The licensed practical nurse is one of the three legally defined types of nursing in Canada. The other two types of nursing are the registered nurse and the registered psychiatric nurse (recognized in the four Canadian western provinces only).

Past trends

There are approximately 75,000 licensed practical nurses in Canada. When labor trends are examined it shows that the number of LPN jobs in the Canadian health care system has waxed and waned over time. This was usually in response to the job market for the registered nurse. When registered nurses are more plentiful the number of LPN jobs decreases and when the RN becomes more scarce this usually creates a demand for more licensed practical nurses.

Contemporary trends

The nursing shortage in Canada is increasing and expected to get worse over the next ten years. The demand for nursing services will increase as the population ages and Canada has never been able to produce enough nurses to meet the demand. Once again the labor forecasts are that the demand for LPN’s will increase.

Future trends

For the first time in Canadian history the requirement for registered nursing practice in Canada is a 4 year degree. This means that it takes longer to produce a registered nurse and that they can demand more money for the work they do. The future trend in viewing the role of the licensed practical nurse will be to give more serious consideration to the education and employment of LPN’s with a view to creating a nursing professional that has a distinct role in the Canadian health care system. Governments and employers alike are trying to determine the best use of the higher educated registered nurse and more clearly define the role of the LPN.

At the government level there must be attention paid to making sure that the most cost efficient practitioner is being used for the needs of the patient while at the same time protecting the interests of the Canadian public.

At the regulatory level both professions must engage in professional collaboration to clearly define their own roles and responsibilities as well as those that overlap. It stands to reason that a registered nurse educated to a university degree level is not the same practitioner as a licensed practical nurse with 1- 2 years of vocational training. Determination of what the LPN can and cannot do or should and should not do in professional nursing practice is still ongoing and varies from province to province. (more…)