Hello Jennifer,

Thank you for your insightful discussion on Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN). LPNs and

Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) nurses are both valuable members of a

healthcare team but have different educational backgrounds, roles, and responsibilities. Maybe

the most glaring difference is in their education and training. LPNs typically complete a practical

nursing program in about 12-18 months and focus on the essential nursing skills and knowledge

required to provide basic patient care (Billings & Halstead, 2020). ABSN nurses have a

bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) and have completed an accelerated program designed for

individuals who already hold a bachelor’s degree in another field (Billings & Halstead, 2020).

These programs usually take between 12-18 months to complete and provide a comprehensive

nursing education (Billings & Halstead, 2020). Comparing and contrasting LaGuardia

Community Colleges LPN certificate and Michigan State Universities (MSU) ABSN program,

the LPN program is a total of 48 credits, including prerequisite courses (LaGuardia Community

College, n.d.). The ABSN program is a total of 47 credits but doesn’t include prerequisites or the

credits it took to complete the prior bachelor’s degree (Michigan State University [MSU], n.d.).

At LaGuarida Community College, the LPN certificate takes 10 months to complete once the

pre-requisite courses have been completed (LaGuardia Community College, n.d.). The ABSN

program at MSU takes 15 months to complete after the pre-requisite requirements have been

fulfilled (MSU, n.d.).

While LPN programs provide hands-on experiences in various healthcare settings, ABSN

programs include extensive clinical rotations that help students gain a broader perspective of

nursing practice (Nance & Brown, 2022). LPN programs are beneficial in teaching essential
nursing skills and knowledge required for practical nursing roles (Nance & Brown, 2022).

Emphasis is on clinical skills and basic patient care (Nance & Brown, 2022). ABSN programs

provide a comprehensive nursing education, covering a wide range of nursing topics, including

anatomy, physiology, nursing theory, and clinical practice (Nance & Brown, 2022). For these

reasons, I believe ABSN program nurses are better prepared to care for patients in the acute care

setting. They obtain critical thinking and leadership skills that aren’t offered in LPN programs.

References

Billings, D. & Halstead, J. (2020). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty (6th ed.). Elsevier.

LaGuardia Community College. (n.d.). Practical Nursing (LPN), Certificate.

https://www.laguardia.edu/majors/practical-nursing-program/

Michigan State University. (n.d.). Curriculum accelerated second degree BSN. College of

Nursing. https://nursing.msu.edu/undergraduate/accelerated-second-degree-bsn/

curriculum

Nance, K.& Brown, T. (2022, November). Use of curriculum mapping to promote licensed

practical nurses’ attainment of a baccalaureate nursing degree. Journal of Nursing

Education, 61(110, 646-649. DOI: 10.3928/014834-20220912-07