6 Roles Played By A Licensed Practical Nurse

Being in the shoes of a Licensed Practical Nurse gives the opportunity to play several roles at once. Due to the flexible and adaptable nature of the job, an LPN gets to witness various circumstances and thus molds into various roles accordingly.

An LPN usually works at hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, schools, care centers, etc., wherein they get to work on multiple patients and where they execute their different roles accordingly.

Following are the 6 Roles Played By A Licensed Practical Nurse in his/her entire LPN Journey:-

1) Clinician

Being a Clinician is the primary role played by an LPN. As a clinician, a Licensed Practical Nurse performs all the basic tasks of nursing. He/She undertakes tasks like dressings, health monitoring & evaluation of patients, assisting in medication, helping the RNs and doctors, etc.

This primary role as a clinician acts as the essence of the other roles that an LPN plays.

2) Counselor

As a counselor, an LPN assists the patient and his family to understand and talk freely about the illness and the treatment required for healing the illness.

In this role, an LPN makes the patient believe that they are with them while battling against the disease. They act as a backbone for the patient and his family and support them throughout the treatment journey.

3) Educator

Proper patient education is a must when it comes to performing medication activities. In the role of an educator, an LPN teaches the patient about his ailment, his medical condition, how the medication is supposed to be done, how to handle a wound, etc. An LPN helps a patient understand his health issue and clarify his doubts about the ailment.

4) Collaborator

A patient is treated by a team of practicing Doctors, RNs, CNAs, Physicians, LPNs, etc. They work and collaborate while treating a patient. They share and exchange information about the patient and suggest the best possible ways of administering a patient’s illness. While working as a team, an LPN also collaborates & shares his/her opinions and suggestions that can help the patient combat the ailment he is going through.

5) Advocate

An LPN also plays the role of an advocate as well. He/she helps a patient understand his rights and suggest what is best for him. They also stand beside the patient when they feel difficult in accessing their rights. They act as a support pillar for the patient and backs them whenever needed.

6) Administrator

As an administrator or a manager, an LPN administers all the needs of a patient, ensure proper medication, provide timely nursing, etc. They also supervise the other medical assistants and suggest to them how to address a patient’s health issue and how to implement the care plan of the patient.

Thus, these were some of the prominent roles that a Licensed Practical Nurse essays throughout her career and performs them proficiently.

If you are someone who is intending to enter this remarkable field of nursing, get ready to play these varied roles. Also, if you are looking forward to joining medical assistant programs or licensed practical nursing programs, you can consider enrolling in Verve College.

We offer licensed practical nursing programs and anatomy and physiology classes that can help you embark on the journey of becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse. We provide accredited LPN programs and A&P Class that can help you learn about the fundamentals of nursing, human anatomy, how a human body works and responds, etc.

Become a part of a fulfilling arena of nursing by enrolling with Verve College.