What tasks can a licensed practical nurse perform that a UAP cannot?

A licensed practical nurse, or LPN, can perform tasks that require a technical nursing skill set under the supervision of a registered nurse. These include administering oral and some parenteral medications in many states, performing sterile dressing changes, suctioning established tracheostomies, inserting urinary catheters, collecting data through focused assessments on stable patients, and reinforcing patient teaching that the RN has already initiated.