What is the difference between LPNs and RNs?

Nursing Students LPN-RN

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I understand that one is a Licensed Practical Nurse and one is a Registered Nurse. I also understand the length of school is different and that the pay is different. Actually, I would like to know the difference between the job duties/hours etc. I have looked at older threads and I still cannot come up with a clear answer. I think it would be even better if there is an RN on here that used to be an LPN help me out with this since they have been on both sides of the fence. Thank you so much for your help and I hope this thread is in the right place.

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Specializes in LTC.

I may be able to help out a little.

Lets see- I'm currently a LPN and a RN student. There are a few skills that RN do that LPNs are not allowed to do under the nurse practice act. For example LPNS cannot hang the first unit of blood, do an initial assessment, and IV pushes.

Every state varies with the set of skills LPNs can perform. This is it in a nut shell based on duties. Both RN and LPN work the same hours. RNs hold more supervisory positions as well and basically have a greater scope of practice.

Hope this helps.

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.

Ditto to Nurse Love Joy. I, too, am employed as an LPN and an RN student. Scope of practice may vary some from state to state. The medicare regs may even have some differences depending on your place of employment. For instance, when I worked in LTC I was the direct supervisor of the CNA's; in hospice an LPN may NOT supervise CNA's.

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Specializes in Home Health.

>What is the difference between LPNs and RNs?

About $10 an hour.

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I am an LVN and I worked in a small town rural hospital, and I have recently graduated and have my RN. The question you ask will have many different answers for many different states. An answer that would most likely be true for all states is that (notice I said most likely, for all you na sayers) an RN is required to do the Initial assessment and write/print a careplan when a pt is admitted, and an LVN/LPN can not do this. However, LVN/LPN can do a focused assessment and chart their findings during the shift. When I worked as an LVN, the RN had to do a full assessment at the start of the shift and I would then do all the patient care and charting after the RN was done. The only other thing I could not do in my rural hospital was hang blood. However, I could monitor the patient getting blood for the RN. These two things were stead fast rules and most of the other common med surg nursing duties, I was allowed to do. There was some debate about IV starting and pushing IV Cardiac drugs ect.ect. but the Laws in my state are very gray on this fact. Now that I think of it my LVN school added an optional IV class at the end of LVN school so we could have a Certificate that said we had additional training to do IV stuff; because, our state board did not say we could or could not do IV stuff as LVN's,-they just said further education is needed (hence the gray area) The main difference is LVN/LPN are skill oriented nurses that do all the same physical tasks the RN does but LVN/LPN can not "technically" delegate assignments, educate patients and can not assess anything "Initially" as they have not taken classes such as advanced medsurge, maternity, ect.ect. The rationale is they did not learn about disease processes on the cellular level and can not detect early changes in patients when needed. However in the real world I have found that some LVN;s are more than capable. As a matter of fact I would rather have an RN trainer/precepter that was an LVN first. Why, they just seem to be more solid especially when it comes to physical nursing skills.

I was not glad that I went to LVN school first until I went through the transition program and joined the 2 year RN students. I was shocked at how many did not know how to change a bed with a patient in it, or start an IV, some did not even know how to hook up tubing and start a pump, but after joining thier world it was very clear why. It was an academic marathon that they were running at full speed! They were academic Rockstars. From my experience an examle between LVN school and RN is; in LVN school they teach you how to administer 125ml/hr without a pump allthough they did not teach that in RN school they did teach about what was in those IV bags and how, what, when, and why, you would expect a Dr.'s order for one.

It all worked out for the better because we put our ego's aside and they helped me in the classroom and I helped them in Clinicals. Win-Win relationships make Nursing School alot easier. I will however, miss differing to the RN when a tough or difficult call comes up. That being said the last difference between LVN and RN is the payscale because the LVN in a bad situation can say this is above my head and differ to the RN. The RN then has to take responsibility for the outcome! That's why RN's get more money than LVN's

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Specializes in LTC.
>What is the difference between LPNs and RNs?

About $10 an hour.

Haha ! Thats funny.:lol2:

There are many LPNs that make a whole lot more than RNs. It depends on experience and location.

When I was a new grad LPN I made 50 cents less than friends that were new grad RNs.

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Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.

what state do you live in?

each state has its own nurse practice act for both lpn and rn.

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Specializes in PICU, ICU, Hospice, Mgmt, DON.

ManNurse...That was very well said...much continued success with your RN career.

Now you know where the "buck stops"...:D

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Thanks for all the responses! I live in Colorado.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I was an LVN for four years before I received my RN license.

The differences between RN and LPN are dependent upon the state in which you reside and the practice setting. For example, LPNs and RNs will basically be doing the same stuff in nursing homes. However, their roles are very different in the acute care hospital setting.

During my time in an RN completion program, a few of my professors told me that LPNs are more task-oriented while RNs are more multifaceted and can see the bigger picture. However, this does not ring true in the real world where many wonderful LPNs see the big picture and work alongside some mediocre RNs who have the factory worker mentality (clock in, complete my tasks, clock out and go home). RNs are supposed to have learned a deeper level of assessment and received education on legal and ethical issues, leadership, etc.

LVNs are not allowed to do initial assessments or hang blood at the hospital where I work. However, LVNs are allowed to do initial assessments in the local nursing homes where I live.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Surgery, OBGYN.

NurseLoveJoy88. Here in CA, LVN's make almost $30-$40 LESS than RN's do....

Also, LVN's cannot do assessments upon addmission...but we sure can anytime thereafter, even at the begining of a shift.

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im in an RN program, and my professor stated that the difference between RN and LPN is:

LPNS cant assess, hang iv's or do patient teaching...

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