Two paths, one destination—becoming a nurse. Nursing is a broad field that’s comprised of many roles, but which one is right for you? You have the heart and motivation to become a nurse, but first, you need to decide between the field’s two primary paths for entry: practical nursing or professional nursing.

Both are great places to start but require different education levels and ultimately lead to different job duties, so depending on your life circumstances and career goals, one path might be better for you. The only way to decide is to get to know both. We broke down the definitions and details of both professional and practical nursing so you can make that decision for yourself.

What is practical nursing?

Practical nurses include licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and licensed vocational nurses (LVNs). Practical nurses are referred to as LVNs in Texas and California, while LPNs are the norm in every other state. Both LVNs and LPNs provide direct patient care to patients in a variety of healthcare settings, though you may find minor differences in duties or scope of practice from state to state. No matter where you’re from, practical nurses play an invaluable role on a health care team.

If you decide to pursue practical nursing route, you can earn a Practical nursing diploma in as few as 12 months.¹ After, you’ll take the National Council Licensure Exam for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN).

What do LPNs do?

LPNs are responsible for taking vitals, feeding, dressing and transporting patients, assisting with tests and procedures, and taking blood samples. LPNs spend a lot of time with patients and get to know them on a personal level. They also observe patients and keep close tabs on medical histories and current symptoms. LPNs typically work under the supervision of physicians and registered nurses (RNs), though there is still a great deal of autonomy.

Where can LPNs work?

Most people assume all LPNs work in nursing homes, which is not the case. In fact, only about 38 percent of LPNs work in this setting, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).² Though there has been an uptick in the LPNs working outside of hospitals as patients seek their healthcare closer to home, LPNs can also find employment in physicians’ offices, home health care agencies, rehabilitation clinics, hospitals or ambulatory surgical centers.

How to become an LPN

There are several steps involved in becoming an LPN. First you’ll want to complete a nursing program to earn your diploma. LPN programs include both theoretical learning in the classroom and practical learning in nursing labs or clinicals. Clinical rotations allow you to shadow working nurses and try your hand at the duties you’ll perform every day as an LPN while you’re still a student nurse. Examples of Practical Nursing courses at Rasmussen University include:

• Nutritional Principles in Nursing
• Family Nursing
• Psychosocial Nursing

After graduation, you’ll need to take the national licensure exam, the NCLEX-PN. Once you pass the NCLEX, you’ll officially be an LPN and you’ll finally get to put in to practice everything you’ve learned!

LPN career path

Once established as an LPN, there are many opportunities to further develop your career. Some may stay at the LPN level and pursue specialized care positions or team lead roles. Otherwise, LPNs can go on to pursue their Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). These degree programs prepare you for a career as an RN and provide you with the necessary tools and knowledge to sit for the NCLEX-RN.

While there’s clearly a lot to like about an LPN career, there are still some trade-offs you’ll want to consider before pursuing an LPN Diploma. We’ve highlighted some of the most prominent potential drawbacks to choosing this nursing career path.

1. LPNs earn less than RNs

Although an LPN salary is nothing to scoff at, they still earn less than their RN counterparts. The BLS reports that the median annual salary of a registered nurse in 2019 was $73,300.² Compare these median annual salary figures side-by-side and you’ll see that there’s a $25,820 difference—that’s obviously a substantial difference worth your consideration.

Money isn’t everything in a career field, but it can make a big difference. If you’re considering an LPN career, you’ll have to decide if the lesser pay is worthwhile considering the other advantages of the LPN Diploma.

2. There aren’t as many options for specialization

Registered nurses can choose from many specialty areas, like intensive care nursing, operating room nurses or public health nurses. These specialties may come with perks like a higher salary or more desirable work hours, or they may simply fall into alignment with a nurse’s interests.

However, those with their LPN designation are a bit more limited in their options. Many specialty areas require their nurses to have an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree. LPNs can still choose to focus on specializations like long-term care or wound care—especially if they pursue relevant certifications—but they won’t have access to the same range of options as RNs.

3. LPNs have a smaller scope of practice

Scope of practice defines what duties a healthcare professional is qualified to perform. An LPN’s scope of practice varies by state, but they typically perform basic patient care under the supervision of an RN or other medical professional. LPNs can expect to take and monitor patient vital signs, maintain accurate health records, help patients bathe or dress and administer medications.

These are all vital duties that keep patients comfortable and maintain a high standard of care. But if you imagined yourself rushing through an ER to administer emergency care or consulting with a physician about a patient’s care plan, you might be disappointed in the LPN role.

4. LPNs often work in gerontology

Gerontology, or the care of elderly and aging populations, is the most popular work environment for LPNs. A whopping 38 percent of LPNs work in nursing homes or residential care facilities, while only 15 percent work in hospitals and 13 percent work in physicians’ offices.²

There’s certainly nothing wrong with working in the gerontology field! LPNs are an important part of elder care. However, if you’d rather not work exclusively with older patients, it may feel like your career options as an LPN are more limited than you expected when you first envisioned a nursing career.

A nursing career worth considering

Now that you know more about the potential pros and cons of becoming an LPN, have the advantages of being an LPN won you over? If you’ve decided this is the nursing career path for you, there’s no time like now to get started!

We’ve established that RNs and NPs are important, distinct roles. But how do they compare from a healthcare professional’s point of view? Michelle Bliss, an oncology/hematology nurse practitioner, says the most apparent differences are tied to NPs increased scope of practice—and the level of responsibility that comes with it.

To illustrate, Bliss offers the example of working with patient lab results.

“RNs are expected to review labs but are not responsible for interpreting those labs, while NPs write the orders for the labs, interpret them and diagnose,” Bliss explains.

Depending on the setting, there may be differences in the total number of patients an NP or RN interacts with in a given day—often RNs will be assigned to a smaller subset of patients in a specific unit while an NP will need to check in with all.

Scope of practice differences can often mean different work expectations and hours, as well. As an RN, Bliss says she typically worked her shift and went home.

“It was rare to be contacted about work or a patient once you left for the day,” Bliss recalls. “As an NP, I sometimes get paged after hours, or have physicians call me at home, chart at home and often work late.”

The trade-off to having additional responsibility and educational requirements as an NP comes through when comparing earning potential. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the 2020 median annual salary for nurse practitioners is $111,680.¹ For registered nurses, the BLS reports a 2020 median annual salary of $75,330.¹

How are nurse practitioner and registered nursing roles similar?

Clearly both NPs and RNs play a direct, hands-on role in patient care—but how else are they similar?

For one, both RNs and NPs can pursue specialization to focus their work on a specific type of care. For example, RNs may specialize in intensive care, pediatrics or as PACU nurses in post-anesthesia care—and that’s just to name a few. Nurse practitioners also have the choice to pursue specialized focus areas like adult-gerontology, psychiatric-mental health, pediatrics and more. One distinction regarding specializations you should be aware of is that NPs choose their specialty focus prior to or during graduate school, while RNs have the flexibility to change concentrations after obtaining licensure.

Work setting is also an area of significant overlap. Both RNs and NPs work in similar healthcare spaces, such as family clinics, hospitals and specialty settings like outpatient surgical centers.

For Liphart Rhoads, the similarities in the roles are rooted in nursing education.

“The similarities come down to initial education and philosophical views of patient, nurse, health and environment,” says Liphart Rhoads. “RNs and NPs tend to have the same holistic view of patients and health, which directs the compassionate care that they provide.”

Bliss also says that her nursing foundation continues to inform her work as a nurse practitioner.

“Nurses are taught to treat the entire person, to attend to physical, spiritual and emotional needs of the patients,” she explains. “My RN experience taught me how to talk to patients and families and made me more empathetic. Patients tend to entrust more personal things to their nurse, like financial and family concerns. This has helped me become more aware of things that can impact their care.”

Can registered nurses become nurse practitioners?

The good news for anyone torn between these roles is that making the transition from RN to NP is relatively straightforward. Specific eligibility requirements will vary from program to program, but most NP programs will at a minimum require candidates to have completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and obtain RN licensure in order to enroll.

While it’s a straightforward path to educational advancement for most registered nurses, the effort and investment required of nurse practitioner students should not be taken lightly. Becoming a nurse practitioner is a significant step up in the decision-making and care hierarchy, and with that comes extensive training and education.

You thought your career path was clear when you decided you wanted to become a nurse. But it only took a few quick searches to discover that nursing education programs and credentials aren’t as straightforward as you might have thought.

We get it. The education options for aspiring nurses aren’t exactly simple to understand. You’ve heard plenty about RNs, but you’re probably less familiar with the LPN education and career path. So what does it really take to become an LPN? Is there an “LPN degree”—or what should you be looking for?

We’re decoding the LPN education and career path so you can see how this career compares to other nursing roles—and understand the training required to land an LPN job. Keep reading to learn what to expect as a licensed practical nurse and how to become one.

What is an LPN?

Licensed practical nurses (LPNs)—also called “licensed vocational nurses” in some states—perform many of the job duties you think of when you picture a nurse. They take vital signs like blood pressure and heart rate, help patients with basic care like bathing and dressing and assist with tests and procedures. Through it all, they also maintain accurate patient records and discuss patients’ healthcare concerns or questions.

LPNs perform these duties under the supervision of doctors or registered nurses, although this supervision looks different depending on where they practice. Some states may limit which tasks an LPN can carry out, such as starting an IV line or giving medication. Others allow LPNs more freedom, giving veteran LPNs the opportunity to supervise licensed practical nurses who have less experience under their belts.

LPNs can also expect to work in many of the same healthcare facilities as RNs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that 38 percent work in nursing homes or long-term care facilities.¹ LPNs can also care for patients in clinics, home health services and hospitals. As with most nursing careers, LPNs have some flexibility with their hours. Patient care is needed at all hours of the day, so LPNs can choose to work nights, weekends and holidays if that’s a better fit for their schedule than the usual nine-to-five.

LPN education: Degree or Diploma?

One thing you should know right away is that the phrase “LPN degree” is a common misnomer. While it might be used as casual shorthand, you should know LPNs don’t typically need an associate’s degree to get started in their nursing career. Instead, they’re typically prepared for the role through a certificate or diploma program like Rasmussen College’s Practical Nursing Diploma, which can be completed in as few as 12 months.²

All states also require aspiring LPNs to pass the National Council Licensure Exam for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) to become licensed. This is a rigorous test, but a high-quality practical nursing diploma program will prepare you for it.

While the word “nurse” might make some immediately think of hospitals, LPNs provide care in variety of settings—even including patients’ homes!

Here are a few of the most common places LPNs work and the basic duties they perform:

• Nursing homes: According to the BLS, 38 percent of all LPNs work in a nursing care facility. In this setting, LPNs are responsible for the day-to-day care of patients. This includes monitoring medication, assisting with personal hygiene, feeding patients and watching for changes in overall health.
• Home health care: LPNs work in home health settings under the direction of a physician or RN. They provide bedside care to sick, injured or disabled patients. This care includes monitoring vital signs, giving injections and dressing wounds.
• Hospitals: Some LPNs do work in hospitals assisting RNs. They perform basic medical procedures such as checking vital signs, passing medication and may also supervise nursing assistants.
• Physician offices: Depending on the type of clinic, LPN duties in outpatient doctor’s offices can include everything from wound care to giving immunizations. They work with all ages and report directly to a physician.
• Military: For LPNs who want more excitement, joining the military provides the opportunity to gain experience in an extremely fast-paced setting. LPNs may enlist as medics and assist with emergency care on and off the battlefield.
• Correctional facilities: This unique setting requires LPNs to understand the sociological and psychological aspects of treating incarcerated patients. These nurses typically provide both routine illness and emergency care.
• Travel: Adventure-seeking LPNs who have more than a year of clinical experience have the option to become a travel nurse. This allows nurses to travel and work in different hospitals across the country for shorter periods of time. Travel LPN duties will be very similar to that of nurses in other settings.
• Rehabilitation centers: In this setting, LPNs work on a team to provide therapeutic care to those recovering from trauma, injury, illness and more.

Why become an LPN?

Let’s take a closer look at what makes this nursing career path an appealing option. For starters, the potential 12-month time frame for earning a Practical Nursing Diploma is often a deciding factor for those considering LPN careers versus longer Registered Nursing (RN) degree programs.

Another appealing factor is the optimistic job outlook for LPNs. According to the BLS, employment of LPNs is projected to increase 9 percent by 2030. Like with many other healthcare roles, the large, aging baby boomer generation is helping to drive this demand as they age out of the workforce and into their prime years of needing additional care.

Now you’re inevitably wondering: How much do LPNs make? The BLS reports that the median LPN salary in 2020 was $48,820.¹ Compare that to the $41,950 national average for all occupations, and it’s easy to see why becoming an LPN can be an appealing choice.¹

While measurable things like time in school and salary are obviously a big pull, that’s just part of the picture. LPNs, particularly those who work in elder care, spend their workday helping some of the most vulnerable people in our lives and can build strong bonds with them along the way.

“Nurses working in long-term care spend an extended amount of time with their patients, allowing them to develop lasting and valuable relationships,” says Kenny Kadar, president of Coast Medical Service. “The opportunity to form long-term relationships with your patients is rare in the nursing field, making long-term care unique in this privilege.”

Becoming an LPN provides an achievable entry-point into the healthcare field—one that can span an entire career or leave room for progressing into more advanced nursing roles. For those who choose to continue advancing their nursing education, there are LPN-to-RN bridge programs that make it convenient to do so.

Launch your LPN career

So what does an LPN do, exactly? You now know all about the critical role they play as members of a patient care team. They tend to patients in a wide variety of healthcare settings and have several specializations to pursue throughout their careers. So whether you are excited about the LPN job description or you want to test the nursing waters before becoming an RN, know that there are many advantages to being an LPN.