Becoming a Licensed Vocation Nurse (LVN) is a great beginning step in the nursing field. Licensed vocational nurses can practice many nursing functions, but not all of what a registered nurse does. However, this is a very good entry-level position if you choose to continue your nursing education. Licensed vocational nurses learn the job responsibilities mostly from on-the-job training, hence the word vocational. There is no degree needed for this license, you receive a nursing diploma or certificate. This certificate does, however, enable you to do an LVN to RN bridge program and receive credit for your work experience and classes as an LVN.
If you want to enter the nursing profession, you need to make sure that you have adequate grades and science courses in high school. Getting a nursing education has never been easier as you can now earn your degree by participating in one of the top-notch online nursing schools available across the country. There are also community colleges and adult schools that offer accelerated programs where you can earn your LVN certification in as little as 12 months.
Educational Requirements
Use these tips to learn about the requirements to become a licensed vocational nurse:
- Determine your available schedule for classes. LVN programs can be taken on a full-time or part-time basis or for some classes, online. On a full-time basis, some programs run for 12-18 months. When taking online classes, practical or clinical time in hospitals are scheduled either by the institution running the program (if offered) or by yourself. Be prepared that most clinical hours are scheduled by the hospital in the early morning during the week. A full-time program usually does two days a week in the classroom and three days a week in the clinical setting. A part-time or online program may allow you the time to continue working while going to school and clinical hours are scheduled on weekends and holidays, which is convenient for working students with busy lives.
- Select an LVN program. Look for a program that is certified by your state. There are hospital-run LVN programs in which classroom time may be done in the hospital or at a local adult school where your supervised clinical practicum is done in local hospitals, long-term care facilities, and rehabilitation units.
Review the requirements for application as well as the tuition fees, curriculum and class schedules. You may want to tour the campus so you can see their facilities and get a feel for the place. Some adult schools require you to pass an admission test and be accepted up to a year before the class starts, as class sizes may be very limited.
When looking at schools, ask what the passing rate for students is on the NCLEX-PN exam, a good school will have close to a 100% pass rate for their students who take the exam. That is, almost every student who goes through their nursing program receives a passing 85% or higher on the test. - Apply for the program. Requirements for application vary from school to school. Normally, all schools require a high school diploma, G.E.D. or passing a state approved proficiency exam. You must be at least 18 years old for LVN licensure, but you can enter a program if you are at least 17 years of age and have a high school diploma or equivalent. Some require attendance to a Nursing Information Workshop and/or entrance examinations. Your cumulative GPA should be at least 2.5 for some LVN schools. Others require a higher GPA. Complete the application form and submit all your requirements and pay the necessary fees. Requirements include fingerprinting, background verification, letters of recommendation, and sometimes a personal interview or essay on why you would like to be a nurse.
- Study and complete the LVN program. Once you’re in, all you need to do is study, do the necessary coursework, perform clinical duties and pass your exams. Expect classes in human anatomy, biology and math. While in school, develop your written and oral communication skills that you will need in the performance of your LVN job.
- Finish the clinical education portion of the program. You must complete your on-site education under the strict supervision of the assigned nursing instructor. This is where you apply the classroom theories. In some programs, clinical hours run right alongside your classroom hours, others begin after you complete your classroom studies. During clinical rotations, get used to talking to patients, doctors and other nurses on the floor. Ask questions about disease processes, medications and unfamiliar procedures. When allowed, ask to watch certain procedures being done. This is where the actual learning in nursing begins, on the hospital floor.
- Succeed in passing your state’s licensing exam. The State Board of Nursing administers the licensing exam for LVNs. Passing the NCLEX-PN (National Council Licensure Examination-Practical Nurse) is necessary for you to become a certified LVN and start joining the ranks of working LVNs. You can find study guides and practice tests for the NCLEX-PN online. You will need to receive an 85% score on this exam to pass.
- Apply for your nursing license and begin working. If you pass your NCLEX exam then you can apply for your nursing license. Your instructors will help you with the forms and requirements. You will need to have a valid license before you begin to work on a hospital floor, but most hospitals will find acceptable work other than patient care and begin your orientation while you’re waiting on your license.
Job Responsibilities
An LVN, working under the supervision of a registered nurse, handles the general care of medical patients. They take a patient’s medical history, provide general care to patients’ needs when necessary, administer medications and injections, and take and record the patients’ vital signs. In addition, LVNs can be certified to insert intravenous lines, give intravenous infusions of normal body fluids such as normal saline and blood. Other procedures include catheter insertions, gastric tube insertion, drawing blood, wound care and giving respiratory treatments. The job also includes documentation in the patient’s chart and communicating with doctors and RNs regarding the patient’s condition. The LVN role is an important link in patients receiving complete care and is very rewarding.
Wages and Job Opportunities
An LVN can expect to make an annual salary of approximately $28,000 up to $53,000. On average, an LVN makes about $46,000 a year. Pay scales are based on experience in nursing, location where you live and where you work.
You can work the fast paced environment of a hospital or emergency room or the slower paced long term care facilities. There are openings for LVNs in home health agencies, hospices and even medical offices. Some counties even allow LVNs to be school nurses with a special certification by the county in Public Health. Hospital and emergency room jobs are usually 12 hour shifts on any given day of the week, but home health and medical offices offer Monday through Friday daytime hours. Most nurses enjoy the 12-hour shifts, as they only have to work three days a week.
Opportunities for Growth
There are some LVNs that work in this field for a while and then wish to advance their nursing career. LVNs have limited responsibilities and lower salaries. So it is not uncommon for LVNs to seek higher nursing positions. There are many programs where LVNs can “bridge” up to Registered Nursing. In a bridge program, the school applies experience in the field to create a shorter nursing program for a RN. If you have completed your general education requirements for college, as an LVN, you can enter the RN program in the second semester and be an RN in as little as one year. Keep this option in mind and explore programs that you can take once you feel you want to move on from LVN jobs. There are also online nursing programs that you can take to earn your bachelor’s degree (BSN), otherwise known as an LVN to BSN bridge program.
There will always be nursing jobs, so as you’re studying for your career, know that there is no shortage of nurse employment. Nursing is a very rewarding career with great financial security. Becoming an LVN is a great way to enter the nursing field and set the stage for many opportunities.