Job Description

Before we divulge into the salary that an LVN makes, let us first discuss what an LVN is. LVN is an acronym that stands for Licensed Vocational Nurse. They are also called LPNs, or Licensed Practical Nurses. They watch over their patients and provide bedside care for them, such as adjusting the bed angle and providing personal hygiene care. They work under the strict provisions of RNs (Registered Nurses) as well as physicians, offering any type of assistance that they can. LVNs also take vital signs from the patients, such as blood pressure and heart rate.

Average Salary

LVNs are the lowest professionals on the healthcare ladder; they answer to RNs and physicians. They do not get paid as much as RNs (they make around $60,000 a year), but they do make around $40,000 a year, or between $16 and $22 an hour. LVN salaries, like most salaries, are dependent upon various factors, such as specialization and location.

Specialization

In any field, especially the medical field, those who are certified in a specialization will earn more than those who are just general practice. This is also true for LVNs. When you are working in a hospital, be on the lookout for any position that could open up that would interest you, such as working with babies. Upon finding out your interests, research how you can obtain a certification for them. The sooner you become certified, the sooner your salary can increase.

Location

As far as location is concerned, it is referring to both geographic location and the type of facility you will be working in. Some cities pay more than other cities, due to high cost of living. Hospitals are an excellent place to start work, but physician offices often pay more than hospitals do. Their services are generally more expensive, and when there is more revenue coming into the company, there is more money available to pay employees.

LVN to RN

LVNs often go back to school to become RNs, due to RNs making more money and having more responsibilities. There are LVN to RN bridge programs available to make the education transition easier. Regardless of if you stay an LVN or advance to an RN, you will be helping people in either profession, which is a payment in itself.

Difference Between the Two

Before discussing the bridge to going from an LVN to an RN, let’s first discuss the difference between the two. An LVN (Licensed Vocational Nurse) is a nurse who does general tasks for patient care. These tasks include anything from taking the patient’s vitals, to assisting with personal hygiene tasks. A RN (Registered Nurse) is a step above an LVN, and they treat and educate patients regarding various medical illnesses, as well as the general public. They also provide patient care, and LVN’s work under them.

RNs delegate tasks to LVNs, and are a step above them on the medical ranking ladder. The reason for this is because RNs are in school for a little while longer than LVNs. However, it is a relatively easy process to go from an LVN to an RN.

The Process

If you want to become an RN in lieu of being an LVN, then all you need to do is go back to school for a bachelor’s degree in nursing. There are several facilities that offer a bridge program, which makes the transition easier so you don’t have the re-take the same classes that you’ve already taken during your program to become an LVN. Check and see if the education facility you are interested in attending offers this bridge program.

If it doesn’t offer a bridge program, then there are other places that do offer it, and some are even online. This bridge program is important because it only requires a few more classes to become and RN versus having to take all of classes over again.

Benefits

The benefits of an RN outweigh the cost of going back to school again. In addition to doing less of the “dirty work” that gets assigned to you, you will earn more money. The average salary for an RN is around $60,000 versus around $40,000 for LVNs. Also, you will get to educate the public and your patients instead of just doing the menial tasks. Another great benefit is being able to delegate tasks amongst the LVNs. Yes, you will be required to do a lot more work, but when you are earning around $20,000 more a year, it is worth it.

What’s the Difference?

Before delving into explaining the process of going from an LVN to a BSN, it is important to understand what the difference is between the two acronyms. An LVN (licensed vocational nurse) is a nurse who is has the lowest authority compared to other nurses because the education and training program is the most basic. LVNs provide basic bedside care to their patients, such as taking vitals like blood pressure. They also change the wound dressing for their patients, in addition to providing injections and giving subscribed medications.

A BSN stands for Bachelors of Science in Nursing, which allows for the nursing student to become a registered nurse (RN). RNs get paid more than LVNs and have more job responsibility and authority. Receiving a BSN will open many doors for the LVN to excel in her profession and have the opportunity to receive a higher income in the process.

LVN Education

Before becoming an LVN, these nurses had to go through an extensive education and training program in order to prepare for their licensure and certification. A lot of money was spent on education just to get them through the program, and they may not want to spend more money to go back to school. However, the benefits that the nurse will receive outweigh the costs of going back to school, the benefits including a higher paying career.

Bridge Process

There are many colleges that offer a program that helps the LVN become a BSN. Through this, the classes that the nurse has already taken during nursing school will be counted towards the degree, and the rest of the classes must be taken. A lot of these programs can be taken online because it is very convenient for the LVN to take the classes at her own pace. The BSN program involves taking clinical classes that must be done in person. The LVN must find a bridge program that will allow her to take clinical classes locally.

The process of an LVN to a BSN is a bridge to becoming an RN. Although it is expensive to go back to school, the payoff is well-worth the extra work and tuition money. An RN can potentially earn up to $100,000 per year and an LVN only makes up to $46,000, which is highly dependent upon many factors such as location and experience.

What Does an LVN Do?

A licensed vocational nurse (LVN) is synonymous with a licensed practical nurse (LPN). Their day-to -day tasks revolve around caring for patients who have been admitted to the hospital due to illness. They take orders from their superiors, who are RNs (registered nurses) as well as physicians. Most of the daily tasks have to do with basic bedside care of the patients. These tasks include taking the patient’s temperatures and blood pressure; giving injections, changing wound dressings, and taking samples.

Working Conditions

LVNs do not have typical 9-5 working hours because patients need care around the clock, therefore they work a lot of night shifts as well as holiday and weekend shifts. Their jobs are also labor intensive; oftentimes they will have to help transfer patients. They also are on their feet for multiple hours a day and have to arrive at a patient’s bedside quickly at any moment’s notice. Their jobs are quite stressful, so they must be able to handle the fast pace and heavy pressure.

Education and Licensure

In order to become an LVN, one must go through a lot of education and training. Having a GED or high school degree is necessary before being accepted into a nursing program. The courses that are taken in a nursing program involve topics such as anatomy, biology, chemistry, and learning medical terms. Also while in nursing school, the students will participate in supervised patient care in a hospital setting. The whole program lasts for about a year, depending on where the education is taking place.

After nursing school is complete, the potential nurse must obtain a license and be certified to practice before being able to go out in the nursing field. The procedures for getting licensed are dependent upon the state in which the nurse lives, but involves taking an exam and is similar in the 50 states.

Basic Skills

The basic skills that an LVN will need to excel in this position include having patience, being able to have a work schedule that involves many hours and often overnight, and having a general passion for what they are doing. They need to be understanding of their patient’s needs and be able to provide comfort and reassurance and maintain proper bedside manner when dealing with them. Those nurses who do not like their profession will not be successful because having a good attitude is essential when being surrounded by illness and morbid surroundings.