Narrative: Why LPNs Seek Recognition as Nurses Providing Direct Nursing Care & why we compare ourselves to RNs

Imagine the world of engineering.

👷‍♂️ Engineers complete a 4-year university degree, gain experience, and pass a professional exam. Once licensed, they carry the authority and responsibility to sign off on designs, reports, and projects.

🛠️ Engineering technicians, on the other hand, complete a two-year college program. They often work side by side with engineers, performing very similar tasks. But - and this is key - they do not hold the authority nor the responsibility to sign off on those designs or reports.

Now, let’s look at nursing.

📚 Registered Nurses (RNs) complete a 4-year (8 semesters) university degree.

📘 Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) complete a 2-year (5 semesters) college diploma.

On paper, this looks similar to the engineer/technician comparison. But here’s the difference: in practice, LPNs and RNs share the same responsibilities in many workplaces. We don’t work under each other’s supervision. We practice interchangeably in units that hire both LPNs and RNs, providing the same direct nursing care to patients.

💡 That’s why LPNs compare ourselves to RNs. Not because we want RN wages or titles, but because we want recognition for the reality of our work. We are nurses providing Direct Nursing Care. And given that we carry the same responsibilities in the same workplaces, we believe the wage gap should be smaller.

It’s also important to note: RNs have more career advancement opportunities than LPNs. We respect that difference. What we ask for is fairness in how our contributions are valued.

❤️ Finally, nursing is a team sport. We deeply respect and appreciate our RN and Health Care Aide (HCA) colleagues. Patient care depends on all of us working together, each role integral to the whole.