Please explain the duties and responsibilities of an RN versus LPN in a hospital?
Asked by justaguy23456
Basically, I want to know what is the difference between an RN and an LPN. Best explanation gets ten points!

Best Answer:
Education: RNs either have an associate degree (2 years), a bachelor's degree (4 years) or a hospital diploma (3 years). LPNs complete an 18-month program. Since they have more education, RNs will have higher salaries. Both require licensure by the state. Job Duties/Responsibilities: RNs rank "above" LPNs. RNs direct nursing care and can delegate certain tasks to LPNs. Each state has its own Nurse Practice Act, which spells out what each type of nurse can do, but basically, LPNs can do everything a Nurse's Aide can do (change beds, assist with feeding and toileting, take vital signs, collect urine and sometimes blood specimens). In addition, LPNs can usually administer medications and perform dressing changes. RNs can do all those activities as well as perform assessments and do patient teaching. LPNs cannot assess or teach, nor can they administer blood transfusions (those require two RNs). When assigning patients, LPNs are assigned "stable patients with predictable outcomes", according to the NCSBN (they write the NCLEX). Hope this helps. Hope I get those 10 points!
I am an RN with a BSN and teach NCLEX prep
Answered by Karen

First of all the RN gets more money. she also gets the best jobs and she is generally in charge while the other one has to do alot of dirty work depending on where she works. she LPN does not get paid as good.
Answered by Tsunami

A RN is obligated to change only one bedpan needing changing per hour of each shift, while the LPN is required to change as many bedpans there are needing changing throughout her/his entire shift. ONLY KIDDING -- HAD YOU GOING THERE FOR A MINUTE , DIDN'T I ?! Seriously, I think the main difference is their salary as stated by another Answerer.
Answered by PUNNY POETRESS

The LPN cannot do initial patient assessments or accept fresh post-op patients. Each LPN has an RN overseeing him/her and that RN does the assessment and all IV push medication administration. The LPNs are assigned to just as many patients as the RNs, and the nurse's aide is the one who does most of the hygiene stuff (bedpans, etc.) A lot of the hospitals don't hire LPNs anymore. I think they're phasing them out of hospitals for liability reasons.
Answered by Kristen