Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between licensed practical nurses and psychiatric registered nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a licensed practical nurse and a psychiatric registered nurse. Additionally, a psychiatric registered nurse has an average salary of $73,053, which is higher than the $52,912 average annual salary of a licensed practical nurse.
The top three skills for a licensed practical nurse include patients, CPR and home health. The most important skills for a psychiatric registered nurse are patients, home health, and patient safety.
| Licensed Practical Nurse | Psychiatric Registered Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $52,912 | $73,053 |
| Hourly rate | $25.44 | $35.12 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 614,369 | 640,480 |
| Job satisfaction | 3.33 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 33% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Licensed practical nurses are considered leading front liners in the clinic or hospital setting. They assist nurses and doctors in conducting various activities related to sick or injured patients. Licensed practical nurses are primarily expected to provide routine care for patients and assist registered nurses in creating care plans. They maintain and update medical records, prepare patients for medical examinations, help patients dress, bath, or eat, take vital signs, administer and monitor medicine intake, monitor patients and update nurses and doctors on patient status, and assist during medical examinations.
A registered psychiatric nurse works alongside mental health experts to develop and administer psychiatric treatment plans according to the patients' needs. Among their responsibilities include gathering and organizing patient information, studying the patients' medical histories, conducting interviews and assessments, providing counseling, administering medicine, and restraining unsettled patients. There are also instances when they must conduct inspections to remove potentially harmful objects and provide psychoeducation to the patients' families. Above all, a registered psychiatric nurse must closely monitor the behavior of patients, record their daily progress, and report to the psychiatrists regularly.
Licensed practical nurses and psychiatric registered nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Licensed Practical Nurse | Psychiatric Registered Nurse | |
| Average salary | $52,912 | $73,053 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $74,000 | Between $45,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New York |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Scripps Health |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a licensed practical nurse and a psychiatric registered nurse in terms of educational background:
| Licensed Practical Nurse | Psychiatric Registered Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 33% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Emory University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between licensed practical nurses' and psychiatric registered nurses' demographics:
| Licensed Practical Nurse | Psychiatric Registered Nurse | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 11.3% Female, 88.7% | Male, 16.7% Female, 83.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 6.5% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 9% |