Licensed Practical Nurse Health Article

Definition

Licensed practical nurses (L.P.N.s) work under the direction of physicians and registered nurses to provide wellness, preventive, and other health care services to people of all walks of life, including those who are sick, injured, convalescent, and disabled.

Description

L.P.N.s, or licensed vocational nurses (L.V.N.s), as they are called in Texas and California, provide basic bedside care. They work under the supervision of an registered nurse, physician, or other health care provider. L.P.N.s work as part of the health care team taking vital signs, including temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and respiration. They record patients' progress, including patients' food and beverage intake and output. L.P.N.s help hospitalized, bedridden, and other patients with personal hygiene, assisting with bathing and dressing, as well as caring for patients' comfort and emotional wellbeing.

L.P.N.s can be scrub nurses. Scrub nurses directly assist surgeons in the operating room. They are responsible for setting up sterile instruments and supplies and handing them to the operating surgeon or surgical assistant during the procedure. L.P.N.s prepare and give injections and enemas. They treat bedsores, apply dressings, give alcohol rubs and massages, care for tracheostomies, apply ice packs and hot water bottles, and insert catheters. Often, L.P.N.s observe patients so that the nurses can report adverse reactions to treatments or medications. They help to prepare patients for testing by feeding them or giving them necessary liquids. L.P.N.s also collect patient samples for testing and perform some routine laboratory tests. In some states, L.P.N.s are allowed to administer prescribed medications or start intravenous fluids. L.P.N.s also help deliver babies, and care for and feed infants.

In some cases, experienced L.P.N.s supervise other health care professionals, including nursing assistants and aides. In addition to clinical tasks, L.P.N.s provide a variety of clerical or administrative services. Especially when they work in doctors' offices and clinics, L.P.N.s often assist the administrative staff by making appointments, keeping records and answering phones. As other types of nurses, L.P.N.s take part in educating patients about health care, preventive health maintenance, and at-home treatment. They help to promote preventive measures in community health and act to safeguard health and life. L.P.N.s who work in private homes, caring for people who are unable to care for themselves full-time, often help with daily tasks, such as cooking and running errands.

L.P.N.s often assume broad responsibilities when working in nursing homes. In addition to providing general bedside services, L.P.N.s employed in nursing homes might assist the health care team, which general includes registered nurses and physicians, with evaluating residents' needs, initiating care plans and overseeing the activities of nurse aides.

In 1998, L.P.N.s held about 692,000 jobs. It is important that anyone considering a career as a L.P.N. is caring and sympathetic in nature. The job can be emotionally stressful because these nurses often work with the critically or chronically ill. It requires that the nurse exhibit emotional stability and be able to take direction from other types of nurses, doctors and other supervisory staff.

L.P.N.s enjoy flexible work schedules, especially in the hospital setting, where they can work nights and weekends. Most who work full time work a 40-hour week. One in four L.P.N.s worked part time in 1998. Some of the drawbacks of the job are the stress levels, which can be exacerbated by heavy workloads and patients who are confused or irrational due to their illnesses. Most L.P.N.s spend much of their working hours on their feet, and the job can often require heavy lifting. At times, because of the nature of their work, L.P.N.s can be at risk for exposure to caustic chemicals, radiation and infectious diseases, including hepatitis. It is important that L.P.N.s always observe health guidelines.

L.P.N.s earned median annual earnings of $26,940 in 1998. The highest area of reported median annual earnings was in personnel supply services, which was at $30,200 a year. The lowest annual earnings were reported by L.P.N.s working in doctors' offices and clinics, which was $24,500. L.P.N.s who work hourly are reported to make from $12 to $18 an hour.

Work settings

L.P.N.s work in all types of health care settings, including hospitals, clinics, public health environments, home health care agencies, assisted living facilities, rehabilitation facilities and nursing homes. Thirty-two percent of L.P.N.s worked in acute care hospitals in 1998, while 28% worked in nursing homes and 14% worked in doctors' offices and health care clinics. Many others work for temporary help agencies, residential care facilities, schools and government agencies.