What is the difference between a LPN and a nurse practitioner?
Asked by croatianmania
What is the difference between a LPN and a nurse practitioner? How many years of schooling do you need to become a nurse practiontioner? What is the salary of both?

Best Answer:
A LPN is a Licensed Practical Nurse, is educated with an Associates degree or less (many just have a certificate and not a degree), and is essentially an entry level nurse, trained in basic nursing skills and patient cares. Salaries for all nurses vary depending on the area of the country you live, and also the type of facility you work at. You could expect anywhere from $15-$30 per hour as an LPN, but I wouldn't expect too much higher than that, even with tons of experience in a market that pays well. The next level up the heirarchy in nursing is the RN, or Registered Nurse, which you can be with an Associates Degree, Diploma (usually 3 years, offered by a hospital, not as common these days in many places) or a 4 year bachelor's degree. RNs can perform the skills of the LPN, but in addition they hold a complex knowledge of anatomy, physiology, disease pathology, psychology, etc. and are trained in performing complex assessments, making more critical clinical decisions, and essentially they are held to a higher standard of responsibility and accountability. RN's have a starting wage of about $25-35 per hour and it can only go up from there. Where many nurses make really good money is by picking up extra shifts and working a bit of overtime. It really pays off. A Nurse Practitioner is an RN who as earned as Master's degree in nursing, which is generally about 2-3 years of education beyond an RN with a BSN. NP's function more at the level of a doctor, and often sees patients as a primary provider. You specialize in a certain area, like Women's Health, Family Health, Geriatrics, etc. It depends on what kind of NP you are, where you practice (clinic vs. hospital, etc.), but NPs could make $70k per year to start or more.

a lpn follows doctors orders, give meds, patient teaching. the salary depends on the state and facility but can be around $35000 yearly. a nurse practitioner sees patients just like a doctor can, gives a diagnosis and prescibes meds. they make over $100000 yearly
Answered by slimthing

An LPN has about 1 1/2 years of training and a nurse practitioner has her BSN and a master's degree in nursing so she is 5-6 years of education. A nurse practitioner can bill the insurance companies as much as a physician can so she makes in excess of $100,000 a year. A good way to start is to become an RN. Some nursing schools are offering free tuition to those who agree to work for local hospitals afterwards.
Answered by kadel