Licensed Practical Nurse Job Description and Career Overview?

Answer 1

Licensed practical nurses are competent professionals who have completed the appropriate training, passed all necessary state licensure requirements, and serve as invaluable assistants to other healthcare professionals like doctors and registered nurses. They may also be called licensed vocational nurses.

The educational requirements to become a licensed practical nurse, or LPN, are a high school diploma or equivalent, successful completion of a state-approved training course, and hands-on, on-the-job experience working with patients. Most training school programs last about a year, and cover basic subjects like: anatomy, physiology, nursing, pharmacology, and first aid. More education can be acquired if desired, but these are the minimum requirements.

After completing the training course, the prospective licensed practical nurse candidate must apply for a state-issued license. While regulations vary from state to state, all candidates must pass the National Council Licensure Examination to receive their license. For more information on the exact requirements, individuals who are interested in becoming licensed practical nurses should contact their state board of nursing.

While many health care professionals are specialists in one particular field or area of medicine, licensed practical nurses have a broad base of knowledge of all areas of nursing and patient care. This wealth of knowledge makes them superb assistants in any medical setting. In some situations and depending upon their expertise and state regulations, a licensed practical nurse can administer medications and perform other advanced duties.

Whether the need is for someone to set appointments to filing and other administrative duties to checking vital signs and taking patient histories, the LPN can wear many hats with ease. In many cases, the licensed practical nurses supervise other nursing staff personnel like certified nursing aids and nursing aides. The LPN is the backbone of the medical profession because of the many skills and functions they can provide.

What career path advancements are available for licensed practical nurses? LPN’s can continue their education and become: registered nurses, clinical nurses, certified nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, or even physician’s assistants.