Hi,
Does anybody knows what is the main difference between 3152-Registered Nurse and 3233-Licensed Practical Nurse.
Its for one of my friend; we are considering can he apply or not?
Licensed Practical Nurse - May get license in about 12-15 months, takes the state board exam to earn the license. Performs essential patient cares like dressing, feeding, bathing, toileting, etc. Takes vital signs. Passes certain medications (if trained in phlebotomy, can draw blood or start IVs, but cannot administer IV narcotics and some other restricted classes of drugs), can perform simple assessments, can delegate tasks to nursing assistants, but LPNs take delegated tasks from RNs. Often LPNs in some cities are more limited to out patient clinics and nursing homes, as many hospitals are phasing out their use of LPNs in favor of the RNs because RNs have a greater skill set and are viewed as more desirable in acute care.
Registered Nurse - Can get license in as little as 2 years with an Associates Degree, or earn a 4 year Bachelor's Degree, either one makes you eligible. In addition to performing all the LPN duties, RNs have a greater knowledge base in terms of anatomy & physiology, disease pathology, microbiology, lab results, etc., so therefore where an LPN can take vital signs, an RN needs to know how to interpret what those vital signs and assessments mean in the big picture. RNs work under what is called the "nursing process", consisting of assessment, diagnosis, plan, intervention, and evaluation. We assess the patient and gather all the pertinent information, identify their top priority for immediate needs, formulate a nursing diagnosis (different from a medical diagnosis), develop goals or outcomes for that diagnosis, develop a plan to reach those goals which include interventions that are performed to reach that goal, then we evaluate out process and start all over again. RNs are expected to delegate tasks to LPNs and NAs, work as a team with the physicians, lab, pharmacy, etc. to ensure well-rounded patient care. RNs hold a greater amount of legal responsibility. They are not only caregivers, they are social workers, they are counselors, they are educators. They can work in endless settings - hospitals, clinics, health department, correctional facilities, schools, join the military, etc.
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