During this time of crisis, the nursing profession is in urgent need of support. The nurses serving on the front lines today are predominantly Registered Nurses, yet many highly experienced Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs/LVNs) are unable to fully assist due to scope-of-practice limitations.

As a Licensed Practical Nurse with over 20 years of experience, I—and many of my colleagues—am restricted from performing certain duties that entry-level Registered Nurses with an 18-month certificate or diploma are permitted to perform, despite our extensive hands-on clinical experience. These restrictions exist even though the difference between an LPN program (typically 14 months) and a certificate/diploma RN program (approximately 18 months) is often only four additional months of training.

Many LPNs/LVNs have attempted to advance their education to obtain RN certification. However, a significant number of nursing schools refuse to accept prior nursing coursework, forcing experienced nurses to repeat core classes they have already completed. This results in unnecessary financial burden, increased student loan debt, and prolonged time away from the workforce—all during a well-documented and worsening nursing shortage.

It is deeply troubling that nursing education has increasingly prioritized business interests over patient care and workforce sustainability. This approach has created avoidable barriers that prevent qualified, licensed nurses from advancing and contributing more fully to patient care.

This petition calls for an alternative pathway for qualified, actively licensed LPNs/LVNs to obtain a Certificate or Diploma RN through supervised, hands-on clinical training. Upon successful completion of this practical training and demonstration of competency, the nurse would be granted RN certification or a diploma.

Additional standardized testing should not be required. LPNs/LVNs prove their competence every day through direct patient care, often at great personal risk. Their experience, dedication, and service speak louder than any written exam.

Creating this pathway would strengthen the nursing workforce, retain experienced nurses, and provide LPNs/LVNs with greater professional security, fulfillment, and incentive to remain in the field—benefiting patients, healthcare systems, and communities alike.