Enthusiasm Grows for Nursing Transition Programs

Accelerated Licensed Practical Nurse to Registered Nurse transition programs have seen a spike in popularity today because of the high demand for Registered Nurses all over the world. During the next 10 to 20 years there will be a continued growth because of the retirement of the baby boomer. Healthcare facilities will need more nurses to care for the aging population. For many registered nurses this means a much greater opportunity and for LPN/LVNs a boost in motivation and greater opportunity to shift to an ungraded program.

Since nursing is one of the careers today that has reached a heightened popularity in different countries all over the world, there are an increasing number of people taking interest in these medical courses.  If the responsibilities of becoming a doctor are beyond your interest and the responsibilities of a Licensed Practical Nurse isn’t satisfying enough, then being a registered nurse may be a good career choice for you. This website/article is a resource for nurses seeking online nursing transition programs to climb their career ladder.

Many people who already have a nursing certificate as a licensed practical nurse have been looking at the possibilities of advancing to RN status for a number of reasons that may benefit them.

One of the primary motivations for the shift up the career ladder is the increase in compensation that registered nurses receive. Annual salary can range from $45,000 to $70,000 depending on their years of experience and the country/state where they intend to practice.  Licensed practical nurses may only make about half of this salary and this is a significant factor for many nurses.

Registered Nurses also have a more satisfying and in-depth educational and training programs.  These provide  a deeper understanding and wider range of skills compared to the experience of lower level nursing careers.

A comparison of the scope of skills between these two functions in the workplace are illustrated in the chart below:

Components of Nursing Practice
Register Nurse
(Independent Role)
Licensed Practical Nurse
(Dependent Role)
Accepting an assignment
  • Accepts assignments based on variables covering nursing practice
  • Dependent on the availability of the RN’s supervision and decision
Assessment
  • May perform assessment
  • Can collect, verify and interpret data
  • Formulates nursing diagnosis
  • May help out RN with collection of data, diagnosis and determining immediate intervention needed for patients
Planning
  • Identify client’s needs
  • Determines priorities in nursing diagnosis and nursing goals
  • Determines appropriate nursing interventions
  • May participate in identification of client’s needs and suggestion of interventions by RNs approval
Implementation
  • May implement plan of care
  • Has the power to delegate assignments to other members of the healthcare team
  • Supervises the LPN and unlicensed personnel
  • May implement plan of care with the RNs supervision
Evaluation
  • Has the capability to evaluate the effectiveness of nursing interventions and if expected outcomes were established
  • May modify the plan of care if goals not met
  • Participates in identifying if goals of care was effective and suggesting possible revisions for plan of care
Teaching and counselling
  • Has the responsibility to teach clients and families
  • May identify learning needs
  • Makes referrals to appropriate resources
  • Participates in teaching and counselling assigned by the RN

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Continuing Nursing Education Through LPN to RN Programs

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LPN To RN Programs – How Long Will It Take?

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LPN To RN Programs – Where Do You Start?

LPN to RN programs

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LPN To RN Programs – Financial Aid

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Thought the costs of the LPN to RN programs may be overwhelming, perhaps you can be somewhat comforted by the knowledge that financial aid may be available to you, even if you chose to go to school online. In fact, over 50% of undergraduate students receive financial aid of some kind. The financial aid that is available to students of LPN to RN schools can come in the form of … Continue reading