Licensed Practical Nurse
Nursing LPN/LVN
Assist in providing general nursing care under the direction of a registered nurse, physician or dentist.
What Licensed Practical Nurses Do
Assist in providing general nursing care under the direction of a registered nurse, physician or dentist.
Common Tasks
- 1Observe patients, charting and reporting changes in patients' conditions, such as adverse reactions to medication or treatment, and taking any necessary action.
- 2Measure and record patients' vital signs, such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration.
- 3Administer prescribed medications or start intravenous fluids, noting times and amounts on patients' charts.
- 4Provide basic patient care or treatments, such as taking temperatures or blood pressures, dressing wounds, treating bedsores, giving enemas or douches, rubbing with alcohol, massaging, or performing catheterizations.
- 5Answer patients' calls and determine how to assist them.
What You'll Learn
Types of Licensed Practical Nurses
Work Environment
Locations
- • Nursing homes and long-term care facilities
- • Hospitals
- • Outpatient clinics and physician offices
- • Home health and private duty homes
- • Rehabilitation and group home settings
Schedule
Many LPNs work set shifts that may include nights, weekends, and holidays, often with a fast pace and high time pressure.
Physical Demands
The job involves long periods of standing and walking, frequent patient handling, and regular bending and lifting. You’ll also do fine-motor tasks like dressing changes, medication administration, and charting.
Salary & Job Outlook
National Employment: 651,400 jobs
Top Paying States
Why Demand May Grow
An aging population and higher rates of chronic conditions increase the need for hands-on nursing care in long-term care, clinics, and home health. Ongoing turnover and retirements also create steady openings.
Skills You'll Need
Pros & Cons
Pros
- • Direct patient care with meaningful impact
- • Strong number of annual job openings
- • Multiple work settings (facility, clinic, home health)
- • Clear pathway to advance (e.g., bridge to RN)
- • Skills are transferable across employers
Cons
- • High time pressure and emotional stress
- • Physically demanding (standing, lifting, moving patients)
- • Shift work can include nights/weekends/holidays
- • Exposure risk to illness and workplace injuries
- • Licensing requirements and ongoing continuing education
Common Questions About the Licensed Practical Nurse Trade
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