Licensed vocational nurses provide a mixture of basic clinical care and day-to-day assistance to patients in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and residences. They work under the direction of registered nurses and physicians to carry out patients' care plans. On the clinical side, LVNs may take a patient's vital signs, give injections, and help doctors perform particular tests. For daily care, licensed vocational nurses may prepare meals for patients or instruct patients on good health strategies. Depending on where they are employed, some LVNs also perform administrative duties, such as answering the phone or scheduling appointments.

The most common educational preparation for the licensed vocational nursing career is a certificate program. One-year certificate programs are offered by community colleges, vocational schools, and allied health organizations. In these programs, future LVNs learn their clinical competencies through rounds in a healthcare facility; they also spend time in the classroom, studying pharmacology, medical science, and nursing strategies for different patient populations. The title "licensed vocational nurse" is often used interchangeably with the title "licensed practical nurse"; while both types of nurses carry out similar duties and pass a licensing exam, LPNs are nurses who have specifically taken the NCLEX-PN exam.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the job market for licensed vocational nurses will be solid in the coming years as the Baby Boom population ages. This large elderly population will increase the demand for trained LVNs in nursing care facilities and with home healthcare agencies. The middle half of licensed vocational nurses earn $33,000-47,000 a year, with average wage of $39,000.

Career Specializations

Although most licensed vocational nurses work in general settings providing a number of different healthcare services, some who work in particular types of clinics have more focused responsibilities.

• Nursing Care Facilities: These LVNs help develop care plans for residents of long-term care facilities and check over the work done by nursing aides.
• Physician Offices: LVNs in these healthcare clinics are usually responsible for more administrative and clerical tasks, such as answering phones and scheduling appointments.
• Home Healthcare: Licensed vocational nurses who work in patients' homes may help prepare nutritious meals for the patient or educate the family on basic home healthcare principles.

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Degree Levels

• Certificate: 1 year to complete
• Associate Degree: 2 years to complete

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Education & Certification Requirements

A state-recognized certificate program is the most common way to enter a career as a licensed vocational nurse. During these programs, students spend time in the classroom learning about medical terminology, pharmacology, anatomy, and basic medical science. Students must also complete a clinical component, in which they spend time under a registered nurse or experienced licensed vocational nurse, learning the hands-on aspect of this career. This clinical study usually occurs in a local hospital. Less common is an associate program, which combines the career-oriented training of the certificate with liberal arts courses in areas like humanities, math, English, and social science. Certificate and associate programs are commonly offered by junior colleges and vocational-technical schools.

As their name implies, licensed practical nurses need a state license, in order to legally practice patient care. The standard exam for receiving this licensure is the NCLEX-PN exam, the National Council Licensure Examination in Practical Nursing. State boards of nursing determine an applicant's eligibility to sit for the exam, based on their completion of a recognized practical nursing training program. The exam has four parts: health promotion and maintenance, psychosocial integrity, physiological integrity, and safe and effective care environment. Along with this mandatory credential, LVNs can also seek out voluntary certifications in specific care areas, such as pharmacology and long-term care. (BLS)

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Salary Information

Newly licensed vocational nurses can expect initial salary offers of around $33,000 a year. The average wage for nurses with experience is $39,000, and can increase to $47,000 and up, depending on their skill level and work environment. Connecticut, New Jersey, and Rhode Island are the top-paying states for licensed vocational nurses, with average salaries at $51,000-53,000 a year. Nursing care facilities, hospitals, physician offices, and home healthcare services are the industries that employ the most licensed vocational nurses. (BLS)

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Job Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts much faster-than-average job growth for licensed vocational nurses through 2018, and job prospects should be very good for trained LVNs. The large Baby Boom population will be aging during this period and will be greatly increasing the need for healthcare support staff in nursing care centers and with home healthcare organizations. Moreover, as medical technology has been improved, more complicated procedures will be performed in outpatient settings, such as physicians' offices and diagnostic labs. Licensed vocational nurses will be hired to assist in these outpatient centers. Hospitals will continue to employ large numbers of LVNs, although the growth rate will be faster in long-term care centers and outpatient clinics.

Healthcare is an industry that is directly affected by population growth, and LVNs will have better job opportunities in places with increasing populations, like areas of the south and the west. Rural areas are also more likely to have a shortage of trained healthcare personnel, and LVNs may find better prospects by relocating to these areas. (BLS)

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Related Careers 

Registered nurses are the healthcare professionals who direct and lead teams of LVNs. Registered nurses have more extensive training in disease diagnosis and treatment and often assist physicians in creating patient care plans. Licensed practical nurses may be eligible to earn their nursing license through an accelerated LPN-to-RN bridge program.

Physician assistants are also tasked with assisting physicians in administering patient care. Physician assisting usually requires a master's degree and qualifies the graduate to perform more clinical tasks than an LVN. The job outlook for physician assistants is also predicted to be very good in the coming years.

Certified nursing assistants, also known as nursing aides, often work directly with patients who are in long-term care situations. They may make beds, serve patients food, socialize with them, and provide basic day-to-day care. The training for CNAs varies by state, but most require at least 75 hours in a state-recognized program.

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