Career: Licensed Practical Nurses
You’re in the hospital recovering from surgery. The surgeon stops by to check on you, and the registered nurse administers postoperative treatments, but it is the licensed practical nurses (LPNs) -- also known as licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) -- who are responsible for your everyday maintenance and care on the road to recovery.
LPNs will take your temperature and change your surgical dressings to prevent infection. They'll make sure you’re comfortable and that your recovery goes according to plan. They'll even help you take your first postoperative bath.
Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) give patients basic bedside care in hospitals, nursing homes, doctor's offices, private homes, and other settings. They keep an eye on the health of patients and report their progress to doctors and registered nurses.
“You have to be a compassionate person who gets a lot of satisfaction from helping others.”
Jane, LPN
Are You Ready To...?
- Care for confused, irrational patients who have just come out of surgery
- Comfort patients
- Work to ensure successful patient recovery
- Check vital signs, such as blood pressure and temperature
- Change dressings
- Feed patients
- Help patients with personal hygiene
- Help patients in and out of bed
- Stand for long periods of time
It Helps to Be...
Caring, sympathetic, calm, and able to work as part of a team. Patients will be your primary concern, but you'll also have to follow orders and work closely with other health care providers.
Make High School Count
- Take plenty of math and science courses.
- Enhance your communication skills through English composition, drama, and speech classes.
- Study a foreign language so you’ll be able to communicate with different patients and communities.
- Volunteer to work at a health clinic, a hospital, a women’s clinic, or an eldercare facility
Did You Know?
- In many states, LPNs are certified to administer prescribed medicines and start intravenous fluids.
Outlook
Government economists expect job growth for LPNs to be faster than the average for all careers through 2016. However, hospital jobs may be hard to come by. Opportunities in other settings are much more promising, especially in nursing homes and home health care services.
Compensation
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that LPNs earned an average yearly salary of $38,940 in 2007. The average hourly rate was $18.72.
