How to become a licensed practical nurse
Official title: Licensed practical nurses
Also called: Nurse educator - cannabis, Licensed nursing assistant, Licensed practical nurse (l.p.n.), Registered practical nurse (r.p.n.), Operating room technician, Graduate nursing assistant, Surgical nursing assistant, Surgical technician - nursing, Certified nursing assistant (cna), Operating room technician - nursing, Registered nursing assistant (r.n.a.), Nursing assistant (registered - québec)
Licensed practical nurses provide nursing care usually under the direction of medical practitioners, registered nurses or other health team members. Operating room technicians prepare patients and provide assistance to medical practitioners prior to and during surgery. Licensed practical nurses are employed in hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities, rehabilitation centres, doctors' offices, clinics, companies, private homes and community health centres. Operating room technicians are employed in hospitals.
Main tasks
- Licensed practical nurses
- Provide nursing services, within defined scope of practice, to patients based on patient assessment and care planning procedures
- Perform nursing interventions such as taking vital signs, applying aseptic techniques including sterile dressing, ensuring infection control, monitoring nutritional intake and conducting specimen collection
- Administer medication and observe and document therapeutic effects
- Provide pre-operative and post-operative personal and comfort care
- Monitor established respiratory therapy and intravenous therapy
- Monitor patients' progress, evaluate and document effectiveness of nursing interventions and collaborate with appropriate members of health care team
- Provide safety and health education to individuals and their families
How to become one
Completion of a vocational, college or other approved program for licensed practical nurses is required. Registration with a regulatory body is required in all provinces and territories. Completion of a registration examination is required in all provinces and territories. Operating room technicians require additional academic training in operating room techniques.
Ways in
- College or CEGEP: College or CEGEP program. 60% of workers hold a college or other non-degree diploma (Census 2021). Common fields: Practical nursing, vocational nursing and nursing assistants; Registered nursing, nursing administration, nursing research and clinical nursing; Health aides/attendants/orderlies.
- Licence or registration: Completion of a vocational, college or other approved program for licensed practical nurses is required. Registration with a regulatory body is required in all provinces and territories.
Pay · Outlook
- Median pay: $61,074 a year The middle half earn $54,600 to $66,300.
- About 62,600 people worked in this job in 2023, and about 76,800 are projected by 2033. (+22.7%)
- Projected labour market to 2033: strong risk of shortage.
Related jobs
- Opticians
- Paramedical occupations
- Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
- Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians
- Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
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Questions people ask
How do I become a licensed practical nurse?
Completion of a vocational, college or other approved program for licensed practical nurses is required. Registration with a regulatory body is required in all provinces and territories. Completion of a registration examination is required in all provinces and territories. Operating room technicians require additional academic training in operating room techniques.
How much does a licensed practical nurse earn in Canada?
Median full-time pay is $61,074 a year (Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank)). The middle half earn $54,600 to $66,300.
Is a licensed practical nurse a growing career in Canada?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 23% by 2033, from about 62,600 to about 76,800 people (Employment and Social Development Canada).
Do you need a degree to become a licensed practical nurse?
Usually not. Only 16% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: College or CEGEP program.
Sources
- Statistics Canada: Census 2021: employment by occupation, gender and education (98-10-0449) (2021 Census), Statistics Canada Open Licence, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Statistics Canada: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 (Version 1.0), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada: Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) (2024 to 2033), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank): Wages by occupation (2025 (revised 2025-11-19)), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03