A licensed practical nurse, also known as an LPN, works in a healthcare setting. Their responsibilities range from providing routine care to taking note of patients' health. The LPN is super-important to each patient's visit.
LPNs also serve a critical role in helping doctors and registered nurses when needed. Sometimes, as an LPN, you'll have to explain a lot, including medication, home-based care, and preventative lifestyle changes
While, you'll probably work a full-time schedule, it may look a little wonky. Some days you might work a shift that's longer than 8 hours or you might have to take a weekend or night shift. The schooling it takes to become an LPN isn't that long, in fact, most LPN programs take a year to complete.
Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) provide basic medical care. They work under the direction of registered nurses and doctors.
DutiesLicensed practical and licensed vocational nurses typically do the following:
Duties of LPNs and LVNs vary, depending on their work setting and the state in which they work. For example, they may reinforce teaching done by registered nurses regarding how family members should care for a relative; help to deliver, care for, and feed infants; collect samples for testing and do routine laboratory tests; or feed patients who need help eating.
LPNs and LVNs may be limited to doing certain tasks, depending on the state where they work. For example, in some states, LPNs with proper training can give medication or start intravenous (IV) drips, but in other states LPNs cannot perform these tasks. State regulations also govern the extent to which LPNs and LVNs must be directly supervised. For example, an LPN may provide certain forms of care only with instructions from a registered nurse.
In some states, experienced licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses oversee and direct other LPNs or LVNs and unlicensed medical staff.
Becoming a licensed practical or licensed vocational nurse (LPN or LVN) requires completing an approved educational program. LPNs and LVNs also must have a license.
EducationLPNs and LVNs must complete an approved educational program. These programs award a certificate or diploma and typically take about 1 year to complete, but may take longer. They are commonly found in technical schools and community colleges, although some programs may be available in high schools or hospitals.
Practical nursing programs combine classroom learning in subjects such as nursing, biology, and pharmacology. All programs also include supervised clinical experience.
Contact state boards of nursing for lists of approved programs.
Licenses, Certifications, and RegistrationsAfter completing a state-approved educational program, prospective LPNs and LVNs can take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN). In all states, they must pass the exam to get a license and work as an LPN or LVN. For more information on the NCLEX-PN examination and a list of state boards of nursing, visit the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
LPNs and LVNs may choose to become certified through professional associations in areas such as gerontology and IV therapy. Certifications show that an LPN or LVN has an advanced level of knowledge about a specific subject.
In addition, employers may prefer to hire candidates who are trained to provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Important QualitiesCompassion. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses must be empathetic and caring toward the people they serve.
Detail oriented. LPNs and LVNs need to be responsible and detail oriented, because they must make sure that patients get the correct care at the right time.
Interpersonal skills. Interacting with patients and other healthcare providers is a big part of their jobs, so LPNs and LVNs need good interpersonal skills.
Patience. Dealing with sick and injured people may be stressful. LPNs and LVNs should be patient, so they can cope with any stress that stems from providing care to these patients.
Physical stamina. LPNs and LVNs should be comfortable performing physical tasks, such as bending over patients for a long time.
Speaking skills. It is important that LPNs and LVNs be able to communicate effectively. For example, they may need to relay information about a patient’s current condition to a registered nurse.
AdvancementWith experience, licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses may advance to supervisory positions. Some LPNs and LVNs advance to other healthcare occupations. For example, an LPN may complete a LPN to RN education program to become a registered nurse.
Tell us your goals and we'll match you with the right jobs to get there.
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of registered nurse you might progress to a role such as registered nurse supervisor eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title assistant director of nursing.
Tell us your goals and we'll match you with the rights job to get there.
Job TitleCompany  | Company | Start Date | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
General Healthcare Resources Psych LPN Psych LPN | General Healthcare Resources General Healthcare Resources | 01/31/2021 01/31/2021 | $56,34901/31/2021 $56,349 |
General Healthcare Resources LTC LPN LTC LPN | General Healthcare Resources General Healthcare Resources | 01/31/2021 01/31/2021 | $58,43601/31/2021 $58,436 |
Cross Country Medical Staffing Network Licensed Practical Nurse-LPN Long Term Care-LTC Licensed Practical Nurse-LPN Long Term Care-LTC | Cross Country Medical Staffing Network Cross Country Medical Staffing Network | 01/30/2021 01/30/2021 | $52,17501/30/2021 $52,175 |
Aveanna Healthcare Licensed Vocational Nurse Licensed Vocational Nurse | Aveanna Healthcare Aveanna Healthcare | 01/30/2021 01/30/2021 | $50,08801/30/2021 $50,088 |
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Licensed Practical Nurse Licensed Practical Nurse | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Commonwealth of Pennsylvania | 01/30/2021 01/30/2021 | $48,19601/30/2021 $48,196 |
Use Zippia's Salary Calculator to see how your pay matches up.
Designing and figuring out what to include on your resume can be tough, not to mention time-consuming. That's why we put together a guide that is designed to help you craft the perfect resume for becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse. If you're needing extra inspiration, take a look through our selection of templates that are specific to your job.
Learn How To Write a Licensed Practical Nurse Resume
At Zippia, we went through countless Licensed Practical Nurse resumes and compiled some information about how best to optimize them. Here are some suggestions based on what we found, divided by the individual sections of the resume itself.
View Detailed InformationAtlanta, GA • Private
Farmingdale, NY • Public
New York, NY • Private
Albany, NY • Private
Omaha, NE • Private
Mercedita, PR • Private
Buffalo, NY • Public
Arecibo, PR • Private
Bayamon, PR • Private
Randolph, VT • Public
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 21.9% of licensed practical nurses listed lpn on their resume, but soft skills such as interpersonal skills and speaking skills are important as well.
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a licensed practical nurse. The best states for people in this position are Hawaii, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. Licensed practical nurses make the most in Hawaii with an average salary of $58,592. Whereas in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, they would average $49,956 and $49,847, respectively. While licensed practical nurses would only make an average of $49,626 in New Hampshire, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Maine
$48,956
Avg. Salary
2. New Hampshire
$49,627
Avg. Salary
3. Vermont
$48,291
Avg. Salary
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Pediatric • March +0000We've made finding a great employer to work for easy by doing the hard work for you. We looked into employers that employ licensed practical nurses and discovered their number of licensed practical nurse opportunities and average salary. Through our research, we concluded that Maxim Healthcare Services was the best, especially with an average salary of $53,348. Golden Living follows up with an average salary of $50,712, and then comes Interim Healthcare with an average of $50,303. In addition, we know most people would rather work from home. So instead of having to change careers, we identified the best employers for remote work as a licensed practical nurse. The employers include Cigna, Saint Luke's Health System, and Matrix Medical Network
