What does LVN mean in NURSING

A Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) is a healthcare professional who provides basic nursing care to patients under the direction of physicians and registered nurses. They are qualified through completion of state accredited training programs, such as diploma, certificate, or an associate degree.

An LVN can provide direct patient care including monitoring vital signs, collecting samples for laboratory tests, administering medications and injections, providing wound care treatment, and performing other tasks to help support patient recovery. They may also provide emotional support to family members of their patients by offering advice related to medical treatments.

It usually takes between one year and 18 months complete the educational requirements for becoming an LVN. During this time period, students may need to take classes in subjects such as anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, nutrition science, communication skills and fundamentals of nursing. After graduating from an accredited program, they must obtain a license from the state board which regulates nursing practice.

Yes, in order to practice as a Licensed Vocational Nurse in the US certification must be obtained from the state board regulating nurse practice. Certification requirements generally include passing an exam administered by the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN).

LVNs often work in long term care facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes where they provide direct patient care services with supervision from Registered Nurses or physicians. They can also find employment at home health agencies or outpatient health centers providing patient care services on site or at home visits. Other employment opportunities may include mental health facilities or correctional institutions delivering quality healthcare services in these specific settings.

The median salary for an LVN in 2019 was around $45K annually depending on geographical location and experience level according to data collected by Payscale.com. However most experienced LVNs may earn salaries in excess of $60k per year depending on the employer. Some employers may offer additional benefits like paid vacations days or 401K contributions as well.

Yes there are specializations within vocations nursing such as public health vocational nursing which focuses on promoting public health initiatives through education programs at schools and other community organizations; dialysis vocational nurses who specialize in caring for patients with chronic kidney failure; medical-surgical vocational nurses who provide medical treatments to hospitalized patients; geriatric vocational nurses who focus on treating elderly patients; and women's health vocational nurses that specialize in preventive and obstetric gynecology services.

Depending on your career goals you may want consider gaining additional certifications that will enhance your marketability as a nursing professional such as Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), Corporate Health Educator (CHE) or Basic Life Support (BLS). It is important that you research what types of certifications employers require before making decisions about what kind of certifications you might pursue after becoming an LVN.

In some countries it may be possible for trained LVSs to work abroad however this depends on individual country regulations regarding healthcare credentials recognition and licensing requirements so it is important doing research into what type of documentation will be needed before applying for positions overseas.

No prior experience is not typically necessary when enrolling into a Lvn program but having work experience either through internships or volunteer programs can give applicants more insight into how real life medical situations can vary greatly from those presented during classroom instruction thus making them more competitive when searching for job opportunities upon graduation.