Nursing is already the hottest career field available in the United States and that trend is set to continue in the coming years as the healthcare system faces increase stress. Nurses have a great number of positions available to them in a variety of settings. Individuals will find employment available as entry level nurses and advanced nurses, working in hospitals and clinics, and can be found performing duties that range from the routine to the highly specialized. One of the quickest routes into a nursing career can be found achieved by becoming a licensed practical nurse.
Licensed practical nurses, or LPNs, are pivotal members of the healthcare team. Although LPNs undergo the less training than other members of the medical team they work on, they are nonetheless a vital part of the team. LPNs typically work as part of a healthcare team that includes themselves, a Registered Nurse (RN), and a licensed physician. In many medical settings the LPN works under the supervision and direction of an RN, who is in turn working under the supervision and direction of a doctor.
In the U.S. states of California and Texas, LPNs are often referred to as licensed vocational nurses instead of LPNs. Regardless of the title however; LPNs and LVNs perform the same duties. The main duties of an LPN in any medical setting is to provide care for individuals who are sick, injured, convalescent, or disabled. Beyond that basic description, the job responsibilities of LPNs can vary from setting to setting but generally include:
- Measure and record patients’ vital signs
- Prepare and give injections and enemas
- Assist with bathing, dressing, and personal hygiene, moving in bed, standing, and walking
- Feed patients if necessary
- Perform routine laboratory tests
- Record food and fluid intake and output
- Clean and monitor medical equipment
- Assist with the delivery of, care for, and feeding of infants
- Monitor their patients and report adverse reactions to medications or treatments
- Gather health history information on patients and how they are currently feeling
In some states LPNs are allowed to perform more activities than those with the same role in other states. For example, some states will allow LPNs to administer prescribed medicines, start intravenous fluids, and provide care to those patients on ventilators. Experienced LPNs are even trusted to oversee nursing aides, nursing assistants, and even other LPNs.
In order to break into this exciting career field, individuals need to complete a one year course of study that provides them with adequate training for a position as an LPN. The majority of LPN programs are offered in one of three academic settings:
- Vocational schools
- Technical schools
- Community colleges
These programs typically last just one year and consist of two components, classroom study and clinical practice. Students begin their education with classroom study. During this component of the education students are offered coursework pertinent to nursing which includes but is not limited to:
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Medical-surgical nursing
- Pediatrics
Upon completion of the classroom component, students are granted the opportunity to see those skills in action and even test their own knowledge with a clinical practice rotation. Once both components of LPN degree programs have been completed, individuals are qualified to take the National Council Licensure Examination-Practical Nurse (NCLEX-PN), which is a computer-based national licensing exam required for all students to become licensed practical nurses. The test is administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
Once LPN students are fully qualified they can find work in a number of healthcare settings. The following settings, listed in order, are the most popular for LPNs:
- Nursing care facilities 28%
- Hospitals 25%
- Physicians’ offices 12%
- Home health care services
- Employment services
- Residential care facilities
- Community care facilities
- Outpatient care centers
- Federal, state, and local government agencies
With growth in the LPN career field expected to reach 21% between now and 2018, there is no better time to look into becoming a licensed practical nurse.