LVN Jobs Overview
As a licensed vocational nurse (LVN), you're a primary caregiver for patients and residents, which makes you a critical component of many healthcare systems. LVN jobs are essential for the proper implementation of direct care.
The outlook for LVN jobs is promising, with an expected increase of 3% over the next decade. That comes to around 16,900 additional positions, which would bring the total number of LVN professionals to just below 675,000. If you're seeking an LVN job, now is a great time to be looking. Jobs for LVN professionals will be especially in demand thanks to the prevalence of certain chronic conditions, as well as the inevitable aging of the baby boomer population. Find your next LVN job on IntelyCare today.
LVN Education and Skills
If you wish to become an LVN (known as an LPN in states other than California and Texas), you must complete a certified practical or vocational nursing certificate program — it usually takes about a year to graduate. You’ll learn about nursing, as well as biology and pharmacology in your coursework. Hands-on clinical experience will prepare you to take care of patients.
After you graduate from the program, you’ll receive a certificate, but in order to get your license, you’re required to pass the NCLEX-PN. Doing so legally permits you to hold licensed vocational nurse jobs. You'll probably need basic life support (BLS) certification for most jobs.
Once you’re licensed, you can provide basic nursing care to patients, as well as assist RNs. Your duties may include:
- Taking and tracking a patient’s vital signs.
- Providing assistance to patients when they eat, get dressed, and use the bathroom.
- Helping patients get ready for diagnostic tests.
To advance your clinical training, you may want to pursue certain certifications if they're relevant to your specialty area:
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
- IV certification
- Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP)
- Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
- Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition, and Stabilization (PEARS)
- S.T.A.B.L.E.
If you’re curious about the types of hard and soft skills that employers like to see in candidates, review our LPN job description sample for more information.
LVN Resume and Cover Letter
A strong resume and cover letter can help set you apart from other candidates pursuing vocational nurse jobs. The key is to look at the job ad and see what requirements are featured, then match up your skills accordingly. For example, if a job ad says the ideal candidate has “experience supervising nursing assistants and aides” as one of their top qualifications, your LVN resume should include that phrase — and if you can include the actual number of people you supervised, that would be a bonus.
Your cover letter should feature a line or two about your experience overseeing aids and assistants and how it taught you the importance of clear, concise communication. Our cover letter sample can show you what else you might want to include when applying to jobs for LVN professionals.
Interviewing for an LVN Job
No matter how comfortable and confident you are going into a job interview, it never hurts to practice in advance. Our examples of LVN interview questions can help you prepare smart answers.
Remember that interviews give you a chance to ask some questions to your potential employer, not just vice versa. Inquire about what the organization’s culture is like, if they have any training for new employees, how you’ll be evaluated, and any other questions that might help give you a better understanding of the job.
Ways of Working
You’ll find LVN job openings in a variety of facility types, including hospitals, clinics, and long-term care settings. You also have your choice of the kinds of schedules you work. In addition to full-time and part-time jobs, there are also temporary assignments, contract options, and per diem shifts available. You can also explore travel LVN jobs and remote LVN jobs.
LVN Specialty Areas
If you're trained in a specialty area, you can search for jobs in that field. Here are some examples:
- Aesthetic LVN jobs
- ER LVN jobs
- Home health LVN jobs
- Hospice LVN jobs
- ICU LVN jobs
- Infusion LVN jobs
- Labor and delivery LVN jobs
- Med-surg LVN jobs
- Mother-baby LVN jobs
- New grad LVN jobs
- OB-GYN LVN jobs
- Oncology LVN jobs
- OR LVN jobs
- Outpatient LVN jobs
- PACU LVN jobs
- PCU LVN jobs
- Pediatric LVN jobs
- Psych LVN jobs
- LVN educator jobs
- School LVN jobs
- Telehealth LVN jobs
- Telemetry LVN jobs
- Urgent care LVN jobs
- Utilization review LVN jobs
- Wound care LVN jobs
Salary for Licensed Vocational Nurse Jobs
LVN jobs pay an average salary of $60,790 per year. Your salary can be affected by your years of experience, level of education, the type of facility that employs you, and your location.
For example, in California, the Los Angeles area pays an average $75,880, and the San Diego area pays an average $73,890. In Texas, the Houston area pays an average $59,010, and the San Antonio area pays an average $57,000.
These states pay the highest salaries to LVNs/LPNs:
There's an LVN Job Waiting for You
Ready to get to work? Find out how IntelyCare can match you with LVN jobs in your area. Get started today.