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Consumer Information

What You Should Know About Nurses and Their Services

What is an RN, a nurse practitioner, and an LPN?

A registered professional nurse (RN) helps you to maintain or regain good health. RNs:

diagnose and treat responses to health problems;
perform health assessments;
teach and counsel on health issues; and
execute medical regimens as prescribed by licensed physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and podiatrists.

A nurse practitioner is an RN who has earned a special certification through additional education and experience. Nurse practitioners may diagnose, treat, and prescribe within their specialty area of practice. This is done in collaboration with a licensed physician qualified to collaborate in the specialty involved in accordance with an approved written practice agreement and protocols.

Nurse practitioner specialty areas: Acute Care; Adult Health; College Health; Community Health; Family Health; Gerontology; Holistic Nursing; Neonatology; Obstetrics and Gynecology; Oncology; Palliative Care; Pediatrics; Perinatology; Psychiatry; School Health; Women's Health

A licensed practical nurse (LPN) provides nursing care under the direction of an RN, physician, or other authorized health care provider.

What education do New York licensed nurses have?

An RN has completed an approved two-year registered nursing program (including a minimum of 30 semester hours in nursing) or an approved four-year bachelor’s degree nursing program with a minimum of 40 semester hours in nursing. These studies include the basic sciences and a clinical experience component.

A nurse practitioner must be licensed as an RN and complete a course of postgraduate or advanced certificate study. These advanced studies prepare the nurse to diagnose, treat, and prescribe medications for illnesses and conditions in the nurse’s specialty area.

An LPN has graduated from high school and completed an approved practical nursing program of at least nine months (or two semesters).

What kinds of services and treatment can I expect?

Nurses work in hospitals, clinics, physicians’ offices, nursing homes, schools, home health care, and other places where health care is provided.

Registered Nurses:

Give medications and start I.V.’s
Administer blood and blood products
Plan patient care to meet patient needs
Assist in surgery
Arrange for referrals
Teach and counsel
Provide direct care

Licensed Practical Nurses:

Administer medications as directed
Provide bedside nursing care, including services requiring sterile techniques
Observe, measure, record, and report indications of patient health status
Perform more specialized tasks, such as IV therapy, with additional training
Administer blood and blood products, with additional training

Are there any services which only a licensed nurse can perform, and which should not be performed by nurse aides or assistants?

The administration of medications, any invasive or delicate health care procedures, procedures involving sterile techniques, and any health care procedure requiring the exercise of professional nursing judgment should only be performed by licensed nurses or other licensed health care professionals (physicians, dentists, etc.) competent to perform such acts.

How will I know if the person providing my health care is a nurse licensed and registered to practice in New York?

In facilities regulated by the Department of Health, such as hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes, licensees must wear identifying badges that list their name and legal professional title. Make sure you see this badge; a New York licensed nurse will be listed with one of the following titles:

Registered Professional Nurse, Registered Nurse, or RN
Nurse Practitioner or NP
Licensed Practical Nurse, Practical Nurse, or LPN

Nurse’s aides, nurse’s assistants, patient care associates, technicians, and those with similar titles are not licensed nurses. They do not have the training or experience required of licensed nurses.

In physicians’ offices, schools, and other sites not under Department of Health jurisdiction, the names, titles, and credentials of all individuals providing services should be posted for you to see.

You may verify a license with the Office of the Professions (see the "Verify a License" section of this brochure).

How do I locate a licensed nurse?

When you enter a health care facility, a nurse is normally provided to help care for you; you may confirm the individual’s credentials as noted. If you need a nurse to provide in-home care, check under "Nurses" or "Home Health Services" in your phone book for a listing of nursing services and registries.

The State Board for Nursing cannot refer you to a nurse.