LPN Career Options: 7 Different Healthcare Paths to Pursue
Are you thinking about becoming an LPN? Are you moved by the idea that you could positively impact the lives of all sorts of people every single day?
Or, perhaps you already have your nursing license, and you’re wondering what settings you could work in.
Whatever is true for your case, Licensed Practical Nurses (or LPNs) have a wide range of career options available, and jobs are in demand across the board. An LPN career is worth serious consideration as it offers security and a sense of fulfillment. This article will show the seven different LPN career options you can pursue.
What is an LPN?
An LPN (or LVN, a Licensed Vocational Nurse, in some states) is a nurse who has taken a typically yearlong educational program for nursing and earned a Practical Nursing Diploma. The specific duties of an LPN vary depending on the context, but in general, a licensed practical nurse takes care of the day-to-day, routine patient’s needs.
Across different roles, you can expect responsibilities like taking and documenting patient information, giving medication, taking vital signs, dressing minor wounds, and assisting both patients and other healthcare professionals. LPNs play a vital role in patient care as the healthcare professionals the typical patient interacts with the most.
Another typical nursing role is as a Registered Nurse or RN. Some choose to continue to study to become an RN after completing their LPN education. Still, it’s not necessary for a nursing career when so many career options are available at the LPN level.
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7 LPN Career Options to Consider
There is certainly no shortage of career options for LPNs. Use the following list to compare 7 of the top jobs for LPNs and find what might be the right fit for you. Consider the general setting, the served population, main responsibilities, and required skills as you weigh your options.
Hospital LPN
Hospitals are one of the most typical settings for LPNs. The LPNs are the everyday, practical part of the patient’s care team in a hospital. Hospitals might be a good choice for an LPN career if you enjoy a hospital setting, which tends to be more fast-paced and medically intense than some other career paths for LPNs.
Some may see additional benefits to working in a hospital because the immersion in a medical community means you will have increased emergency resources and more professionals around you, both to give advice and to receive yours.
Key responsibilities: Monitoring vitals, responding to patient needs
Average salary: $46,560/year
Required skills: Supervising nursing assistants and assisting RNs
Nurse at a nursing home
Nursing homes are the most common setting to find licensed practical nurses. In addition to more typical nursing skills, an LPN in a nursing home should be sensitive to the aging process and be a friendly face for the senior residents who will see them frequently in their day-to-day lives. This requires patience and understanding for residents who may struggle to care for themselves.
Key responsibilities: Giving medications, keeping patients comfortable
Average salary: $50,100/year
Required skills: Understanding of aging process and dementia
Hospice healthcare worker
Hospice healthcare workers have similar skills as nurses in nursing homes do but need to also have an understanding of the unique psychological impact of terminal illnesses. Hospice might be a good fit for you if you are motivated by the idea of making patients’ lives as comfortable as possible given the circumstances.
Working in hospice means seeing patients during the most challenging time of their lives. Though it may be painful to see someone go through hardship, the job can be gratifying as you become the person who helps them go on with their life.
Key responsibilities: Giving medications, keeping patients comfortable
Average salary: about $51,000/year
Required skills: Understanding of the aging process and dementia as well as the psychological impact of terminal conditions.
Nurse at Doctor’s Office
Another LPN career option is working for a doctor’s office. There, LPNs are responsible for performing routine care. While not as medically intensive as a hospital setting, a doctor’s office requires a nurse to adapt quickly and effectively to anything unexpected because anyone may visit a doctor’s office, and many do so before being rerouted to a hospital.
Key responsibilities: Taking vitals, documentation, immunizations
Average salary: $44,830/year
Required skills: Routine care for all ages
Mental health nurse
An LPN may work in a mental health facility without additional licensing or education. Still, because it is a specialization, many mental health nurses become RNs who specialize in the field.
A unique feature of mental health nursing is that many types of facilities fall under the same umbrella so that you could work anywhere from a psychiatric ward in a hospital to a private psychiatrist’s office.
Key responsibilities: Taking vitals, giving medications, documentation
Average salary: $48,159/year
Required skills: Understanding of psychological factors, assisting RNs
LPN for an insurance company
Insurance company settings are perhaps the most alternative career options for LPNs. Typically, a nurse working for an insurance company can work from home and primarily perform tasks related to documentation and paperwork.
When working as a nurse for an insurance company, your job will be to make healthcare assessments and provide input on insurance policies and processes. The job might be a great fit for you if you’re looking for the flexibility of a remote job.
Key responsibilities: Assisting in processing claims, conducting phone interviews
Average salary: $51,940/year
Required skills: Administrative and data entry skills
Nurse at correctional facilities
LPNs in a correctional facility perform similar duties as those in other settings. However, working with inmates can be challenging that not all nurses can handle.
An LPN in this setting has routine responsibilities like dispensing medications, assessing if patients need to see a doctor, and doing other routine check-up work. Given the unusual environment, LPN working at correctional facilities need to know about mental health, chronic disease, and substance abuse.
Key responsibilities: Routine care, documentation, emergency response
Average salary: $51,990/year
Required skills: Additional understanding of correctional settings, psychological factors
Final Thoughts
Licensed practical nurses are the “boots on the ground” in healthcare, addressing patients’ everyday needs and making them as comfortable as possible. There are several LPN careers to choose from. What makes sense for you probably has the most to do with the population you most enjoy working with and the setting that makes you feel most comfortable.
Whatever you decide, know that LPNs can and do make a difference in patients’ lives, no matter the context. As an LPN, you will help people on typical days and their most challenging days.