LVN Job Duties

Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) Job Duties

Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVN) are professional, entry-level health care providers. They work as members of health care teams who provide nursing care to patients in accordance with the laws governing nursing practice. Vocational nurses work under the supervision of registered nurses (RN) or physicians and are responsible for providing basic nursing care.

In general, licensed vocational nurses provide care for sick, injured, convalescent, or disabled people. They may supervise certified nurse aides (CNA) and unlicensed healthcare workers such as graduate nurses. Many vocational nurses elect to specialize in surgery, pediatrics, intensive care, geriatrics, emergency room, obstetrics, gynecology or other specialties in order to further their careers, and increase their skill sets and salaries.

Licensed vocational nurses work in a variety of settings including doctor offices, outpatient clinics, acute medical and surgical hospitals, nursing homes, home care agencies, dialysis centers, blood banks, psychiatric hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers.

LVN job duties vary with employer and specialty but can be expected to include taking blood pressure and pulse rates, preparing and administering certain medications, giving injections, reporting adverse reactions to treatments, and monitoring patients. In addition, vocational nurses monitor catheters, give alcohol rubs and massages, apply ice packs, dressings, compresses, and hot water bottles, treat bedsores, maintain patient records and may be assigned various other tasks by the supervising nurse or doctor.

Licensed vocational nurses may collect various samples for testing, assist patients with personal hygiene, perform routine tests, feed patients, and record food and fluid intake and output. In certain employment setting, vocational nurses help to deliver, and care for infants. In addition to providing routine bedside care, licensed vocational nurses in nursing care facilities help to evaluate residents' needs, develop care plans, and supervise the care provided by nursing assistants and aides.

Even though licensed vocational nurses work under the supervision of doctors and registered nurses, they can't only follow instructions. Many times LVNs have to operate independently and therefore they must be able to work proficiently without continuous instructions from others. In doctors' offices and clinics, they may keep records, make appointments, and perform other clerical duties. Licensed vocational nurses who work for home health agencies may also have to prepare meals and teach family members simple nursing tasks.

All nursing programs teach that in any clinical setting the patient is the most important person. As a result, LVNs and other health care professionals must be able to perform well even when faced with stressful or emergency situations. Vocational nurses are expected to be organized and precise since in this line of work small details can be a matter of life and death.

LVNs need good communication and interpersonal skills since their jobs involve constant interaction with patients, coworkers and other health care professionals. Because of the critical nature of many repetitive clinical duties, vocational nurses should be able to complete their tasks accurately every time. As a vocational nurse you must care about patients, and find satisfaction in helping them.

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