Comparison Registered Nurse and Licensed Practice Nurse

REGISTERED NURSE AND LICENSE PRACTICAL NURSE

        Nurse is a demanding profession, and  one of very popular job. According to the United States Department of Labor 2016, this job will growing 16% increase through 2024. They worked with respectful condescension for decades, due to the essential work done by Clara Barton and Dorethea Dix during the Civil War, the professional has gradually gained in respect and pay, attracting people to it along the way. Registered Nurse (RN) and Licensed Practice Nurse (LPN) are the kind of nursing personnel in hospital. RNs and LPNs have a duty to provide safe and appropriate nursing care to clients. Both of them have similarities and differences, and the education and licensing required for each. The differences are found in definition, job duties, education, licensing certification, and typical career steps.

        Registered Nurse defines the “practice of a registered nurse” as the performance of professional services requiring specialized knowledge of nursing theory and the biological, physical, behavioural, psychological and sociological sciences. RNs specialized knowledge incorporates critical inquiry to conduct comprehensive assessments, develop individualized plans of care, monitor the effectiveness care plans and modify individual care based on emerging priorities of the health situation. A Licensed Practice Nurse is a person who uses skills and interventions, in which he or she is educated, to meet the physical, social, cultural, emotional and spiritual need of clients (ANA, 2010).

Registered Nurse (RN) have wide range of job and duties. They work for administer medication and treatment to patients, coordinate plans for patient care, perform diagnostic test and analyze results, instruct patients on how to manage illnesses after treatment, and oversee other workers such as LPNs, nursing aides, and home care aides (ANA, 2010). Meanwhile, Licensed Practice Nurse (LPN) provide basic medical and nursing care such as checking blood pressure and inserting catheters, ensure the comfort of patients by helping them bathe or dress, discuss health care with patients, and report status of patients to registered nurses and doctors (ANA, 2010).

        There are three educational options are available in Registered Nurse: a bachelor’s of science in nursing (BSN), an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN), or a diploma from an approved nursing program. BSNs usually take four years to complete, whereas ADN and diploma programs usually require two to three years to complete. All programs include courses in social, behavior and physical science in addition to clinical experiences in various workplaces. complete an accredited practical nursing program which usually takes about one year to complete. These programs are most often taken at technical or community colleges. Courses usually combine academia in nursing, biology, and pharmacology, in addition to supervised clinical experiences.

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