When should I get my nursing licensure?
As soon as a nurse has the educational qualifications to be licensed, it is time to seek licensure, whether the nurse seeks an L.P.N. (licensed practical nurse), an R.N. (registered nurse) or an N.P. (nurse practitioner) license.
L.P.N.'s
As stated on the U.S. Department of Labor Web site, "licensed practical nurses (L.P.N.'s), or licensed vocational nurses (L.V.N.'s), care for people who are sick, injured, convalescent or disabled under the direction of physicians and registered nurses.”
R.N.'s
R.N.'s have roles beyond the scope of L.P.N.'s, according to the article "What You Should Know About Nurses and Their Services." “A registered professional nurse (R.N.) is a licensed health professional who has an independent, a dependent and a collaborative role in the care of individuals of all ages, as well as families, groups and communities." An R.N.'s responsibilities include the following services:
- Assessment: Assess patients, identify unmet patient needs and plan comprehensive care to meet those needs in relation to the patient’s illness, condition or disability.
- Case-finding: Identify unidentified comorbidities or emergent complications and intervene solely and also with health care team members to initiate additional exploration and treatment.
- Coordination: Integrate care with all other health care.
- Provision of direct care services: Provide physical care for the entire patient’s manifested requirements.
A.P.N.'s or N.P.'s
A.P.N.'s and N.P.'s have advanced degrees and special training that allow them to expand upon the duties of an R.N. and provide advanced patient care and treatment.
Nurse License Compact (NLC)
Nurses who seek to work in telenursing, travel nursing, flight nursing or disaster nursing need a license to work outside their home state. Almost half of the U.S. states have joined the NLC with many other states on the verge of joining.
