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Nurse, Licensed Practical

Synopsis

A Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) works under the supervision of a registered nurse, licensed physician or dentist to provide direct patient care. Experienced LPN’s may assist with the supervision of nursing assistants. Work settings can include hospitals, geriatric facilities, home health agencies, clinics, and physician’s offices. Work activities include clinical skills such as taking vital signs, performing simple diagnostic tests, authorized medication administration, patient observation, and dressing wounds. Other jobs performed by the LPN are assisting patients with daily living activities such as eating, exercising, personal hygiene, and walking. With additional training, LPN's can also care for patients in specialized areas such as obstetrics, pediatrics, surgery/recovery, and psychiatry. The Licensed Practical Nurse must have a sincere interest in people and the ability to maintain good interpersonal relationships. Sound judgment, intelligence, tact, adaptability and a sense of humor are all important characteristics. Some of the work, such as lifting patients and turning them in bed, can be physically strenuous.

Training Requirements

All states require LPN’s to pass a licensing examination after completing a state-approved practical nursing program. Most programs require applicants to have a high school diploma or GED and are twelve months in length. Training for LPN's is available through vocational-technical schools and community colleges. Programs include both classroom study and supervised clinical practice in patient care. Classroom study covers basic nursing concepts and anatomy, physiology, drug administration, nutrition and first aid. Clinical practice is usually in a hospital setting, but can also include a home health, community clinic, or geriatric rotation. LPN’s who continue training to include IV Therapy certification increase their opportunities for employment and may increase their salary range. Licensed Practical Nurses who wish to become Registered Nurses, can enroll in a "bridge" program through the community college. This career ladder allows LPN's to become RN's without repeating the first year of education. Bridge programs are approximately 12 to 18 months in length. Most LPN programs have affiliation agreements which allow credits to transfer to specific schools. Verify the transferability of credits with the receiving associate degree program prior to starting your LPN education.

Degree Requirements

Less than 2 years

Employment Opportunities

Job prospects for LPN’s are expected to be excellent, as employment grows much faster than it has in the past. Because of this growth, the number of new graduates needed will be well above the number graduated in recent years. As in most other occupations, replacement needs will be the main source of job openings. Employment of LPN’s is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2005, in response to the long-term care needs of a rapidly growing population of elderly and to the general growth of health care. Nursing homes will offer the most new jobs for LPN’s as the number of aged and disabled persons in need of long-term care rises rapidly. In addition to caring for the aged, nursing homes may be called on to care for the increasing number of patients who have been released from hospitals and have not yet recovered enough to return home. Very rapid growth is also expected in such residential care facilities as board and care homes, old age homes, and group homes for the mentally retarded, as well as in home health agencies. University School of Nursing (Topeka, KS) Employment of LPN’s in hospitals is not expected to increase much, largely because the number of inpatients, with whom most work, is expected to decrease. Employment is projected to grow very rapidly in physicians’ offices and clinics, including health maintenance organizations.

Related Occupations

National Median Salary*

$29,440

Educational Institutions:

Professional Associations:

*NATIONAL MEDIAN SALARIES CITED COURTESY OF ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SOURCES:

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
2003 ASHA Omnibus Survey