LPN Job Description

Licensed practical nurses are in demand in several industries throughout the global workforce. Most LPN's work in healthcare facilities, including hospitals, doctors’ offices, and nursing homes. Their duties generally include providing routine care, observing patients’ health, assisting doctors and registered nurses, and communicating with patients and their families.

However, many LPN's also work outside of traditional healthcare settings. Some LPN's are hired by families to provide private care for sick or injured individuals, while others work for businesses and provide basic care and health consultations to employees and customers.

LPN's also have employment options that go beyond actually providing healthcare services. LPN's are often hired by state and federal government agencies to act as consultants regarding health-related issues, programs, and initiatives in cities and communities. Others may work directly in their communities to provide health education and basic awareness to under-served populations that are otherwise never exposed to personal healthcare concepts. There are many LPN career avenues to succeed. Please sure to review the potential LPN salary of this rewarding career as well.

Finally, LPN's can use their healthcare education and licensure to change or supplement their careers in other fields in the medical industry. Medical coding, medical billing, medical call centers and customer service, insurance sales and consulting, and medical transcription are all fields where LPN's can transfer their skills and quickly achieve success.

LPN Job Description

Licensed practical nurses (LPN's) fill important roles in modern healthcare practices. Their primary job duty is to provide routine care, observe patients’ health, assist doctors and registered nurses, and communicate instructions to patients regarding medication, home-based care, and preventative lifestyle changes. Learn more about LPN specialty certifications.

Nursing Home LPNs

LPN's who work in nursing homes can expect to have responsibilities that include:

• Admitting new residents
• Assisting physicians during rounds of residents’ rooms
• Assigning and delegating duties to non-licensed nursing staff
• Monitoring resident care and supervising other nursing staff
• Performing ongoing assessments of residents’ physical and mental health
• Explaining procedures and treatment protocols to residents

Related Articles:

• How to Become an LPN
• Yes, LPN's Can Work Somewhere Other Than a Nursing Home
• How to Become a CNA
• Changing LPN Job Specialties 

Hospital and Private Clinic LPNs

LPN's who work in hospitals and private clinics are typically required to perform the following job duties:

• Planning and managing patient care according to each patient’s needs
• Interviewing patients and recording their medical history
• Obtaining patient vital signs and escorting patients to their rooms
• Administering injections of medications
• Verifying that patient charts are updated promptly and accurately
• Observing and recording patients’ conditions and reactions to medications and treatments

Home Health LPNs

LPN's who work in private residences and homes may have different job duties than other LPN's. Their unique responsibilities include:

• Helping patients bathe, get dressed, go to the bathroom, and eat
• Monitoring patients’ overall health during every visit
• Changing bandages, wound dressings, and catheters
• Setting up exercise programs for patients
• Verifying patients are taking the correct dosages of medications
• Remaining on-call for patients who have healthcare emergencies

To learn more about the LPN's work day check out our piece on what LPN's do.

Career Outlook for LPN's

The United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that the job outlook for LPN's will grow 16 percent between 2014 and 2024, which is considered much faster than the average of other occupations in the country.

In 2014, there were 719,900 LPN's working in the United States. The BLS projects that number to increase to 819,660 by 2024—an increase of 100,660 jobs.

A major factor for this growth is the overall aging of people in the Baby Boomer generation. With millions of people in this age range reaching retirement age, their need for routine healthcare will increase dramatically, which in turn will increase the demand for LPNs and other healthcare professionals.

In addition, the increasing numbers of people who are diagnosed with diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic-related conditions also reinforces the need for LPN's in all facets of the country’s workforce. LPN's will not only be in high demand in doctor’s offices and hospitals, but they will also see new opportunities to work privately in homes, as healthcare consultants, and as healthcare educators in their communities.

The BLS also projects that newly graduated LPN's will see increased job openings throughout the country due to older LPN's retiring from the workforce during the coming decade. Check out BSN Careers.

Need help with your LPN resume? Our experts give you insight into what you should be including and the appropriate formatting to help land your future LPN/LVN job.