LPN is Licensed Practical Nurse. It is one of the entry-level practitioner qualifications for the nursing vocation. RN, on the other hand, refers to Registered Nursing, which, according to many, is the qualification needed to be a ‘professional’ nurse capable of making important nursing decisions in a health care setting. Put another way, the Registered Nurse’s position is a decision making position in the nursing system, whereas the Licensed Practical Nurse position is a decision-implementation position in the nursing system. 6 month LPN to RN Programs offer an accelerated pathway for licensed practical nurses (LPNs) to transition into the role of a registered nurse (RN) in a short timeframe.
There are some practitioners who choose to enter the nursing profession directly as Registered Nurses. However, the majority of nurses-to-be start as Licensed Practical Nurses.
The LPN to RN Bridge, at its core, is a system of instruction that allows any ambitious Licensed practical Nurse to upgrade into a Registered Nurse. (They can build on their existing skills, which they have already acquired through their Practical Nurse Licensing and add the professional skills needed to become RNs.)
The LPN to RN Bridge is a bridge that allows a nurse to transition from a’manual’ worker in the healthcare sector to a professional knowledge worker in the same system.
The Registered Nurse can get involved in patient care in some cases (which is rewarding in itself), but in most cases, they are a “nursing supervisor” who uses their advanced nursing training to make major decisions. These are then implemented by the lower cadres, such as the Licensed Practical Nursing.
For a variety of reasons, online learning has been a popular choice for bridges from Licensed Practical Nurses to Registered Nurses. First, Licensed Practical Nurses who wish to upgrade to Registered Nurses usually already work in the field of nursing, making it easier to find a place to complete the practical training for Registered Nursing.
It can be difficult to find a place in a Registered Nurse Practical Training program, since all nursing programs include both theoretical and practical modules. However, in the case where students are pursuing LPN to RN Bridge training, the problem is usually not too severe, because the LPN has already been practicing.