Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) Jobs

As a licensed vocational nurse (LVN), you're a primary caregiver for patients and residents in long term care, which makes you a critical component of the healthcare system throughout Texas and California. LVN jobs are essential for the proper implementation of direct care.

Like your LPN counterparts, the outlook for LVN jobs is promising, with an expected increase of 5% over the next decade. Living in California and Texas can be expensive, but these states offer a broad range of cultures, lifestyle options, and both urban and rural opportunities. If you'd like to stick to the urban centers where some of the world's best healthcare centers are located, take a look at these facts and figures about some of the best cities for LVNs in California and Texas.

LVN: Certifications and Licensing

If you are on your way to your first LVN job, looking to improve your opportunities, or just want to offer the best care possible, you'll want to make sure you have considered obtaining some of the common certifications that are most valuable for the LVN scope of practice. Some of the top certifications for LVNs and LPNs include:

• IV Therapy: Best for LVNs who’d like expertise in IV insertion.
• Long-Term Care: Best for LVNs who enjoy working in rehab, skilled nursing, or other long-term care facilities.
• Pharmacology: Best for LVNs who want to work above the usual level of expertise in administering and overseeing medications.
• Wound Care: Best for LVNs who often see patients with wounds and ostomies.
• Urology: Best for LVNs whose patients often present with urological conditions, including older patients in long-term care.
• Hospice and Palliative Care: Best for LVNs who are focusing their practice in hospice or palliative care settings.

As an LVN, you'll need to make sure you keep your license up to date. Letting your license lapse in either Texas or California comes with a host of fees, continuing education requirements, and paperwork that it is best to avoid. Here is the up-to-date information you need to make sure your license stays current:

• California Nursing License Renewal: 3 Steps
• Texas Board of Nursing License Renewal Steps

LVN Resume and Cover Letter

As you begin your job hunt, 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.

If you're curious about the types of hard and soft skills that employers often like to see in candidates, review our LVN job description sample for more information.

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. Take a look at our video on tips for nursing interviews for a few more ideas on how to get prepared.

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.

Salary for Licensed Vocational Nurse Jobs

As you can see from the table above, there is a lot to like about LVN jobs in big cities throughout California and Texas. The average salary for an LVN is about $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 Austin area pays an average $53,000.

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.