Practical and Vocational Nurses
Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) care for sick, injured, and disabled patients and are sometimes referred to as licensed vocational nurses (LVNs). Because licensure in this field requires only one year of basic training, LPNs perform their occupational duties under the supervision of physicians and registered nurses. Practical nurses generally provide bedside care to patients, which includes taking their vital signs, administering injections, monitoring catheters, applying dressings, treating bedsores, and giving alcohol massages. LPNs also perform routine lab tests, monitor how patients react to certain medications and treatments, and help patients with daily tasks like eating and dressing. Some state programs certify LPNs to administer prescribed medications and start intravenous fluids as well.LPNs normally work 40 hours per week. Practical and vocational nurses may be asked to work a share of nights, weekends, and holidays to look after patients that need constant surveillance and care. An effective LPN is sympathetic, emotionally stable, observant, and able to follow orders effectively. All U.S. states require LPNs to complete a state-approved practical nursing program. They must also pass a national licensing exam known as the NCLEX-PN.
Practical and vocational nurses work in hospitals, educational services, nursing care facilities, home health care, physicians' offices, and outpatient care centers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the median earnings for LPNs in the U.S. in 2006 as $36,550 a year. [Figures including job projections, reported median incomes, and salary estimates were revised to reflect data from 2006 on 2/20/08.]