A licensed vocational nurse (LVN) provides basic care to patients and is supervised by more advanced nurses, such as RNs. As an LVN, you get to work in a variety of environments, including extended care facilities, nursing homes and doctor’s offices. An LVN nurse can also be found in hospitals as well as patient’s homes. But what exactly will they be doing?
Join us as we explore the responsibilities of an LVN nurse in today’s healthcare setting. Through the medium of this blog, we will explain the top eight responsibilities LVNs have.
Providing Direct Patient Care
Working as an LVN nurse, you will provide care directly to patients. In fact, working as an LVN or an LPN nurse, you may also be the patient’s initial point of contact. Typical activities can include monitoring vital signs, drawing blood, and discussing healthcare concerns. Reporting patient condition updates to physicians and RNs is also part of the job.
Providing comfort in terms of bathing, dressing, and keeping patients warm also figures into the work. Preparing patients for surgery and treatments, changing bandages, inserting catheters, and giving injections are numbered among the duties of an LVN as well.
Collaborating with the Healthcare Team
As an LVN nurse, you’re a collaborative member of the healthcare team. You’ll work closely with RNs, physicians, and other healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive care.
Patient Education and Support
An important part of what you’ll do as an LVN nurse is educating patients and their families in the form of providing instruction, support, and guidance. For example, you may have to explain medical treatments to patients in a way they’ll understand. Thus, it’s key that you possess good communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to listen.
Ensuring Safety and Compliance
Observation is a central component of an LVN’s role in patient safety and compliance. As you’ll commonly spend a great deal of time with patients, you are likely to notice things other members of the patient care team may overlook. You’ll also be required to ensure a safe and clean environment for your patients.
Documentation and Record Keeping
As an LVN nurse, documenting patient care and maintaining health records will be part of your responsibilities. Physicians and RNs—as well as your patients—will depend upon you to keep accurate and up-to-date records of your patient’s health and the care you provide.
Utilizing Technological Tools
Thankfully, for you as well as the patient, there are technological innovations that help with nursing care. These include automated IV pumps, portable monitors, and “smart” beds. Patient wearable devices, electronic health records, and centralized command centers have also emerged to help make the work of the LPN nurse easier and more effective.
Advocating for Patients’ Rights
The LVN nurse is also responsible for advocating for their patients. Their advocacy can include ensuring patient safety and helping them get answers to their questions and concerns. Educating patients about managing their conditions and connecting them to resources. In some cases, you may be called upon to defend your patient against unreasonable demands made by a patient’s difficult relative.
Continuing Education and Professional Development
Depending on the state in which you’ll work, you must complete a certain number of hours of continuing education for license renewal. As an LVN nurse, you also may choose to further your education to become a registered nurse, as you play an essential role in healthcare services delivery. As such, you’ll work diligently and collaboratively to provide patients with quality care and support.
The Benefits of Working as an LVN Nurse With Wanderly
Wanderly specializes in helping nursing professionals find the best nursing jobs, such as PCT, RN, travel nurse, and LVN nurses. With our revolutionary platform, you can connect with healthcare staffing agencies to land assignments that suit you well.
We consider your specific concerns to help you find postings in the locations you most desire. Additionally, working as a travel nurse can serve to enrich your skill set in ways that working in a single facility cannot. You’ll be exposed to a wide variety of patients, medical professionals, and treatment strategies, making you one of the most experienced people anywhere you go.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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What’s the difference between an LVN nurse and an RN?
The LVN nurse is trained in fundamental nursing skills, including administering medicines, taking vital signs, and helping with basic patient care. RNs have more responsibilities and more advanced training,
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How long does it take to become an LPN nurse?
While it typically takes a year to complete an LPN nurse program, some curriculums can be as long as two years or as short as seven months.
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How much does the LVN nurse position pay?
The exact amount varies by situation, facility, and specialty. However, the average LVN nurse made between $47,480 and $58,090 in 2023.