Information Provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook
Licensed Practical And Licensed Vocational Nurses
Training lasting about 1 year is available in about 1,200 State-approved programs, mostly in vocational or technical schools. Applicants for jobs in hospitals may face competition as the number of hospital jobs for licensed practical nurses declines; however, rapid employment growth is projected in other health care industries, with the best job opportunities occurring in nursing care facilities and in home health care services. Replacement needs will be a major source of job openings, as many workers leave the occupation permanently.
On average, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
earn $ 36,550 per year.
Job Opportunities for Health Care Careers are
expected to:
Increase as fast as the average.
Licensed Practical /Vocational Nurse Training (LPN, LVN, Cert, Dipl, AAS)
Athletic Trainers Emergency Medical Technicians and
Licensed practical nurses (LPNs), or licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), care for people who are sick, injured, convalescent, or disabled under the direction of physicians and registered nurses. (The work of physicians and surgeons and of registered nurses is described elsewhere in the Handbook.) The nature of the direction and supervision required varies by State and job setting.
All States and the District of Columbia require LPNs to pass a licensing examination, known as the NCLEX-PN, after completing a State-approved practical nursing program. A high school diploma or its equivalent usually is required for entry, although some programs accept candidates without a diploma, and some programs are part of a high school curriculum. In 2006, there were more than 1,500 State-approved training programs in practical nursing.
Licensed practical nurses held about 749,000 jobs in 2006. About 26 percent of LPNs worked in hospitals, 26 percent in nursing care facilities, and another 12 percent in offices of physicians. Others worked for home health care services; employment services; residential care facilities; community care facilities for the elderly; outpatient care centers; and Federal, State, and local government agencies. About 19 percent worked part time.
National Association for Practical Nurse Education and Service, Inc.
National Council of State Boards of Nursing
National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses
National League for Nursing
