The amount of schooling required to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN) falls in between the amount needed for a certified nurse assistant (CNA) and for a registered nurse (RN).

Licensed practical nurses (LPNs), known as Licensed Vocational Nurses in some states, care for patients under the direction of physicians and registered nurses (RNs). On the scale of nurses, they are in between nurse aides and RNs in terms of responsibilities and education.

LPNs generally handle the bedside care of patients in hospital or nursing home settings. They may have nurse assistants helping them in their duties, which could include:

A high school diploma is often required to become a certified nurse assistant. A CNA student must also complete a training program (typically ranging from 80 to 150 hours), pass a certification exam (usually given through the program) and then register with the state in order to become a certified nurse assistant.

Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are also known as nursing aides, orderlies, patient care technicians, home health aides or hospital attendants. They make up a large group of medical support personnel in hospitals, doctors' offices, home health care facilities and other medical settings, where their primary job is to assist higher-level nurses with patients' daily care.