Differences Between a LPN and a RN

The performance and expectations are much greater for an RN (registered nurse) than they are considered to be for an LPN (licensed practical nurse). On the floor, an LPN and RN may have very similar duties, but the RN has many more medical responsibilities. If you want to know the legal differences specifically, you will have to refer to your nurse's "Practice Act" for the state you live in.

Bedside care is considered the primary practice for the LPN. These nurses tend to be task oriented, while the RNs have to see the bigger picture. RNs have to analyze deeper issuers and consider many underlying conditions, plus how those issues relate to the patient's status.

There are some tasks performed by Registered Nurses that LPN's cannot do and those are: pushing IV's, hanging blood, hanging chemo and titrate drugs. All of these tasks, however, will vary according to the state you practice in. Another similarity between the two is the fact that they both wear the same clothing; Medical scrubs clothing is something that separates the staff from the physicians.

Education Requirements

The main difference you will see in education between an RN and an LPN is that an RN will undergo a lot more training in school than an LPN would. In fact, an RN will go to school for an additional 2-3 years more than an LPN. A Licensed Practical Nurse can usually complete training in about a year and sometimes less. Most Registered Nurses pursue the Associate's Degree or even the Bachelor's in Nursing. The Associate's takes about two years to complete while the Bachelor's takes about four.

Work Settings

Work settings for RN's versus LPN's are technically no different from one another. Since they usually work together, medical facilities usually employ both of them. The majority of RN's, in fact almost 50%, are usually employed in typical physician offices. Industries that will employ large numbers of RNs are home health services, nursing home facilities, hospitals and employment services. The largest employers, to date, of Licensed Practical Nurses are nursing home facilities.

Salary

Entry level Registered Nurses earn nearly twice what an entry level LPN. The annual salary for LPN's usually run around $40,000, while the annual salary for RN's is $57,280. Also keep in mind that there is more room for advancement, in the terms of salary compensation, for a registered nurse. They are able to move into managerial positions and they can even become professors at major or minor universities. These positions can pay $75,000 to $100,000 annually.