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Licensed Practical Nursing
- LPN training programs about 1 year
- Vocational and community colleges
- Board of Nursing license required
- LPN nursing job prospects very good
Registered Nursing
- RN nursing programs 2 to 4 years
- College nursing schools and online
- Board of Nursing license required
- RN nursing job prospects excellent
Licensed Vocational Nurse or LVN is what practical nurses are called in the states of California and Texas. LVN nurses care for those who are sick, injured, disabled, and convalescent. A Licensed Vocational Nurse generally works under the direction of a Doctor or a Registered Nurse. Often times a Licensed Vocational Nurse will supervise one or more Nursing Assistants or Nurse's Aides. As a nursing career, Licensed Vocational Nurse falls in the middle between the Nursing Assistant and the Registered Nurse. One way to think of vocational nursing is to consider that a LVN generally provides less complicated and more routine patient care in contrast to a Registered Nurse who would perform more complicated functions.
LVN Nursing Career Points:
The majority of Licensed Vocational Nurses / Licensed Practical Nurses and other nurses work at hospitals. Licensed vocational nursing work in a hospital varies by department, shift, nursing care philosophy, and hospital specific procedures. New vocational nurses will undergo a nursing orientation period designed to help them learn and understand their daily routines. A few of the well known hospital departments where LVN and other nurses work are the Emergency Room (ER), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Cardiac Care Unit (CCU), Obstetrics & Gynecology, Operating Room (OR), and Outpatient.
In addition to hospitals, Licensed Vocational Nurses may also work in private practice medical offices, clinics, surgical centers, emergency medical facilities, and Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs). Nursing Homes and other private and public health facilities may also hire Licensed Vocational Nurses, however, remember that state licensing and other factors may limit the LVN role compared to that of a Registered Nurse.
A Licensed Vocational Nurse in a hospital or nursing care facility may perform these basic services: Measure and record patient information such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, and pulse. Dress wounds, monitor catheters, give enemas, injections, collect samples, and perform laboratory tests. Basic bedside patient care to help keep the patient comfortable such as assisting with bathing, moving inside and outside of the bed, and personal hygiene. LVN nurses may feed patients who need help and record food and fluid intake for example. Observations and information gathered by the LVN is generally shared with registered nurses, doctors, and facility staff as needed to best care for the patient.
As with many medical careers, a Licensed Vocational Nurse often stands for a long period of time. A 40 hour work week is typical, however, shifts at facilities that require 24 hour care may be split into mornings, days, and nights, with the additional need to fill weekends and holidays. Medical environment hazards include the presence of disease, the use of chemicals, injections, possible radiation exposure, and injury if providing direct patient care to patients who are confused or uncooperative. During times of patient overload at a hospital, for example, workload related stress can also be present for a Licensed Vocational Nurse.
To become a Licensed Vocational Nurse / Licensed Practical Nurse, you must complete a state approved Vocational Nurse training program, then pass a state sponsored vocational nurse licensing exam. Vocational nursing programs generally last about 1 year and are offered by vocational nursing schools, technical schools, and community colleges. The applicable license exam for all U.S. states is the NCLEX-PN, which was developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. The NCLEX-PN exam is computer based and covers 4 subject areas: (1) Safe Effective Care Environment, (2) Health Promotion and Maintenance, (3) Psychosocial Integrity, and (4) Physiological Integrity.
Aside from the training requirements, LVN candidates should be caring and sympathetic by nature. In other words, if you are easily agitated by others, Licensed Vocational Nurse is not a career for you. Caring for the sick, injured, disabled and convalescent can be emotionally stressful. LVN candidates should not be squeamish and afraid to interact with patients in a medical setting. Good decision making and communication skills are also required given the amount of interaction between the LVN nurse, patients, patients' family, Registered Nurses, Doctors, and other medical facility staff.
Visit your state board of nursing website using the links on our site to obtain the latest information about LVN / LPN requirements in your state and neighboring states. Always remember to verify that your Vocational Nurse programs is approved by your state, otherwise you may not be able to take the NCLEX-PN licensing exam.
Licensed Vocational Nurse / Licensed Practical Nurse jobs are expected to grow faster than average through 2016 according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Licensed Vocational Nurses held approximately 749,000 jobs in 2006, with about 26% of LVN nursing jobs in hospitals, 26% in nursing care facilities, 12% in physician offices, with the remaining LVN nurses working in home health care services, employment services, residential care facilities, community care facilities for the elderly, outpatient care centers, Federal, State, and local government agencies. Approximately 19% of the LVN jobs were part-time positions.
Licensed Vocational Nurse median annual earnings was $36,550 as of May 2006. Where you live within the U.S. and the industry for which you work will greatly impact your salary as a LVN. The report from the U.S. Department of Labor indicates that the lowest 10% of LVN nurses earned less than $26,380 while the highest 10% earned more than $50,480. Below is a short list of median annual earnings for LVN nurses by industry.
Licensed Vocational Nurse and all nursing careers are somewhat dynamic and constantly changing. Medicine and patient care, for example, continues to improve over time. Health care service providers like most businesses face financial and budgetary constraints alongside state and federal practice guidelines. Healthcare industry changes, state licensure restrictions, LVN work settings, specialties, and emergency medical situations are just examples of ways a Licensed Vocational Nurse duties may change. While exploring a career as a Licensed Vocational Nurse, we recommend that you talk to LVN nurses currently working at a nearby facility, potential employers, and to search for Licensed Vocational Nurse jobs online to review job descriptions and requirements.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupation Outlook Handbook 2008 - 2009 Edition
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