Licensed Practical Nurses, more commonly known as LPNs, provide basic medical care to sick, injured, disabled, or convalescing patients in need. They are essential members of a patient’s care team, ensuring that each patient’s needs are addressed throughout their clinical stay. LPNs can be found monitoring patients in a variety of healthcare settings, ensuring patients are comfortable, educating patients and families on their treatments, and administering basic care and medications as necessary.
Like any healthcare career, being an LPN comes with both benefits and challenges. On one hand, LPNs enjoy a meaningful and in-demand career helping others, yet they also might feel limited in their career trajectory or scope of practice. Before diving into the field of practical nursing, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of being an LPN. Let’s explore these in-depth below.
The Pros of Being an LPN
Ability to make a difference in the lives of others
Perhaps the most attractive aspect of any nursing career is the ability to help others in need. This is core to what healthcare providers do, and LPNs are no exception. LPNs provide important, essential care to people who are sick, injured, and disabled. But what’s unique about the LPN role is the amount of time they spend with their patients, and the relationships and trust developed throughout a patient’s stay.
Here’s what we mean by this: LPNs are often the professionals patients interact with most, particularly in nursing homes and long-term care settings. LPNs see these patients every day, multiple times per day, and become an important advocate for the patient. LPNs listen to patients’ needs, concerns, and desires, and deliver those reports to doctors and RNs. Thus, LPNs act as a liaison between patients and their larger care team. They also ensure patients are comfortable and tended to throughout their clinical stay, and therefore play a pivotal role in the patient care experience.
If you are looking to make a difference in your career and work in a rewarding field, the LPN path could be a great fit for you. LPNs are able to make a direct impact on the lives of others, and find great purpose and meaning in their day-to-day work.
Easy way to get started in the healthcare field
Every nursing career has different requirements, but the LPN pathway is one of the fastest ways to launch a nursing career. To become a Licensed Practical Nurse, you typically need to invest only one to two years in a training program. For example, at Goodwin University, you can complete your LPN certificate in as few as 16 months (full-time).
Compare this to other nursing career paths. Registered Nurses typically need at least two years in nursing school, not including any pre-nursing requisite courses. Additionally, Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) require a graduate-level education, which involves the completion of both a BSN and MSN degree.
If you are looking to become a nurse, but want to join the workforce and start earning quickly, becoming an LPN is an excellent choice. In general, there are fewer barriers to entry, too. For example, to get into the LPN program at Goodwin, you only need to complete the required applications, pass the TEAS examination, and show proof of your high school diploma or GED for acceptance. On the other hand, other types of nursing programs might require various prerequisite courses for entry. Some RN schools operate on a points system, too, and not all qualified applicants are guaranteed acceptance.
Discover how to become an LPN in our free downloadable guide.
Flexible and varying work schedule (and college schedule, too!)
The traditional nine-to-five job is not for everyone, and those entering the healthcare field can always expect some variance away from the traditional work-week. For LPNs specifically, there is the option for flexible schedules in your career, including:
- Three or four-day work weeks, consisting of 10 or 12-hour days, or alternatively working five, 8-hour shifts
- Rotating schedules, so you do not work the same days each week
- Day, evening, or night shifts, for those who have other obligations
- Per diem scheduling (working on an as-needed basis)
Of course, scheduling options will vary by position. Some LPNs even have the option to work remotely, from home, or in travel nursing settings. Full-time and part-time positions are always available. No matter the scheduling in your career, most LPNs boast a healthy work-life balance.
Flexibility isn’t only a benefit of the LPN career path; it’s also a perk of many LPN programs. For example, at Goodwin University, LPN students can choose from full-time or part-time classes, with the option to complete the program in 16 to 28 months (depending on your scheduling choices).
Job opportunities are abundant
Year after year, nursing careers continue to see growth as more patients are requiring medical care. Currently for Licensed Practical Nurses, the job outlook is bright – The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the field to grow five percent between 2022 and 2032, with about 54,400 job openings each year during this timeframe. The need for LPNs is growing as more Baby Boomers are reaching retirement age and requiring medical attention and long-term care.
LPNs can choose from opportunities in a range of care settings, too, such as:
- Nursing homes and residential care facilities
- Hospitals
- Home healthcare
- Physicians’ offices
- Government agencies
A huge pro of becoming an LPN is that you are bound to find and secure a job after graduation/licensure. The world is in need of more caring nursing professionals like you, and the time is now to enter the field.
The Cons of Being an LPN
Lack of autonomy in nursing and patient care
As noted above, Licensed Practical Nurses offer basic care to patients in need, performing tasks like collecting lab samples, administering medications, measuring vital signs, helping patients bathe, and ensuring patients are comfortable. However, this scope of practice is relatively small, as an LPN’s job responsibilities are limited to basic patient care and monitoring. They cannot perform a lot of the duties that Registered Nurses and other care providers can, due to their shorter investment in school.
Additionally, all tasks performed by an LPN are done under the supervision of a Registered Nurse, APRN, physician, or other upper-level practitioner. Their tasks are directed by RNs, typically, and they must report back to RNs and doctors about a patient’s treatments and progress.
For some, this level of responsibility and autonomy is fine – it’s part of the LPN job description, after all! Others, though, might crave more independence and accountability in patient care. For those looking to direct nursing care and collaborate on care plans, an alternative career as an RN might be a better fit.
Limited opportunities for career specialization and growth
While Registered Nurses can choose from a large array of specializations in healthcare, such as pediatric or critical care nursing, LPNs are relatively limited in the types of specializations they can pursue. This is because many nursing specializations require a college degree, such as an associate or bachelor’s degree, and LPNs do not typically have this level of education. There are a few concentrations that LPNs can explore, including wound care and long-term care, but most specialties require an advanced nursing degree.
When you earn a degree in nursing, or pursue a professional credential, you typically qualify for a higher salary and other career perks. Because these options are not always available for Licensed Practical Nurses, their career growth and upward mobility is also limited. With an LPN certificate or diploma, LPNs can still provide basic nursing care in hospitals, home care settings, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, clinics, schools, and more.
However, if they want to advance their level of responsibility, or even elevate their job titles, more education will likely be needed. LPNs may choose to go back to school to become a Registered Nurse, for example, to gain more authority in nursing and perform more direct medical care. Some LPN programs are designed as stepping stones, with the ability to eventually enter an RN program with ease.
Lower-end salary compared to other nursing professionals
In the United States, the median annual salary for Licensed Practical Nurses is currently around $60,000 per year. This is a comfortable salary that can be achieved with just a couple short years (or less!) in a training program. As described above, this is a desirable “pro” of becoming an LPN – you can enter the workforce and start earning a great salary fast.
While this is a comfortable wage, and well above the average for all occupations in the country, the LPN salary is still relatively low when compared to other nursing professionals. For example, let’s compare this salary to that of Registered Nurses. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median annual wage for RNs is about $86,000 per year, a significant bump in pay for only just a little bit more time invested in school.
Is becoming an LPN right for you?
As you consider the next steps in your career, ask yourself what you want from the nursing field. Do you want to start working and helping patients as soon as possible? Do you want to earn a comfortable salary, without a large investment in nursing school? Are you seeking a career with many job opportunities, potentially as a stepping stone for advanced practice roles down the road?
If so, becoming an LPN might be the next step for you. The benefits of becoming an LPN are great, and the requirements to achieve this title are minimal when compared to other nursing roles. There are many pros to being an LPN; just make sure that you are comfortable with the potential cons involved, too!
If you need help deciding if an LPN or RN career is right for you, check out our infographic here.