Transitioning from an LVN to a Registered Nurse
When I was in school to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse, I had not planned to continue on to become a Registered Nurse. I felt that being a LVN was going to be enough. The truth is that I was afraid of the responsibilities that being a Registered Nurse carries. Once I started working I saw that the Registered Nurses on my unit were responsible for a set of patients just like I was. At the time I could only see small differences in what they were doing and what I was doing. That gave me the courage to continue my education and begin my journey to becoming a Registered Nurse. Now that I am working on my transition from a Licensed Vocational Nurse to a Registered Nurse, I can see that the differences …show more content…
There are differences when it comes to care planning, legal responsibilities, intravenous therapy, communication skills, and patient teaching skills. The LVN can assist the RN in writing the care plan and help patients reach expected goals through interventions. The RN can write the care plan independently. The RN oversees the care plan interventions and is able to evaluate the care plan’s effectiveness. There are legal differences between the LVN and RN. The LVN is not usually in a leadership position. In some care settings the LVN may be the charge nurse. However, leadership and management roles typically go to the RN who is more educationally equipped to handle that position. Some states allow the LVN to perform IV administration after completing an IV therapy course. The LVN still may not administer blood and most IV medications. The RN must oversee these interventions. The RN has a better understanding of drug interactions and possible complications from IV therapy than does the LVN. The RN’s training in psychology and sociology prepare them to foster a greater nurse-patient relationship than the LVN. The LVN has some training in therapeutic communications. However the RN’s training prepares them to deal with behavioral disorders and mental health issues. Another r difference between the LVN and RN is patient teaching. The LVN can educate patients …show more content…
The scopes of practice vary from state to state. However, they are usually similar. The LVN must work under the direction of an RN or physician. The RN has more autonomy. The LVN performs a focused assessment as where the RN performs a comprehensive assessment. The RN is responsible for all aspects of the nursing process: assess, diagnose, plan, implement, and evaluate. The LVN can assess non critical patients and collects data. The RN has a greater decision making scope of
When I was in school to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse, I had not planned to continue on to become a Registered Nurse. I felt that being a LVN was going to be enough. The truth is that I was afraid of the responsibilities that being a Registered Nurse carries. Once I started working I saw that the Registered Nurses on my unit were responsible for a set of patients just like I was. At the time I could only see small differences in what they were doing and what I was doing. That gave me the courage to continue my education and begin my journey to becoming a Registered Nurse. Now that I am working on my transition from a Licensed Vocational Nurse to a Registered Nurse, I can see that the differences …show more content…
There are differences when it comes to care planning, legal responsibilities, intravenous therapy, communication skills, and patient teaching skills. The LVN can assist the RN in writing the care plan and help patients reach expected goals through interventions. The RN can write the care plan independently. The RN oversees the care plan interventions and is able to evaluate the care plan’s effectiveness. There are legal differences between the LVN and RN. The LVN is not usually in a leadership position. In some care settings the LVN may be the charge nurse. However, leadership and management roles typically go to the RN who is more educationally equipped to handle that position. Some states allow the LVN to perform IV administration after completing an IV therapy course. The LVN still may not administer blood and most IV medications. The RN must oversee these interventions. The RN has a better understanding of drug interactions and possible complications from IV therapy than does the LVN. The RN’s training in psychology and sociology prepare them to foster a greater nurse-patient relationship than the LVN. The LVN has some training in therapeutic communications. However the RN’s training prepares them to deal with behavioral disorders and mental health issues. Another r difference between the LVN and RN is patient teaching. The LVN can educate patients …show more content…
The scopes of practice vary from state to state. However, they are usually similar. The LVN must work under the direction of an RN or physician. The RN has more autonomy. The LVN performs a focused assessment as where the RN performs a comprehensive assessment. The RN is responsible for all aspects of the nursing process: assess, diagnose, plan, implement, and evaluate. The LVN can assess non critical patients and collects data. The RN has a greater decision making scope of