Description
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.
Job Titles
- Certified nursing assistant (CNA)
- Licensed nursing assistant
- Licensed practical nurse (L.P.N.)
- Registered nursing assistant (R.N.A.)
- Registered practical nurse (R.P.N.)
Main Duties
- 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.
Workplaces
- Clinics
- Community health centres
- Companies
- Doctors’ offices
- Extended care facilities
- Hospitals
- Nursing homes
- Private homes
- Rehabilitation centres
Skills
- Oral Communication: Active Listening
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordinating
- Critical Thinking
- Decision Making
Abilities
- Explosive Strength
- Memorizing
- Perceptual Speed
- Stamina
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
Personal Attributes
- Attention to Detail
- Collaboration
- Concern for Others
- Stress Tolerance
- Active Learning
Similar Occupations
- Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (33102)
- Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations (44101)
Source: OaSIS
Employment Outlook
The employment outlook will be Very good for licensed practical nurses (NOC 32101) in Prince Edward Island for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
- Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
- A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
- There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Licensed practical nurses continue to face very good employment prospects in P.E.I., with shortages across hospitals, long-term care, and community health centres. The province’s Licensed Practical Nursing and Paramedic Support Program, which offers full tuition support, remains a key initiative to attract new entrants and address labour gaps. Recent media reports highlight that staffing shortages have limited the ability of some long-term care facilities to operate at full capacity, especially in rural areas, increasing the need for LPNs in elder care and supportive housing. Demand is expected to remain strong as P.E.I.’s population ages, immigration grows, and government priorities expand collaborative care teams to reduce hospital strain.
Here are some key facts about Licensed practical nurses in Prince Edward Island:
- Approximately 450 people work in this occupation.
- Licensed practical nurses mainly work in the following sectors:
- Hospitals (NAICS 622): 71%
- Nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623): 24%
- The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
- Full-time workers: 70% compared to 84% for all occupations
- Part-time workers: 30% compared to 16% for all occupations
- 65% of licensed practical nurses work all year, while 35% work only part of the year, compared to 59% and 41% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 44 weeks compared to 41 weeks for all occupations.
- Less than 5% of licensed practical nurses are self-employed compared to an average of 13% for all occupations.
- The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
- Men: less than 5% compared to 51% for all occupations
- Women: more than 95% compared to 49% for all occupations
- The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
- no high school diploma: n/a
- high school diploma or equivalent: less than 5% compared to 28% for all occupations
- apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: less than 5% compared to 11% for all occupations
- college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor’s: 77% compared to 25% for all occupations
- bachelor’s degree: 15% compared to 17% for all occupations
- university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: n/a
Source: Job Bank
Prevailing Wages
| AREA | LOW | MEDIAN | HIGH |
|---|---|---|---|
| PEI | $25.00 | $31.00 | $32.25 |
| Canada | $25.00 | $31.32 | $38.00 |
Training
| TRAINING PROGRAM | INSTITUTION | CREDENTIAL |
|---|---|---|
| Practical Nursing | Holland College | Diploma |
Additional Training
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