subject: Lvn In Less Than A Year [print this page] It may seem like a daunting task to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse, or LVN, but all the hard work needed to gain that license could well be accomplished in less than a year. You could be assisting doctors and registered nurses (RNs) in that short a time, well on your way to a new career, whether you want to remain an LVN or move on to become an RN yourself.
Better known as Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) around most of the United States, these medical professionals are placed between a certified nursing assistant (CNA) and a fully-qualified registered nurse. As such, they work directly under the supervision of either an RN or a doctor.
So what exactly does an LVN do to assist doctors and other nurses? Much of it is just what anyone would expect a nurse to do - feeding patients who are unable to feed themselves, bathing or dressing patients who need assistance, and other basic bedside care procedures. In a typical doctors office, it may well be an LVN taking samples for tests, injecting the patient with important medicine, or dressing wounds when injured patients come in for care that is not quite the emergency level. After some experience, the LVN might even end up supervising nursing assistants and aides on her own.
Hospitals are not the only place to find an LVN. There is just too much involved in medical care for doctors and registered nurses to accomplish, and they need the services of LVNs to care properly for patients wherever they happen to be. This includes private practice, rest homes, or even surgical centers. There are a number of doctors in private practice who will actually hire LVNs over RNs, since the former costs less to employ, but can serve almost all of the same functions. This kind of arrangement could be a great stepping stone for an LVN, or a good place to do some valuable work for the community in the long term.
An experienced LVN has even more options. Many find good jobs working in private homes, assisting the elderly or anyone who needs minor medical assistance. Often, these nurses are more than simple medical professionals - they become companions to their clients, cooking for them, or teaching some basic medical information to the family so the person in need is never without help, even when the nurse is away.
You will probably work a 40-hour-week, but don't expect those hours to only occur between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. People have medical needs all the time, including weekends, holidays, and in the dead of night, so be prepared to work at any time. That work may be somewhat physically demanding, as well. You may be called upon to help a patient to walk, or even to briefly lift a patient. As a nurse, you'll need to be physically fit, and healthy. Even in the best-maintained facility, you can be exposed to disease, hazardous chemicals, or suffer back injury from lifting and moving patients or equipment. Remain careful, and you'll remain fit for duty.
As the name implies, a license is needed to become an LVN. Fortunately, there are many state-approved programs at local colleges all around the country. In just about a year, you could be an actual nurse, working in a hospital, not only improving your standard of living, but improving the lives of literally dozens or hundreds of people a year.
