LPN Salary Range

Working as an Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) can be a rewarding career option for many among us. Find out more about the range of the salary you can make while working as a LPN.

Licensed Practical Nurses or LPNs provide the basic bedside care for those who are sick, injured and convalescing. They do this under the guidance of physicians and registered nurses. The typical responsibilities of an LPN involve giving injections, taking the vital signs, dressing wounds, performing basic diagnostic checks and administering medications to the patients. You will also be involved in taking care of patients by treating bedsores, providing alcohol massages or rubs, feeding patients and monitoring their food and liquid input and output.

As an LPN, you can also specialize in the different fields of surgery, obstetrics, psychiatry and pediatrics.

To study become an LPN, you will have to have your High School Diploma, and then graduate from an accredited LPN program. You will then have to pass the National Council License Examination. Usually, your training program will include at least one year of training at a vocational technical school or a community college. The different subjects you will study in this course include chemistry, biology, anatomy, psychology, first aid, emergency medical technology, physical education, nutrition and food, child growth and development. You will also be involved in supervised clinical practice in patient care. Typically these programs take about a year to complete. You will need to keep on renewing your license every year with different continuing education courses.

LPNs work in several healthcare facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, private homes, mental health institutions, public health departments and community health clinics. You can also work at outpatient facilities and at long term care facilities.

Depending on the salary scales offered at the place where you work, as an LPN you can have an annual salary ranging from $35,000 to $40,000 or more. The salary range will depend on factors like the number of years of your work experience and the location of the job.

Thus, you can find a very rewarding career option working as a Licensed Practical Nurse.