What is the difference between a Registered Nurse and a LPN?
Asked by Melissa d

Best Answer:
There are actually significant differences between an RN and an LPN. The LPN or practical nurse, is primarily trained to perform hands-on skills which are necessary to support the patient in the hospital setting. In a hospital there are three levels on nursing care. The nursing assistant has the primary function of meeting the basic daily living needs of the patient, such as bathing, feeding and mobility. The LPN performes the higher level hands-on skills which are required due to the patients’ medical condition. This often means providing some of the medication, monitoring the IV fluids, changing bandages, and writing information about these in the chart. The RN is supposed to be more of the patient manager, who also can provide all of the services of the other 2 nursing levels if needed. The main functions of the RN are to plan and organize the care, insure the patient's safety, and privacy, plan for the patient's discharge and set up post discharge care if required. The RN is also responsible for communicating between the nursing unit and the physician, and the other departments in the hospital. Also the RN is ultimately responsible for the care provided by the LPNs and NAs assigned to the unit. They are also tasked with evaluating all physicians orders for correctness and appropriateness, and even refusing or calling and correcting an order if they feel the physician’s order is in error. The RN has a significantly greater amount of responsibility. Essentially, while the physician admits a patient to the hospital, they may see the patient for at most 5 minutes per day (excluding time in surgery) the RNs are responsible for the patient 24 hours per day. I have taught NAs, LPNs and RNs as well as other health care providers. I have great respect for each. But an LPN does not do the same job as an RN, and they do not have to know a fraction of the information required to pass the examination for the RN license.
RN, Ph.D, CFNP
Answered by US_DR_JD

they make more money and they dont have to do the nasty stuff. I mayy be wrongg, but thats what I think.
Answered by Summer. : )

RN's have a widerr scope of practice than LPN's which means they can do more...
Answered by damnstraiight<333

LPNs have one year of training; RNs have two years of training. RNs generally get paid more because they are given more responsibilities.
Answered by LuthienTinuviel

RN's make more money and have more responsibilities.
Answered by VIKING

Registered Nurse knows more than a Licensed Practical Nurse . The RN has to go to school longer & they make more $$.
Answered by Will

the absolutely only difference is that RN have more schooling, but they do the absolutely same thing! IT PAYS TO STAY IN SCHOOL. plus RN is a more respectable title than LPN
Answered by Abeola S

Not much these days.Here's a few web sites describing the differences.
Answered by YoMaMa