Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
What they do
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.
Expected pay range
Expected pay range
This represents the median earnings for this career in the selected county or state. In the range shown, 25% of workers earned less than the bottom salary and 25% earned more than the top salary. Data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
About licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
Other titles
Charge Nurse, Clinic Licensed Practical Nurse (Clinic LPN), Clinic Nurse, Home Health Licensed Practical Nurse (Home Health LPN), Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), Office Nurse, Pediatric LPN (Pediatric Licensed Practical Nurse), Private Duty Nurse, Radiation Oncology Nurse, Triage LPN (Triage Licensed Practical Nurse)
Tasks they perform
- Observe patients, charting and reporting changes in patients' conditions, such as adverse reactions to medication or treatment, and taking any necessary action.
- Measure and record patients' vital signs, such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration.
- Administer prescribed medications or start intravenous fluids, noting times and amounts on patients' charts.
Skills they need
- Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- 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.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Licenses and Certifications
How to decide which one is right? That depends on an individual’s career path, specialty, and resources.
- License Type
- Stand-alone license
- Status
- Active
- Exam
- Both state and third-party exams required
- Education
- Specific course required
- Continuing education
- Continuing education required to maintain license
- Criminal record
- Specific type of conviction prohibited
Certifications
Certifications may be available for this career and can help build knowledge and skills in specific job roles. Explore available certifications (external link opens new tab)
Similar careers
View careers in the same field as licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses.
Clinical Nurse Specialists
Emergency Medical Technicians
Paramedics
Additional career information and resources
Learn more about licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses with these helpful sites.
- American Health Information Management Association (external link opens new tab)
- American Nurses Association (external link opens new tab)
- National Association for Practical Nurse Education and Service (external link opens new tab)
- National Association of Licensed Practical Nurses (external link opens new tab)
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing (external link opens new tab)
- National League for Nursing (external link opens new tab)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (external link opens new tab)