Find Trade Colleges
Life As a Licensed Practical or Licensed Vocational Nurse
Career Description Care for ill, injured, or convalescing patients or persons with disabilities in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, group homes, and similar institutions. May work under the supervision of a registered nurse. Licensing required.
What Do Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Do On a Daily Basis?
- Administer prescribed medications or start intravenous fluids, noting times and amounts on patients’ charts.
- Record food and fluid intake and output.
- Measure and record patients’ vital signs, such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration.
- Answer patients’ calls and determine how to assist them.
- Evaluate nursing intervention outcomes, conferring with other healthcare team members as necessary.
- Apply compresses, ice bags, or hot water bottles.
Featured schools near , edit
LP or LV Nurse Needed Skills
When polled, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Nursing Technician
- Private Duty Nurse
- Pediatric Licensed Practical Nurse (PEDIATRIC LPN)
- Office Nurse
- Home Health Care Provider
Are There Job Opportunities for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses?
There were about 724,500 jobs for Licensed Practical or Licensed Vocational Nurse in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 12.3% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 88,900 new jobs for Licensed Practical or Licensed Vocational Nurse by 2026. There will be an estimated 62,700 positions for LP or LV Nurse per year.
The states with the most job growth for LP or LV Nurse are Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. Watch out if you plan on working in Kansas, Wisconsin, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Make A Lot Of Money?
The typical yearly salary for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses is somewhere between $33,680 and $62,160.
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses who work in Rhode Island, Alaska, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $38,230 |
| Alaska | $58,250 |
| Arizona | $54,090 |
| Arkansas | $39,570 |
| California | $56,200 |
| Colorado | $51,210 |
| Connecticut | $56,970 |
| Delaware | $52,860 |
| District of Columbia | $53,370 |
| Florida | $44,400 |
| Georgia | $41,690 |
| Hawaii | $50,930 |
| Idaho | $44,280 |
| Illinois | $51,080 |
| Indiana | $44,310 |
| Iowa | $42,820 |
| Kansas | $43,240 |
| Kentucky | $41,920 |
| Louisiana | $39,480 |
| Maine | $45,610 |
| Maryland | $53,650 |
| Massachusetts | $58,990 |
| Michigan | $49,040 |
| Minnesota | $47,020 |
| Mississippi | $37,930 |
| Missouri | $42,580 |
| Montana | $43,770 |
| Nebraska | $43,160 |
| Nevada | $57,140 |
| New Hampshire | $52,510 |
| New Jersey | $56,290 |
| New Mexico | $47,560 |
| New York | $48,770 |
| North Carolina | $44,610 |
| North Dakota | $46,410 |
| Ohio | $43,430 |
| Oklahoma | $41,260 |
| Oregon | $53,240 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,120 |
| Rhode Island | $59,130 |
| South Carolina | $40,890 |
| South Dakota | $38,630 |
| Tennessee | $40,120 |
| Texas | $46,990 |
| Utah | $48,130 |
| Vermont | $49,720 |
| Virginia | $44,850 |
| Washington | $55,420 |
| West Virginia | $36,770 |
| Wisconsin | $45,290 |
| Wyoming | $46,790 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Word processing software
- Microsoft Windows
- Spreadsheet software
- MEDITECH software
- Scheduling software
- Google Drive
- Medical procedure coding software
- Inventory tracking software
- Epic Systems
- Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS
- Medical condition coding software
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- Diagnostic and procedural coding software
- PointClickCare
- MedicWare EMR
How to Become a LP or LV Nurse
Learn what Licensed Practical or Licensed Vocational Nurse education requirements there are.
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Work
Below are examples of industries where Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses work:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.