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The difference between an LPN, an RN, and an RPN is not just seniority — and 'RPN' means two different things depending on the province. Here is how the regulated nursing roles compare.
By The ngnsimulation team
LPN, RN, and RPN are the regulated nursing designations in Canada, and they differ in education, scope of practice, and the registration exam each requires. One point of confusion first: the letters 'RPN' mean two different things depending on where you are.
RNs complete a four-year baccalaureate degree and hold the broadest nursing scope: comprehensive assessment, care planning, complex and unpredictable patients, and a wide range of interventions. Entry to practice is the NCLEX-RN, used across Canada and the United States.
LPNs complete a two-year diploma and provide nursing care for patients whose conditions are generally more stable and predictable, often collaborating with RNs for complex cases. In Ontario, this same role is titled Registered Practical Nurse (RPN). The entry exam is the CPNRE in most provinces, and the REx-PN in British Columbia and Ontario.
In British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, 'RPN' instead means Registered Psychiatric Nurse — a distinct regulated profession focused on mental health, with its own education and the RPNCE registration exam. It is not the same as Ontario's Registered Practical Nurse.
If you are deciding which practical-nurse exam applies to you, see rex pn vs cpnre. To prepare for the CPNRE, see Lumina AI.
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