What do 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.

Also known as:

Charge Nurse, Clinic Licensed Practical Nurse (Clinic LPN), Clinic Nurse, Home Health Licensed Practical Nurse (Home Health LPN), Licensed Practical Nurse (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)

Typical Wages

Projected Growth Rate

Employment of Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses is projected to grow 7 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as average compared to all occupations.

Projected Employment in VA

No Data Available
  • 7.2%

    Change

    Ranks #12 in job growth rate
    1,620

    Job Openings

    Ranks #15 in net job growth

Best colleges for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses

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Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • Some college, no degree  (54%)
  • High school diploma equivalent  (20%)
  • Associate's degree  (19%)
  • Bachelor's degree  (4%)
  • Less than high school diploma  (2%)
  • Master's degree  (1%)
  • Doctorate or Professional Degree  (<1%)

Typical College Majors

Most Popular Majors that prepare Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses

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People in this career often have these skills:

  • Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
  • Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • 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.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • 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.

People in this career often know a lot about:

  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Monitor patient conditions during treatments, procedures, or activities.
  • Record patient medical histories.
  • Measure the physical or physiological attributes of patients.
  • Administer intravenous medications.
  • Administer basic health care or medical treatments.
  • Apply bandages, dressings, or splints.
  • Assist patients with hygiene or daily living activities.
  • Train patients, family members, or caregivers in techniques for managing disabilities or illnesses.
  • Supervise patient care personnel.
  • Sterilize medical equipment or instruments.
  • Analyze quantitative data to determine effectiveness of treatments or therapies.
  • Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
  • Prepare medical supplies or equipment for use.
  • Operate diagnostic or therapeutic medical instruments or equipment.
  • Schedule patient procedures or appointments.
  • Maintain medical facility records.
  • Perform clerical work in medical settings.
  • Test biological specimens to gather information about patient conditions.
  • Collect biological specimens from patients.
  • Manage preparation of special meals or diets.
  • Explain medical procedures or test results to patients or family members.
  • Prepare patients physically for medical procedures.
  • Treat patients using physical therapy techniques.
  • Clean medical equipment or facilities.
  • Maintain inventory of medical supplies or equipment.
  • Order medical supplies or equipment.
  • Assist healthcare practitioners during examinations or treatments.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine Career data: O*NET 28.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

careeronestop logo Videos: CareerOneStop, USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development

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