Understanding RN and LPN Patterns of Practice in Nursing Homes

Understanding how nurse regulators can ensure optimal registered nurse-licensed practical/vocational nurse (RN-LPN) collaborations for patient safety and care quality is critically important.To aid this understanding, researchers conducted a comparative, multiple-case study on RN and LPN practice in the areas of assessment, care planning, supervision, and delegation in two states, Minnesota and North Carolina. The researchers identified three factors that differentiated nursing practice patterns in nursing homes: the quality of the connections between RNs and LPNs, the degree of interchangeability between RNs and LPNs, and RN-to-LPN staffing ratios. Findings indicate several levers for improving RN-LPN collaborations and the capacity to provide higher quality care.