Practical Nurses in Canada: Practical Way to a Lucrative Career in Healthcare

A nurse is a noble profession. It can be a lucrative career too. But a person has to go through LPN trainings and experience challenges and sacrifices to be one of the practical nurses in Canada.

There three types of Nurses in Canada, the LPNs or Licensed Practical Nurses, the RNs or the Registered Nurses and the RPNs or the Registered Psychiatric Nurses. All of them functions the same with a difference of the depth of their studies or training, allowed procedures they can perform as nurses and their legislation.

Among the three, Practical Nurses have the least study time to go through. Aspirant Practical Nurses in Canada are required only one to two years of study in a nursing school before they can take a licensure examination. Once they passed this exam, they can now practice nursing as LPNs in different settings such as community, acute, ling term and home care under a supervision of RNs.

LPN is the best way to start a nursing career if taking a four year course for nursing is not an option. This way, LPNs can continue their studies while already practicing a nursing profession. Aside from that, taking LPN courses and trainings are encourages when some provinces experienced a nursing shortage. Even RNs can now be taken in three years in accelerated programs to provide more Registered and licensed nurses into the healthcare system in Canada more quickly.

Practical Nurses in Canada, especially in Edmonton, Alberta, can earn an hourly rate of $30. The lowest hourly rate is $19 and paid on LPNs at Frediricton, New Brunwick. The lower ten percent of the LPNs in Canada earns this lowest rate while ten percent at the upper end earns the highest rate. Average hourly rate is $22 and is earned by the rest of the LPNs making eighty percent of the LPNs is earning around $42,000 to $52,000 annually.

Wages, of course, differ greatly depending on the employer, location and experience. A fulltime LPN can enjoy benefits such as health and dental care. They can be under labour unions so their benefits, as well as wages, can be negotiated by a union representative on their behalf.

LPNs have more than an average job prospect in the coming years. This makes Practical Nurses in Canada very enticing career to follow. Several reasons were cited as to why the need for LPNs has not yet depleted over the years and they are as follows:
• There is an increasing number of ageing population who will need care in the coming years.
• Retired healthcare professional will soon need replacements.
• There are new care facilities and hospitals establishments that will need LPNs.


New and expanded LPN competencies like community, pharmacology and mental health studies as well as immunization certification made Practical Nurses in Canada to have a wider scope of responsibilities. With these extended responsibilities, LPNs have now more job opportunities. But with all the benefits and job security LPNs can enjoy, it takes real care and compassion to be successful in this chosen field. LPNs work forty hours a week and mostly are on their feet to tend to their patients’ needs. They do a very hands-on caring from bathing a patient to emptying bedpans. Not to mention the times that they have to deal with unruly, irritated and agitated patients who wouldn’t cooperate. That is why despite its wages and enticing offers, Practical Nurses in Canada can only be a lucrative career for those who have the heart to follow this path through.