Question

LPN to RN Role Transition

Content Objectives:

1. Discuss the concept of role transition from practical nurse to registered nurse.
2. Describe various role elements that are inherent in the scope of registered nursing practice.
3. Compare and contrast differences in role responsibilities of practical and registered nurses.
4. Discuss the process of professional socialization from practical nurse to that of registered nurse.

Content:

• New role of the registered nurse
• What transitioning will mean
• Framework for the differences between the LPN to RN

Answer 1

1. Role transition from LPN to RN:

LPNs  ( Licenced Practical Nurse) are the nurses who provide basic nursing care and focused mainly to provide comfort to the parents. RN ( Registered Nurse) is graduated nurse and who has met the certain criterias of Sate and got Registered in the State Licensure body and mainly engaged in patient care by means of administration of medication and patient education. Transition is the process of change from one form / state to another form/ state.

For an LPN to change to RN , She can attend 'LPN to RN programme' has to pass an NCLEX RN ex*m , and has to obtain the licensure for working in the State from the official Licensure body of Nursing.

LPNs usually obtain an RN position by updating their education for more advanced opportunities in the carrier and for more earning.

2. Various role elements in the scope of RN :

A Registered Nurse has a wide variety of opportunities in promotive , preventive, rehabilitative and curative services of patient. RN is mainly engaging in IV administration of medication , determining nursing Diagnosis and planning for interventions and patient education. The main roles of RN are:

* Patient advocate

* Nurse leader

* Nurse educator

* Nurse practitioner

* Nurse Coordinator and collaborater, who collaborate the patient care with different disciplines like, physiotherapy, nutritionist , lab technitions etc.

3. LPN Vs RN : Differences in role

LPN as a Licensed Practice Nurse, can perform basic patient care and the nursing interventions for supporting the patient comfort, whereas RN , as Registered Nurse, can perform more advanced care such as administration of medication such as Intravenous administration etc and can engage in patient education.  

LPN has to help RN in doing the Asssessment of patient's problems and should support RN while providing planned interventions. RN will analyse the assessments and determine the nursing diagnosis and will take the responsibility and accountability of providing the interventions and also patient education.  

LPN can't make any diagnosis or independent decisions, but she can maintain an important role in providing the nursing interventions and can delegate the task to AP ( Assistive personnel).

4. Professional socialization from LPN to RN

Professional socialization refers to the process that one must undergo to become  RN ( Registered Nurse).

* An LPN , if she doesn't have a graduation, she has to obtain a graduation from an Accredited Registered nurse programme .

* Then she has to attend and pass the NCLEX- RN examination

* After passing the NCLEX- RN , obtain the state Licensure as an RN

* Work as Registered Nurse in the state

* continue the knowledge updation by attending various education and training course.