinically based and although learned in nursing theory, not as extensively as RN's.

It also depends soley on the facility, the state practice act--It varies widely from facility to facility, state to state.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

This subject has been discussed, AT LENGTH, here en infinitum.

The practice of LPNs and RN's are governed by the individual state nurse practice acts. Please ask your state to send you a copy or you can google yours for you state. We provide the numbers to all the state boards here at AN......which are decided and written by RN's. What the state does have as each scope of practice......an individual facility regulates itself based on its needs and willingness to maintain competencies of the nurses performing those duties.

It is the RN's responsibilities, because of her "higher education", of evaluating, assessing, planning, and teaching. From an LPN nursing school site.........

Registered nurses usually perform the initial assessment of a patient. LPNs can also perform their own assessment, but the initial assessment must be performed by a RN. LPNs may also work in conjunction with RNs in patient assessment. The RN is responsible for formulating the diagnosis of the patient and makes plans for their care. In addition, a RN establishes a care plan and initiates the nursing actions to provide care. LPNs/LVNs will be primarily responsible for seeing that the patient care plans formulated by the RN are put into action. Registered nurses can delegate nursing measures to a LPN, but the LPN can only accept those tasks which are within their scope of license/practice in the state they work.

Depending on the place of employment, LPNs are often under the direct supervision of a RN. The two often work cooperatively together. Even in instances of home care, LPNs may have to call and report or get approval from a RN prior to making changes to a patient’s healthcare plan. Overall, the job of a RN is more comprehensive medically than that of a LPN.

LPN vs RN | Difference Between LPN and RN

Which is why the RN is higher paid.

A bigger point to emphasize is that each has a valuable role in the care of our patients and needs to be respected.

An example of a comparison for the state of Arizona...........http://www.azbn.gov/documents/education/COMPARISON OF RN AND LPN STANDARDS RELATED TO SCOPE.pdf

I hope this helps......

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This horse has been beaten to death so many times that there are no more horse molecules left in the universe.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

Love it mazy! I was wondering what happened to the "smiley" we used to have depicting the poor horse :-( .

Here's some more reading material for those who live in California that takes the actual Scope of Practice Laws and breaks it down into tasks and includes Medical Assistants in the mix as well. It was put together by a committee appointed by Kaiser, who wanted to reduce the possibility of them being sued for anything related to that. It looks like there are plenty of resources here in this thread.

Scope of Practice Resource Guide

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LOL i'm so sorry i can't help but laugh at your pic! hahahahaha Well i think it's bullcrap that LVNs are underpaid then and that why the heck do we(RNs) have to go to school for 2 semesters and 10 weeks more than a LVN if they do exactly the same thing???? for the heck of it?

I am an LPN ( for those who said why become and LPN? to see if I like nursing first). I am now in a RN program. We are not the same, but just from personal experience we are the same in that we are nurses. With that said we are not that same for the same reasons that a RN is not the same as a NP. You both are nurses but one knows more.

I started my RN program May of this year. We did level I and II in the summer. For students just entering the RN program (no LPN) it would take them two semesters.

I had already gone over a ton of theory and many skills ( not IV or central line dressings to name a few) in my PN school. In RN school so far we have dived into the illness, system, ect.. deeper. Also in the long run at least at my school straight to RN students have not gone to school longer than the LPNs. It took me 18mths to get my LPN we covered most of what you covered in your first two semesters. Like ADL's, pharm, OB, ect... Care plans are totally new!

I am sure those in my program are upset that it seems like we LPNs just got lucky and cheated our way into the program and it is not fair that we did not have to go to school as long (not saying you are like this I know a few girls in my program who are like this) but we did. We just did not go to your school as long. We have been in school I think most PN programs are 1-2 yrs. Plus I think after two semesters (at least at my school) RN students can challenge the NCLEX and get their LPN.

Long story short I think LPNs and the first two semesters of RN school are about the same. Then they have the LPNs come in and take a LPN-RN transition class. We go over skills, LPN material, and learn new things like care plans.

I do not think I am the same as an RN at all. I however think that LPN's, Rn's, UAP, all have a job to do and without each other it just makes our job all that much harder, stressed, and I am thankful for all the help I can get.

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

quote> Our LVNs come in our second semester after the first six weeks!! wow that's a huge diff in school. We almost have 2.5 semesters more of study than them. I absolutely have nothing against LVNs, but there are plenty out there that continuously say this> QUOTE The lpn's joining your program during that second semester are equal to you AT THAT POINT.Actually,they ARE way ahead of you in alot of ways (experience at the bedside) but I won't get into that. You had one semster of school-they have their LPN program behind them, their pre-req's and the aformentioned experience.

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The LPNs where I used to work were awesome, and when I was a new RN they could "walk circles around me" with getting task completed. They were knowledgable in their own right.

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