According to the Education Portal, licensed practical nurses (LPNs) assist registered nurses by taking vital signs, administering shots, nursing wounds, collecting body fluid samples and performing basic lab tests. To become an LPN a student must have a high school education or GED as well as a certificate of graduation from an approved nursing program. LPN students take courses in biology, anatomy, physiology, nutrition and psychology as well as clinical practical courses.
Registered nurses (RNs) are one step higher than LPNs and according to All Nursing Schools, they make up most of the medical industry. To become an RN, you must either earn an associate's degree in nursing, which takes two years to complete; a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, which takes four years to complete; or a nursing diploma from an accredited school. A student then takes the national licensing examination to become a registered nurse. Institutions require students to study medical-surgical nursing, pharmacology, health promotion, mental health, maternity nursing, and nursing management.
The Bachelor of Science in nursing is a four-year degree, and according to All Nursing Schools, many organizations and medical institutions prefer this degree to LPN and RN degrees. The first and second years of the school focuses on general education requirements while the third and fourth years the students takes nursing courses as well as clinical courses. According to Nursing Programs, many schools require a high school diploma, with upper level courses in mathematics and science, and an above-average GPA. Within the BSN course students study nursing theory as well as research, chemistry and physics.