How to become a licensed practical and licensed vocational nurse
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.
Steps to get there
Most employers expect most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree..Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
What licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses do
- 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.
- Collect samples, such as blood, urine, or sputum from patients, and perform routine laboratory tests on samples.
- 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.
- Evaluate nursing intervention outcomes, conferring with other healthcare team members as necessary.
- Record food and fluid intake and output.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Writing
- Learning Strategies
Is licensed practical and licensed vocational nurse a good career?
On the numbers, this job pays above the typical job. Median pay is 26% above the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.
Where it pays most
- Washington $83,150
- Alaska $80,800
- Oregon $80,470
- Massachusetts $80,220
- Rhode Island $80,090
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses salary by state and city
Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.