Knowing the advantages of registered nurses far outweighs those of licensed practical nurses, it is only understandable that more and more individuals would be tempted to make the shift from LPN to RN. The first thing that may have something to do with the decision to switch career plans would be its lpn salary. Registered nurses are naturally paid a higher amount because of the field of expertise they have gained while doing on-the-job training. RNs have a wider scope of responsibility, supervising the care of patient's as well as educating other healthcare professionals, thus the substantial difference in salary compared with LPNs.
This may well be the very reason that despite earning an online nursing degree in a span of two years or less, licensed practical nurses would want to proceed into becoming registered nurses. The LPNs’ scope of responsibility and duties are more manual in nature: attending to the patients daily routine needs like bathing, feeding, changing of clothes, taking vital statistics and tending to wounds. All these are done under the supervision of the RN. Their scope of work is rather limited.
But thanks to the increasing demand of LPNs wishing to pursue careers as RNs, online nursing degree for LPN to RN is now being offered in most online nursing schools. These individuals now have the option of pursuing with ADN or Associate’s Degree in Nursing, or BDN or Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing, the latter being a more appropriate path for those who want to advance their career into being RNs.
