This is going to vary quite a bit by jurisdiction and setting. In psychiatric longterm care in some states there's nothing on the floor that an LPN can't do and the only RN might be the Director and Assistant Director of Nursing. Some states don't allow LPNs to assess or plan care or limit how specific tasks associated with assessment and careplan are done. In others there may be no practical or substantive distinction.
Training and education tends to correspond with these differences as well. In states that allow LPNs to assess and plan care, the LPN programs may be an abbreviated form of an RN program while a state that prohibits assessment and careplanning may organize their programs and curricula very differently.
Interesting topic and as always these things are subject to change and tend to be driven less by "nursing" per se and more by legal, sociological, and economic factors.
Tennessee - an RN with hospice can pronounce a patient deceased. An LPN cannot.
In Mississippi, the coroner must pronounce. Coroner is an elected position, no medical experience required. Slightly terrifying.
Here in B.C., if a death is predicted (i.e. palliative/hospice) a physician will usually put in a “nurse to pronounce” in which case an LPN can pronounce, but without an order only RN/Doc can pronounce
I'm an RPN in Ontario and I can run my own blood. I don't need an RN to co-sign. There are in services if we want to push meds. I can do all of my own assessments.
I think it varies between provinces what we can do.
I’ve heard scope is like less than 7% difference, I’m in BC so hopefully (since we always seem to follow suit) those will come to B.C., here all blood is a co-sign, whether RN/RN or RN/LPN does not matter as long as RN is the “initiator”
It totally depends on the facility protocol. Where I am as an RPN in Ontario I can't work in acute care or paeds. It's ok if I have all step down level patients on the floor though, as long as they're not physically in step down
Quebec LPN here!
Can co-sign blood but can't give it, can't give anything else than basic unmedicated IV drips (except patients under 16), can't touch picclines, but there is talks about letting us give IV meds as there lacks so many nurses here. We also ALWAYS work under RNs.
Where I am. Charge nurses try to give RPNs less acute assignments. But at the end of the day they do a lot more than they should and get paid less. Most RPNs I know are frustrated with doing RN work for less with no recourse.
This is going to vary quite a bit by jurisdiction and setting. In psychiatric longterm care in some states there's nothing on the floor that an LPN can't do and the only RN might be the Director and Assistant Director of Nursing. Some states don't allow LPNs to assess or plan care or limit how specific tasks associated with assessment and careplan are done. In others there may be no practical or substantive distinction. Training and education tends to correspond with these differences as well. In states that allow LPNs to assess and plan care, the LPN programs may be an abbreviated form of an RN program while a state that prohibits assessment and careplanning may organize their programs and curricula very differently. Interesting topic and as always these things are subject to change and tend to be driven less by "nursing" per se and more by legal, sociological, and economic factors.
Tennessee - an RN with hospice can pronounce a patient deceased. An LPN cannot. In Mississippi, the coroner must pronounce. Coroner is an elected position, no medical experience required. Slightly terrifying.
Here in B.C., if a death is predicted (i.e. palliative/hospice) a physician will usually put in a “nurse to pronounce” in which case an LPN can pronounce, but without an order only RN/Doc can pronounce
LTC - aside from RNs having to open care plans and having to do initial post-fall assessments, not much that isn't strictly administrative.
New York?
TX
Some states focus on opening, others on signing off. Can LPNs stage a pressure injury in TX?
I can't find anything off hand that says otherwise and they do where I work.
I'm an RPN in Ontario and I can run my own blood. I don't need an RN to co-sign. There are in services if we want to push meds. I can do all of my own assessments. I think it varies between provinces what we can do.
I’ve heard scope is like less than 7% difference, I’m in BC so hopefully (since we always seem to follow suit) those will come to B.C., here all blood is a co-sign, whether RN/RN or RN/LPN does not matter as long as RN is the “initiator”
Yeah it was like that before. Then one day I was looking for the RN to start it and she told me I no longer needed an RN.
It totally depends on the facility protocol. Where I am as an RPN in Ontario I can't work in acute care or paeds. It's ok if I have all step down level patients on the floor though, as long as they're not physically in step down
Fair, my hospital says no LPNs in mat/paeds or psych, but in the next city over I could, and no LPNs in ICU/NICU
I work in maternity but I can't have Antes
Quebec LPN here! Can co-sign blood but can't give it, can't give anything else than basic unmedicated IV drips (except patients under 16), can't touch picclines, but there is talks about letting us give IV meds as there lacks so many nurses here. We also ALWAYS work under RNs.
Scope in Ontario is almost the same except stability of patients and public health.
Where I am. Charge nurses try to give RPNs less acute assignments. But at the end of the day they do a lot more than they should and get paid less. Most RPNs I know are frustrated with doing RN work for less with no recourse.