It's safe to say that Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) are among the most vital staffers in any hospital or other healthcare environment. They're the front-line heroes who do all the little—and often not-so-little—things that keep a healthcare facility humming, day-in and day-out. It's demanding. It's rewarding. It's a great job.

That said, some LPNs feel they have even more to offer. If that's you, it's a great time to consider reaching for a leadership role, especially by becoming a Registered Nurse (RN). Every healthcare facility's primary goal is to give patients the highest quality care as consistently and efficiently as possible—and many of today’s LPN to RN programs are specifically designed to give you the leadership skills it takes to keep your team focused upon that goal.

Why become an RN and a leader? To inspire a better workplace

In a hugely influential report titled “Principles & Elements of a Healthful Practice/Work Environment," the Nursing Organizations Alliance outlined nine key qualities that the best workplaces possess. Nurse leaders are in a perfect position to promote several of these ingredients. For example:

      1. A Communication-Rich Culture

Nurses are the blood cells in a healthcare facility's communications circulatory system. Without nurses providing a steady flow of accurate information to doctors and administrative staff, it would be impossible to maintain an efficient level of patient service. RNs and nurse leaders can set the tone by offering frequent, deep communication in the workplace.

2. Shared Decision Making

Nurses often spearhead decisions about a patient's care. Particularly during overnight hours or while waiting for attending physicians to arrive, nurses must often make rapid assessments and take immediate action. RNs and nurse leaders can exemplify ideal leadership by not only contributing to the decision-making process, but also allowing and encouraging others to provide input.

3. Professional Development

Great employers encourage continued professional development—especially for nurses. Like physicians, nurses of all levels should constantly strive to enrich themselves with up to date knowledge about their profession and best practices for healthcare services. The most effective nursing leaders will seek out opportunities to learn and improve, so they can share their knowledge with less experienced nurses around them … and entering an LPN to RN program (and encouraging and enabling peers or direct reports to do so as well) is a perfect example of how to lead in this category.

The LPN to RN income incentive

One last point, just in case you need more convincing: RNs consistently earn a higher salary than LPNs. Consider these numbers, courtesy of payscale.com's January 2019 data:

• LPN expected salary[2]:         $31,944 to $54,082
• RN expected salary[3]:           $47,908 to $89,777 

If you're into that sort of thing. 

Ready? Then let's get started. Contact Achieve Test Prep for more information.

*This article has been republished with updated information.

[1] http://www.aone.org/resources/healthful-practice-work.pdf

[2] https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Licensed_Practical_Nurse_(LPN)/Hourly_Rate 

[3] https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Registered_Nurse_(RN)/Hourly_Rate