The medical career field is expected to provide the fastest growing job opportunities over the next decade in the United States. Within the healthcare industry, nurses are expected to experience the greatest job growth during the decade encompassing 2008-2018. Registered Nurses (RNs) comprise the largest profession within healthcare with some 2.6 million individuals already employed as RNs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, nurses of all kinds will be in demand in the coming years including those who hold LPN degrees.
Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) work as a part of a medical team consisting of RNs and physicians. LPNs care for the sick, injured, and convalescing under the guidance of RNs and doctors. In the U.S., some LPNs have the title of Licensed Vocational Nurse instead, but this term is generally used only in the states of California and Texas. In order to become and LPN/LVN individuals must earn an LPN degree first.
Becoming an LPN requires the least amount of time earning an education of any profession within healthcare. LPN degrees can be earned in as little as one year and are offered predominantly by vocational and technical schools or community colleges. In order to be accepted into LPN degree programs individuals must have a high school diploma or equivalent.
LPN degree programs are generally broken into two sections of study, classroom study and clinical practice in a supervised setting. The classroom portion of an LPN degree program offers students coursework with general nursing concepts in mind. Typical coursework during this segment includes but is not limited to the following:
- Patient care
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Medical-surgical nursing
- Pediatrics
- Pharmacology
- First aid
After the successful completion of coursework, LPN students will be offered a chance to put what they have learned into practice with a clinical rotation. Under the supervision of qualified professionals, LPN degree students will have the opportunity to see what an LPN does in real life in a hospital setting. Clinical practice rotations generally take place in hospitals, but in some cases they can be completed in other medical settings such as a physician’s office or nursing home.
Upon the completion of an LPN degree program graduates must complete a licensure exam to display their knowledge before being allowed to work as an LPN in a medical setting. The licensure exam is entitled the National Council Licensure Examination-Practical Nurse (NCLEX-PN) and is administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. This exam is a requirement for every nurse wishing to be hired as an LPN/LVN and is computer based.
Graduates of LPN degree programs work as part of a medical team though are generally viewed as being at the bottom of the totem pole. LPNs/LVNs work under the direct supervision of an RN, who in turn is working under the supervision of or cooperatively with a licensed doctor. The team coordinates to provide suitable care to all patients.
The typical job responsibilities of an LPN/LVN include but are not limited to the following tasks:
- Measure and record patients’ vital signs
- Prepare and give injections and enemas
- Monitor catheters
- Dress wounds and give alcohol rubs
- Assist patients with bathing, dressing, and personal hygiene, moving in bed, standing, and walking
- LPNs collect samples for testing
- Perform routine laboratory tests
- Clean and monitor medical equipment
Not every LPN/LVN will conduct the same tasks in their job. The role of LPNs/LVNs can differ based upon experience and place of employment. An LPN working in a hospital may perform several roles that an LPN working in a nursing home may not. For example, experienced LPNs may be trusted to supervise nursing assistants, nursing aides, and other LPNs.
Much like RNs, LPNs/LVNs are found in a variety of healthcare settings. As of 2008 the U.S. BLS found that 753,600 jobs were held in healthcare settings by LPNs/LVNs. The majority of these nurses, 28%, were employed in nursing homes. The next largest portions, 25%, were employed by hospitals across the country. The remainders were employed in one of the following settings:
- Physicians’ offices
- Home health care services
- Employment services
- Residential care facilities
- Community care facilities
- Outpatient care centers
- Federal, state, and local government agencies
As of early 2008 the median annual wage for LPNs in the U.S. was $39,030. The highest 10% of LPNs earned upwards of $53,580, while the lowest 10% earned roughly $28,260. The average wage for LPN degree holders varied from setting to setting, with the following settings offering the following annual wages:
- Employment services $44,690
- Nursing care facilities $40,580
- Home health care services $39,510
- General medical and surgical hospitals $38,080
- Offices of physicians $35,020
Earning an LPN degree is a sure ticket to steady employment and solid pay over the next decade at least. The LPN career field in the U.S. is expected to grow by 21% between now and 2018, and will be driven by the aging of millions of Baby Boomer adults who will be straining the healthcare system.