LPN Schools And Jobs

About Licensed Practical And Licensed Vocational Nurses

Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) (also known as Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs) in Texas and California) work under the direction of physicians and registered nurses (RNs) in caring for people who are disabled, ill, injured, or convalescent.

LPNs comprise a category of nurses distinguishable from other nursing professionals in a number of ways. Although there are many titles associated with the nursing profession, nurses generally fall into the following categories: Registered nurses (RNs) and Nurse Practitioners, LPNs, and Certified Nursing Assistants. In terms of training and responsibilities, LPNs fall in the middle of these categories. Following is a summary of the general duties associated with each category:

1. Registered Nurses - Comprising the largest healthcare occupation in the U.S., RNs are professionals who provide direct care to patients and often make decisions regarding the nature of their care. Most RNs work directly with patients and their families. They perform frequent patient evaluations, including monitoring and tracking vital signs, and are in much more regular contact with patients than are physicians. RNs possess diplomas, associate degrees, or bachelors degrees in nursing and are required to pass state board examinations and undergo many hours of clinical experience. Nurse Practitioners are registered nurses who possess an advanced degree in nursing and perform primary health care, including patient diagnosis and prescription of medicines.
2. Licensed Practical Nurses and Licensed Vocational Nurses - LPNs provide patient care on a very personal level and have frequent direct contact with patients. They usually report directly to physicians and RNs, and are responsible for monitoring the patient’s vital signs and administering several types of procedures to patients such as dressing wounds, bathing, etc. In some states, LPNs and LVNs are allowed to administer prescribed medicines or start IV fluids.
3. Certified nursing assistants - Also known as nursing aides, certified nursing assistants provide hands-on care and perform routine tasks encompassing many aspects of patient care. These tasks include helping patients to eat, dress, bathe, and otherwise take care of themselves. Certified nursing assistants also respond to calls for help, deliver messages, serve meals, make beds, assist patients in getting into and out of bed, escort patients to operating and examining rooms, and observe patients’ physical, mental, and emotional conditions so that they can report any change to the medical staff.

LPN Job Characteristics

LPNs work in a variety of health care settings, including hospitals, clinics, and in private homes. Those in hospitals and nursing care facilities work a 40-hour week, but because patients need round-the-clock care, some LPNs work nights, weekends, and holidays. They are often required to stand for long periods and assist patients in moving in their beds, standing, or walking. In doing so, they are subject to back injuries. They are also subject to hazards caused by caustic chemicals, radiation, and infectious diseases. The occupation can often be a stressful one due to heavy workloads and the need to deal with patients who are often confused, agitated, or uncooperative.

In order to be a good LPN, an individual should have a caring, sympathetic nature. Emotionally stability is very important due to the stress involved in working with the sick and injured. Other important qualifications include the ability to be observant, and to possess good decision-making and communication skills. As part of a health-care team, LPNs are required to follow orders and work under close supervision.

An aging registered nurse workforce, coupled with a shortage of new nurses, is giving rise to a deeper involvement of LPNs into the patient care setting. According to an article by Patricia A. Kenney, MSN, RN; Maintaining Quality Care during a Nursing Shortage Using Licensed Practical Nurses in Acute Care (PDF), the LPN has historically "been used in staffing mixes to alleviate nursing shortages." The article goes on to cite a national trend "to provide additional training and education to licensed and unlicensed assistive personnel to perform various procedures that include medication administration."

LPN Training and Schools

All states require LPNs to complete a state-approved practical nursing program. Prerequisites for these programs usually include a high school diploma or its equivalent, although some programs accept candidates without a diploma and others are part of a high school curriculum. Most nursing programs last about one year and are offered by vocational or technical schools or community or junior colleges. Sometimes programs are available through high schools, hospitals, and universities. After completion of the program, graduates must pass an examination known as the NCLEX-PN in order to become licensed. As of 2006, there were more than 1,500 state-approved training programs available.

Most practical nursing programs include a combination of classroom study and supervised clinical patient care. Classroom study covers basic nursing concepts and care-related subjects, including anatomy, physiology, medical-surgical nursing, pediatrics, obstetrics, psychiatric nursing, and the administration of drugs, nutrition, and first aid. Clinical practice usually takes place in a hospital setting but may include other types of patient environments.

The NCLEX-PN licensing exam is developed and administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. The exam is computer-based and varies in length. Four major categories are covered:

• safe and effective care environment,
• health promotion and maintenance,
• psycho-social integrity,
and
• physiological integrity.

There are numerous LPN-to-RN training programs, through which LPNs can advance in their profession to become registered nurses. In many employment settings, including nursing homes, LPNs can also advance to become charge nurses overseeing the work of other LPNs.

Resources for Licensed Practical Nurses and Licensed Vocational Nurses

• 2007 PDR Nurse's Drug Handbook
• National Association for Practical Nurse Education and Service, Inc
• National League for Nursing
• LPN Central: The Practical Nurse's Station
• National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses (NFLPN)
• Nursing Jobs and Occupations
• Allnurses: A Nursing Community for Nurses
• Nursing Spectrum
• Arcadia Resources

Major Employers of Licensed Practical Nurses

As of 2006, there were almost 750,000 licensed practical nursing jobs in the United States according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (USDL BLS). Of these, 26% worked in hospitals, another 26% in nursing care facilities, and 12% in physician’s offices. The remainder worked for home health care services; employment services; residential care facilities; community care facilities for the elderly; outpatient care centers; and Federal, State, and local government agencies. About 19% worked part time.

The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a faster than average growth rate in LPN and LVN jobs through the year 2016. This projection is attributable to the anticipated long-term care needs of an increasing elderly population along with a general increase in demand for health care services. Job prospects through the next decade will vary by industry but are expected to be very good overall, with the best opportunities in nursing care facilities and home health care services and the most competition occurring in hospital jobs. USDL BLS projects over 850,000 LPN and LVN jobs by the year 2016.

Recent advances in technology have spawned a significant trend towards procedures which were once performed only in hospitals now being performed in physicians’ offices and in outpatient care centers instead. Accordingly, employment of LPNs is projected to decline in traditional hospitals, but to correspondingly grow faster than average in most settings outside of hospitals. This trend will be partially mitigated by the expectation that many hospitals will begin assigning a larger share of nursing duties to LPNs.

Home health care settings are projected to encompass a larger share of LPN employment throughout the next decade. Agencies responsible for home health care will be offering a large number of new jobs for LPNs in response to an increasing number of older people with functional disabilities, consumer preference for home care, and technological advances which allow increasingly complex treatments to be brought into the home.

Nursing care facilities are another setting where LPN employment is expected to grow faster than average, due to the growing number of people who are aged and disabled and in need of long-term care. Adding to the need for nursing home LPNs will be an increasing number of patients who have been discharged from the hospital but who have not recovered enough to return home.

Median annual earnings of licensed practical nurses were $37,940 in May 2007. The middle 50 percent of the LPN population earned between $32,310 and $45,300. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $27,370, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $52,160. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of licensed practical nurses in May 2007 were as follows:

1. $43,700 - Employment services
2. $40,550 - Nursing care facilities
3. $40,440 - Home health care services
4. $37,790 - General medical and surgical hospitals
5. $34,820 - Offices of physicians

Licensed Practical Nurses Terminology

CLT - Clinical Laboratory Technicians provide clinical information for disease prevention, medical diagnosis, and treatment of patients by processing specimens and performing laboratory tests.

CMA - Certified Medical Assistants perform administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health practitioners running smoothly.

CNA - Certified Nurse Assistant

JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

LPN - Licensed Practical Nurse

NCLEX - National Council Licensure Examination measures the competencies needed to perform safely and effectively as a newly licensed, entry-level registered nurse.

NCSBN - The National Council of State Boards of Nursing provides leadership to advance regulatory excellence for public protection.

NLC - The Nurse Licensure Compact allows a nurse to have one license (in his or her state of residency) and to practice in other states, subject to each state's practice law and regulation.

RN - Registered Nurse

WHO - World Health Organization is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system and is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters.

Schools for Licensed Practical And Licensed Vocational Nurses are listed in the column to the left.

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