Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses

At a Glance

Median Salary
$46,977

Local Jobs
1,656

Entry-Level Education
Certification

Occupation Profile

Care for ill, injured, or convalescing patients or persons with disabilities in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, group homes, and similar institutions. May work under the supervision of a registered nurse. Licensing required.

By The Numbers

Median Annual Earnings

$46,977

Median Annual Earnings are the midpoint earned by 50 percent of workers who are the lowest paid and 50 percent of workers who are the highest paid in a particular occupation

Local Jobs

1,656

Jobs are any position in which a worker provides labor in exchange for monetary compensation (note: one individual may hold multiple jobs)

Entry-Level Education

Certification

This is the most common education level requested in entry-level job listings.

Daily 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.

Occupational Skills

What skills are necessary for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses?

Hard Skills

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
Care Coordination
Home Health Care
Medical Records
Medication Administration
Nursing
Nursing Care
Pediatrics
Primary Care
Vital Signs

Soft Skills

Collections
Communications
Compassion
Computer Literacy
Coordinating
Customer Service
Management
Planning
Teaching
Valid Driver's License

Hard skills are specific, learnable, measurable, often industry- or occupation-specific abilities related to a position.

Soft skills can be self-taught and usually do not necessitate a certain completed level of education. They are essential in many industries and occupations.

Education Programs

Del Mar College

Vocational Nurse Education

Dr. Jennifer McWha

Del Mar College

361-698-2894

jmcwha2@delmar.edu

Program Type	Credential Type	Level	Required Hours	Online	Finanical Aid
Credit	L2		48	No	Yes

Coastal Bend College

Pre-Vocational Nursing

Loana Hernendez

Coastal Bend College

(361) 354-2341

lhernandez@coastalbend.edu

Program Type	Credential Type	Level	Required Hours	Online	Finanical Aid
AH	L1		31	No	Yes

Coastal Bend College

Vocational Nursing

Loana Hernendez

Coastal Bend College

(361) 354-2341

lhernandez@coastalbend.edu

Program Type	Credential Type	Level	Required Hours	Online	Finanical Aid
AH	L1		42	No	Yes

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