MyCLPNA
Self-Employed Practice: A Guide for LPNs
The CLPNA’s Self-Employed Practice guideline was updated in April.
This guideline outlines the professional expectations and obligations of registrants who are self-employed or are considering self-employment in LPN practice. This practice guideline is not a substitute for legal or business advice.
What Is Self-Employed Practice?
Self-employed practice refers to when an LPN provides professional services without being under the direction of an employer or another healthcare professional.
Self-employed practice includes when an LPN provides professional services as a business, volunteer, contractor, or in self-managed care. It can be done alone or in collaboration with other healthcare professionals or individuals.
What Responsibilities Do LPNs Have?
Self-employed LPNs are responsible for complying with legislation and regulations related to healthcare, privacy, and owning/operating a business. They follow standards of practice, the Code of Ethics, and other regulatory documents that govern the LPN profession and the area of business in which they practice.
Self-employed LPNs provide safe, ethical, and competent client care within their individual scope of practice. This means only performing activities that are in the regulated LPN scope of practice; this also means that self-employed LPNs can only perform activities if they are competent to do so. See our practice guideline, Determining LPN Scope of Practice, for more information.
The Self-Employed Practice guideline will support LPNs in navigating further aspects of self-employed practice, including:
- conflicts of interest
- advertising and use of the LPN title
- informed consent
- safe practice environment
- documentation
- safeguarding and management of client records
- use of technology and social media