Blog Post

LPN vs RN | The difference between Licensed Practical Nurse and Registered Nurse in Canada (2021)

LPN vs RN | The difference between Licensed Practical Nurse and Registered Nurse in Canada (2021). I will preface by saying that the LPN and RN role in general are constantly evolving and this is never completely set in stone. Throughout the years, it has been well known that both LPN and RN scopes of practice have been increasingly steadily and this makes it challenging to be completely accurate every year.

 

LPNs have a diploma in Practical Nursing. To become one, you must complete a college track that consists of four semesters. This takes about two years to complete. To work as a LPN anywhere in Canada, you’ll also be required to take a national licensing exam. Once you’ve passed this exam, you’re able to enter the workforce. Because it requires the least amount of education and training, LPNs usually work with patients who have stable and uncomplicated conditions. To work with more complex conditions, you’ll have to further your education and become an RN. A RN has gone to university either in Canada or an international equivalent. To be an RN, you must hold either a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) or a Bachelor of Nursing Degree (BN). These can be attained through a college-university program or a 4-year university degree program.

 

An RN’s education and training are significantly longer and more comprehensive than that of a LPN. They’re trained as generalists and, by the time they graduate, have a comprehensive knowledge around a range of patient needs and treatments. This means that RNs are better equipped for handling complex needs. They’re also trained to react appropriately in non-routine situations. A RN can build on these entry-level skills and choose a specialization. When and if you decide to do so, you can advance your career and become an NP.

 

Now let’s talk about the specific scope of practice differences in 2021. Now, each province that you work may be a little bit different so make sure that you reference the most up to date agreement set out by your nursing union. This is to give you an idea what the difference may look like so that you are able to make an educated decision which career you would like to pursue. Here are the main differences in scope of practice feel free to pause the video if you want to look at the specifics, but again this is just to give you a general idea, this may vary depending on your state or province.

 

The other factor that you may want to consider is difference in salary. RN’s do more education and therefore the salary is impacted accordingly. They make approximately 30% more than LPN’s.

 

So given these differences, you might be asking yourself why would someone choose LPN over RN? Well it is a great way to gain exposure to healthcare field and see if it is truly something that you enjoy. The other reason is that you finish school quickly and are able to make a healthy income and work yourself to becoming a RN over time. Another reason is that some hospitals or institutions will actually pay for your school in exchange for a year or two years of work for them. So essentially you can get your education paid and it is not too rare to have that happen especially in the united states.

 

So in summary the key differences are:

  1. RN make roughly 30% more than LPNs.
  2. RN education is a longer and more expensive process than LPNs.
  3. LPNs report to RNs in the professional setting.
  4. RNs have more scope of practice in the clinical setting than LPNs.

 

So there you have it, those are the differences between being a licensed practical nurse and a registered nurse. If you enjoyed this video, please consider giving it a thumbs up. Let me know if you want me to do a video on registered psychiatric nurses or any other videos in the comment section below. Thank you for watching and I will see you in the next video.

 

My FREE NCLEX-RN guide: https://bit.ly/33EPmqI

My FREE E-Books: https://bit.ly/33EPmqI

 

Check out these awesome products for Nurses:

Pen light:

–  https://amzn.to/33CLPrs

Antifog spray for glasses

https://amzn.to/3kn7Cu4

https://amzn.to/3mv64Qs

Compression socks

https://amzn.to/2ZHA1D2

https://amzn.to/2ZN1K5A

Safety glasses

https://amzn.to/3mtnsFh

Face Masks:

https://amzn.to/32Enen3

13 thoughts on “LPN vs RN | The difference between Licensed Practical Nurse and Registered Nurse in Canada (2021)

  1. Amazing! This blog looks exactly like my old one!

    It’s on a entirely different subject but it has pretty much the
    same page layout and design. Wonderful choice of colors!

  2. An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a colleague
    who was doing a little research on this. And he in fact ordered me
    lunch simply because I stumbled upon it for him…

    lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!!
    But yeah, thanx for spending time to discuss this issue here on your site.

  3. Hmm it seems like your blog ate my first comment (it was extremely
    long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I submitted and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your
    blog. I as well am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still new to everything.
    Do you have any tips and hints for newbie blog writers? I’d certainly appreciate it.

  4. Aw, this was an extremely nice post. Finding the time and actual effort to create a great article… but
    what can I say… I hesitate a lot and don’t seem to get anything done.

  5. Thank you a lot for sharing this with all folks you really understand what you are talking approximately!
    Bookmarked. Please also talk over with my web site =).
    We could have a hyperlink change arrangement between us

  6. Woah! I’m really digging the template/theme of this blog. It’s
    simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s
    very hard to get that “perfect balance” between user friendliness and visual appeal.
    I must say that you’ve done a excellent job with this. In addition,
    the blog loads very quick for me on Chrome. Excellent Blog!

  7. I’m really impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout
    on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you modify it
    yourself? Either way keep up the excellent quality writing, it is rare to see a nice
    blog like this one these days.

  8. Hi there, just became alert to your blog through Google, and found that it’s really informative.

    I am going to watch out for brussels. I’ll be grateful
    if you continue this in future. Many people will be benefited from your writing.
    Cheers!

  9. Hi there to every body, it’s my first pay a visit of this web
    site; this website contains awesome and really good material in favor of readers.

Leave a Reply to Elizabeth Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *