Licensed Practical / Vocational Nurse
Quick Facts
What They Do
A Licensed Practical Nurse or Vocational Nurse provides basic medical care under the direction of registered nurses and other healthcare specialists. The tasks that they are permitted to perform vary by state, but usually include changing bandages, checking blood pressure, or helping feed patients. May work in hospitals, nursing homes, or other healthcare facilities.
Core Tasks:
- Observe patients, charting and reporting changes in patients' conditions, such as adverse reactions to medication or treatment, and taking any necessary action.
- Measure and record patients' vital signs, such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration.
- Administer prescribed medications or start intravenous fluids, noting times and amounts on patients' charts.
- Provide basic patient care or treatments, such as taking temperatures or blood pressures, dressing wounds, treating bedsores, giving enemas or douches, rubbing with alcohol, massaging, or performing catheterizations.
- Answer patients' calls and determine how to assist them.
- Supervise nurses' aides or assistants.
- Evaluate nursing intervention outcomes, conferring with other healthcare team members as necessary.
- Work as part of a healthcare team to assess patient needs, plan and modify care, and implement interventions.
- Record food and fluid intake and output.
- Assemble and use equipment, such as catheters, tracheotomy tubes, or oxygen suppliers.
- Collect samples, such as blood, urine, or sputum from patients, and perform routine laboratory tests on samples.
- Help patients with bathing, dressing, maintaining personal hygiene, moving in bed, or standing and walking.
- Prepare or examine food trays for conformance to prescribed diet.
- Prepare patients for examinations, tests, or treatments and explain procedures.
- Apply compresses, ice bags, or hot water bottles.
What to expect as a Licensed Practical / Vocational Nurse
89% of people achieve this level of education.
See Licensed Practical / Vocational Nurse related courses on Tallo
31408 openings for Licensed Practical / Vocational Nurses
Career Progression
in United States (Nation)
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