Licensed Practical Nurse Career & Jobs: Training, Salary & Certification Requirements

In the medical profession, there is a hierarchy of professionals that attend to various patient needs. Although people might consider a doctor to be more important than a nurse, the truth is that nurses perform vital tasks for the patients they are assigned to. Because licensed practical nurses are able to administer intravenous medications, take vital signs, dress wounds and inform patients about the best way to recover from their procedure, doctors are able to spend their time focusing on the most serious patient conditions under their care. Licensed practical nurses are very intuitive, and are well experienced in talking to patients and making sure they understand what it going on around them. It is also part of the nurses responsibility set to communicate patient questions, abnormalities and concerns to the doctors and surgeons.

Salary Outlook

Average Annual Salary
$32,400
Salary Range
$24,300 - $37,600

Work Environment

It is not uncommon for licensed practical nurses to be employed at any type of facility that provides health services for the community. They are employed by hospitals, doctor’s offices, public health clinics, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, schools and home care companies. Nurses spend a lot of time on their feet and are often required to work long shifts that include weekends and holidays.

High School Preparation

Those students who think that they might enjoy a career as a licensed practical nurse should start to prepare early by taking courses in health, science, mathematics, and office management in high school. Supporting courses include biology, chemistry, algebra, psychology, first aid, physical education, food and nutrition, and early childhood education. Strong foundations in computer skills, composition, foreign languages, communications and data entry are also valuable.

Requirements

There is a lot of competition for entering into accredited nursing programs, so interested students should be thinking about applying to programs and researching the requirements at least a year before they graduate high school. Both vocational schools and traditional universities have been known to offer programs for nursing candidates. Following graduation, students are required to pass the National Council Licensure Examination in order to become licensed practical nurses.

Career Outlook

There are many reasons when experts predict that the demand for licensed practical nurses will only continue to grow over the next few years. One of the biggest reasons is that due to better health care and increased access to resources, the elderly population is increasing rapidly. This means that more staff and facilities will need to be available for treating their health conditions and illnesses. Hospitals and large medical centers will likely be the largest employers of licensed practical nurses in the future.

Professional Organizations

National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses
893 US Hwy 70 West, Suite 202
Garner, NC 27529
Phone: (919) 779-0046
www.nflpn.org