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Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
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.
Other titles employers use
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
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
- Provide 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.
- Answer patients' calls and determine how to assist them.
- Supervise nurses' aides or assistants.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, practical and organizing work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Service Orientation
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordination
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Monitoring
Subjects to know
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Psychology
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Administration and Management
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
- Speech Clarity
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.7 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 3.8 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 4.6 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 3.4 | Some of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a postsecondary certificate. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A certificate or some college 73%
- A two-year degree 16%
- A four-year degree 11%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Medical software
- Video conferencing software
- Electronic mail software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Operating system software
- Word processing software
- Categorization or classification software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 92,000
- Job openings each year
- 7,830
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 17.8%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 92,000 | 7,830 | 17.8% |
| Texas | 70,660 | 5,830 | 12.4% |
| New York | 57,020 | 1,110 | 24.1% |
| Florida | 42,580 | 3,520 | 12.7% |
| Ohio | 38,230 | 2,930 | 1.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 36,560 | 2,900 | 6.2% |
| Georgia | 25,940 | 2,130 | 12.0% |
| Tennessee | 21,950 | 1,890 | 19.6% |
| Louisiana | 20,670 | 1,650 | 7.5% |
| Virginia | 20,240 | 1,620 | 7.2% |
| Illinois | 19,480 | 1,510 | 2.7% |
| North Carolina | 18,320 | 1,490 | 10.0% |
| New Jersey | 17,550 | 1,390 | 6.3% |
| Minnesota | 14,850 | 1,150 | 3.6% |
| Oklahoma | 14,450 | 1,150 | 6.3% |
| Missouri | 13,750 | 1,090 | 5.7% |
| Indiana | 12,990 | 1,040 | 7.5% |
| Alabama | 12,150 | 960 | 6.1% |
| Arkansas | 11,660 | 930 | 6.7% |
| Kentucky | 11,440 | 910 | 6.7% |
| Michigan | 10,730 | 820 | 1.3% |
| South Carolina | 10,500 | 870 | 12.9% |
| Connecticut | 9,450 | 740 | 4.2% |
| Mississippi | 9,420 | 740 | 5.5% |
| Washington | 8,730 | 800 | 10.5% |
| Maryland | 8,230 | 650 | 6.3% |
| Arizona | 8,210 | 730 | 25.5% |
| Kansas | 7,420 | 590 | 6.0% |
| West Virginia | 7,270 | 590 | 10.0% |
| Wisconsin | 6,720 | 510 | — |
| Iowa | 6,710 | 550 | 12.0% |
| Nebraska | 6,580 | 530 | 8.8% |
| Colorado | 5,590 | 460 | 12.5% |
| Massachusetts | 5,160 | 410 | 7.7% |
| Puerto Rico | 4,370 | 360 | 13.5% |
| Oregon | 3,990 | 330 | 12.7% |
| Nevada | 3,840 | 330 | 19.3% |
| Idaho | 3,340 | 290 | 19.3% |
| North Dakota | 2,800 | 230 | 8.9% |
| Delaware | 2,500 | 210 | 16.8% |
| South Dakota | 2,320 | 190 | 7.9% |
| Montana | 2,250 | 190 | 15.4% |
| New Hampshire | 2,250 | 180 | 5.1% |
| New Mexico | 2,110 | 180 | 15.9% |
| Utah | 2,080 | 180 | 24.6% |
| Rhode Island | 1,810 | 150 | 9.0% |
| District of Columbia | 1,320 | 110 | 9.1% |
| Vermont | 1,200 | 100 | 12.1% |
| Maine | 980 | 80 | 2.1% |
| Wyoming | 730 | 60 | 14.1% |
| Alaska | 360 | 30 | 12.5% |
| Guam | 110 | 10 | 22.2% |
| Virgin Islands | 100 | 10 | −9.1% |
Career to college
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