Licensed Practical Nurse

What a Licensed Practical Nurse Does

A licensed practical nurse, or LPN, works with physicians and registered nurses to provide health care for a wide variety of patients who are sick, injured or disabled. Common duties for LPNs include taking vital signs, recording patient stats, tracking patient treatment, bathing and feeding patients and carrying out instructions given by other medical personnel. They will be responsible for doing many of the clerical and basic tasks required to maintain a high standard of patient care. At times, LPNs will also need to talk to and reassure their patients to help them maintain a healthy mental state and to assuage fears about treatments and care. LPNs can be found working in a wide variety of health care settings and generally will not have specialized training in any one field and will have differing duties depending on where they work and their experience in the health care industry.

How to Become a Licensed Practical Nurse

To become an LPN, individuals must complete a state-approved training program in nursing, often offered through vocational schools and community colleges. Some training programs may also be found through universities and hospitals. These training programs will teach students about the basics of patient care, human anatomy, physiology, first aid and touch on a variety of nursing specialties. Students will be asked to take what they have learned in class and apply it in a clinical setting in order to complete their training. After graduating from one of these programs, nurses must become licensed. This requires taking the NCLEX-PN, an exam that covers topics like patient needs and health promotion. Once passed, LPNs will be ready to take on work in the health care profession. If LPNs want to work in specialized health care facilities, additional certification in topics like long-term care, IV therapy and pharmacology may be required.

Career Outlook for Licensed Practical Nurses

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for LPNs are projected to grow much faster than average over the next decade. While availability of work will vary by industry, overall growth is projected to be at about 21% as healthcare facilities expand and patient demands increase. Some of the best fields for job prospects are long term care, geriatrics, home health, and physicians' offices. These growths are fueled both by a steadily aging population as well as modern advancement in health care. Most LPNs will find work in hospitals and nursing care facilities but jobs are growing in other settings as well. While there will be a wide variety of jobs available across the United States, the biggest demand for LPNs is found in rural communities where there are simply not enough nurses to fill available positions. LPNs willing to work in these communities will have incredibly good job prospects.