High Demand For Licensed Vocational Nurses
Date: May 18, 2020
If you think about starting a career as a Licensed Vocational Nurse, you should know that now is the time to do so. Hospitals across the United States deal with a shortage of registered nurses (according to a report released by the American Hospital Association).
This activity domain has emerged from lowly beginnings when a Licensed Vocational Nurse was paid not very well and could only care for sick patients. A licensed vocational nurse will do much more in our days, and nursing assistants handle these tasks. When starting a career in this activity field, the first step is becoming an assistant and see if you can accommodate this job to find out if a nursing career is suitable.
Becoming a nursing assistant only requires essential coursework, but the paying is low. Because of this, many nursing assistants want to begin courses to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse.
The Licensed Vocational Nurse (or LVN) is at this moment in high demand, and the rewards are good: first, you receive a high salary and imply direct patient care. Moreover, the Licensed Vocational Nurse works only under the supervision of a doctor. It would help if you considered that employment opportunities are vast.
To become an LVN, you must follow an educational program that lasts at least three semesters of theory and practice (clinical hours). The good part about this educational program is that you can complete it with a combination of distance learning courses and on-site courses for the lab and clinical requirements. The curriculum of a Licensed Vocational Nurse is different, depending on the location of training. After you complete the courses successfully, you will have to pass an official exam, which will give you the license you need.
Some hospitals are offering free training programs for those employees who want to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse. Some companies even give free training on-site or other distance programs. Those who attend these training programs have a flexible work schedule and might get tuition reimbursement from their companies.
The study time for becoming a Licensed Vocational Nurse is of four years. The registered nurses should have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree. Still, they must be opposed to the Associate Degree Nursing program (representing completing a two-year degree program). Again, lately, the salaries have escalated because of the low number of people who wanted to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse.
A degree in nursing can also be obtained from some colleges and universities but only offers the primary curriculum. They might not be accredited by the NLAC (National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission). The completion time of these programs is short, but keep in mind that you learn the fundamentals.
It is good to pay attention when choosing where you want to start your educational program for becoming a Licensed Vocational Nurse. Choose the wrong place, and you may end up losing valuable time and money.