Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Training & Careers

1) What Are Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs)?

An LPN degree is the credential conferred on Licensed Practical Nurses. (In Texas & California the term for this role is Licensed Vocational Nurse, LVN). LPNs are integral members of the medical care team, providing front line care to patients with a wide range of injury or illness. While the functions of LPNs vary from state to state, most provide basic bedside care for sick, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. LPNs are charged with:

• Measuring and recording patients' vital signs
• Preparing and giving injections and enemas
• Monitoring catheters
• Dressing wounds
• Giving alcohol rubs and massages

In addition to basic medical assistance, licensed practical nurses may also be responsible for a wide array of personal responsibilities, including:

• Assisting with bathing, dressing and personal hygiene
• Helping patients move in bed, stand and walk
• Feeding patients who need help eating
• Supervising nursing assistants and aides

Finally, licensed practical nurses may also perform tasks such as collecting samples for testing, performing routine laboratory tests, cleaning and monitoring medical equipment, as well as helping physicians and registered nurses perform tests and procedures.

Today, licensed nurses can be found in virtually any medical setting or facility. They may work under supervision or independently. Some LPNs specialize in a particular health care field, such as post-op recovery, geriatrics, intensive care or neonatal care. Others are generalists who perform a wide range of duties in a nursing home, a doctor's office or in home health care.

2) LPN Programs and Courses: Training in Treatment

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were more than 1,500 state-approved training programs in practical nursing in 2006. Most LPN training programs are available from technical and vocational schools, community and junior colleges, high schools, hospitals, and colleges and universities. Most programs last for one year and offer courses both online and on-campus. Online education opportunities are typically hybrid programs that allow you to complete initial courses in a virtual setting and then attend campus classes for lab training.

Typical courses that nursing schools feature in their LPN programs include anatomy, physiology, pediatrics, nutrition, first aid, and more. Other courses may include:

• Medical-surgical nursing
• Obstetrics
• Psychiatric nursing
• Pharmacology

3) LPN Career Trends: Explosive Employment Opportunities

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of LPNs is projected to increase by 14 percent between 2006 and 2016. While there may be fewer hiring prospects for you inside the hospital setting, there should be many more available in other medical facilities and outside working environments. The National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses reveals the following sources of employment for LPNs and licensed nurses:

• Army Reserve
• Clinics
• Extended care facilities
• Hospitals
• Industrial and occupational health
• Nursing homes
• Private Doctors' offices
• Rehabilitation centers
• Schools

The constantly changing health care environment should create unique opportunities for you as you pursue your LPN certification. Trends that should drive hiring of LPNs and licensed nurses in the future include:

• An increasing elderly population
• A general increase in demand for health care services
• Some hospitals are assigning a larger share of nursing duties to LPNs
• An increasing number of older people with functional disabilities
• Consumer preference for care in the home
• Technological advances that make it possible to bring increasingly complex treatments into the home

4) LPN Salary Information: Lucrative Jobs for Talented Professionals

In May 2008, the median annual salary of LPNs and licensed nurses was $39,030, with the bottom 10 percent earning $28,260 and the top 90 percent earning $53,580. Factors influencing salary levels include experience, specialty, certifications and geographic locale. Because care is needed around the clock, nurses who work nights, weekends or holidays can earn salary increases.

With respect to geographic locales, nurses earning the largest salaries are typically concentrated on the coasts. States offering top pay for LPNs and licensed nurses include:

• Connecticut
• District of Columbia
• Massachusetts
• New Jersey
• California

5) LPN Career Skills: What It Takes to Be the Best

Despite the intrinsic rewards of the career, being an LPN or licensed nurse is one of the toughest jobs you can find anywhere. The patients you care for are often confused, irrational, agitated, or uncooperative. It goes without saying that mental toughness is a professional prerequisite. Other skills that serve you well in your career as an LPN or licensed nurse include:

• Analytical Aptitude. Detail is the name of the game--you should have sharp mathematical skills to take measurements, make conversions, and communicate vital stats to physicians and nurses
• Problem-solving. You may be expected to handle situations as they arise, making judgment calls when the doctor isn't around--it can help to have the ability to identify the best possible solution and implement it seamlessly
• Compassion. Nursing is a humanistic experience and your success depends on your ability to remain sympathetic to the needs of your patients--putting yourself in their shoes often improves your ability to provide blue-ribbon care in their hour of need

6) LPN Certification and Licensure: Proving Your Value

Obtaining LPN licensure and certification begins with a high school diploma and then transitions into a nursing school program. After successful completion of the program, all states require LPNs to pass a licensing examination, known as the NCLEX-PN. The NCLEX-PN computer-based licensing exam is developed and administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. It covers four major categories of information taught in nursing school:

• Health promotion and maintenance
• Physiological integrity
• Psychosocial integrity
• Safe and effective care environment

Once licensed, certified and hired, LPNs and licensed nurses must secure yearly continuing education to stay abreast of the latest techniques in care and treatment. This training typically comes in the form of on-the-job in-servicing, conferences and online education modules.