Regulations Are Being Relaxed – More Opportunities Come forward
The COVID-19 outbreak has created a wave of demand for healthcare professionals. Many states are struggling to attract the medical staff they need to take on their influx of patients. To make it easier for hospitals to hire the staff they need to beat this pandemic, many states are relaxing regulations and allowing Licensed Practical Nurses to take on more roles and responsibilities. This is giving LPNs the chance to learn new skills and elevate their career, building long-term value for their resumes, and also helping those who need them most.
Key Differences between Licensed Practical Nurses and Registered Nurses
What Is a Licensed Practical Nurse?
Qualifications
- A Licensed Practical Nurse generally has one year of nursing training and a certificate in nursing.
Duties
- Report minor changes in patient care to registered nurses or other medical professionals
- Give basic medical and nursing care
- Check blood pressure
- Insert catheters
- Make patients comfortable
- Help patients wash or dress
What Is a Registered Nurse?
Qualifications
- A Registered Nurse will have at the minimum a two-year degree or a three-year diploma.
Duties
- Administer medication and treatment to patients
- Perform diagnostic tests
- Analyze test results
- Give patients direction on how to manage their illnesses after treatment
- Oversee staff such as LPNs
LPNs provide more basic care for patients, looking after their comfort and taking on a more hands-on role. In contrast, RNs focus more on administering medication and treatment – which is why the role requires great training and a higher level of qualification.
Relaxing of Regulations in Medical Professions
Regulations tend to slow down the hiring of much-needed staff. In healthcare professions, where you are taking responsibility for people’s health and well-being, these regulations are necessary. However, during a pandemic when thousands of people require medical assistance, they are obstructing hospitals from hiring staff to provide the care patients need. To combat this, states have relaxed regulations temporarily to ease the pressure on hospitals and make it easier for them to hire.
More than 30 states have relaxed their licensing restrictions, allowing nurses already credentialed in other states to practice across state lines.
Hospitals in the worst-affected states may need to let LPNs take on some of the roles of RNs. Where there is a huge demand for nurses and not enough talent to fill the roles, it may be easier for some hospitals to do some internal training to allow LPNs to take on more responsibility.
This will allow RNs to prioritize their workload more effectively and care for more patients, as LPNs take on some of their responsibilities. The other alternative would be to change the nurse-to-patient ratio, which could result in a lower level of care, especially in a time when hospitals are already overrun.
Career Development for LPNs
The silver lining to the pandemic for LPNs is that it provides a great opportunity for career development and learning new skills. According to Economic Research from Glassdoor, 25% of new job listings being posted are for RN roles.
Overwhelmed with COVID-19 admissions, many hospitals are taking action to hire more nursing staff. In addition, many are providing opportunities for LPNs to take on more responsibility than usual.
In your career, this could help you list new skills and relevant experience on your resume. In the future, you’ll be better placed to take higher-paying roles if you can demonstrate that you have done similar work previously and worked in the high-pressure environment we are now witnessing.
Make Your Mark
While key differences between LPNs and RNs remain, the relaxation of regulations across many states will enable LPNs to take on more responsibility and gain exceptional experience. This experience will help you to progress your career faster, as you learn new skills and upgrade your resume.
Talk to Loyal Source to learn how the regulations affect you, and discover the best LPN opportunities for you today.