The “Right Kinds of Nurses”: Centering LPNs in the Nursing Labor Force

The nursing profession is currently grappling with an ongoing nursing shortage illuminated during the COVID-19 pandemic. While this burgeoning health and environmental crisis exacerbated this workforce issue, it did not create it. This study seeks to expand the idea of "who is a nurse" by arguing for the use of Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) as safe, credentialed persons in the nursing workforce. Archival research using primary and secondary sources highlights the history of the LPN movement. Historical case studies of LPN schools show how LPNs enhanced not only the quantity but also the quality of nursing practice. Case studies also reveal successful collaborations between nurses, communities, and hospitals to enhance the nursing workforce and community well-being. Aspects of this study were either approved by or deemed not human subjects research by institutional review boards. The increased emphasis on the registered nurse in the mid-20th century led to the marginalization of LPNs. Yet, history has revealed that collaborations that enhance diversity in the workforce and improve health-care access for patients, without compromising quality of care, can be formed by engaging LPNs. LPNs must be respected as consistent contributors to the country's health-care workforce. As the AACN commits to diversifying nursing, it is significant that LPNs have added to a more diverse, inclusive nursing labor force. For LPNs who wish to advance their nursing education, pathway programs must be supported-thus increasing diversity in the professional and advanced practice workforce.