Licensed Practical Nurse(LPNs)/ Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs)

Work Activities/Work Locations

• Nursing is a dynamic interpersonal goal-directed process that seeks to promote optimal health within the context of individuals, family, community, and society.
• Licensed Practical Nurses or LPNs, MUST work under the direction of a Physician or a Registered Nurse (RN).
• They are trained to administer prescribed medications, draw blood and other fluids, and care for injuries or surgical incisions under the supervision of either a Physician or RN.
• Their responsibilities can include developing care plans and providing personal care such as dressing, bathing or feeding patients.
• LPNs may work in a variety of settings, including, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, private homes, or institutions.

Advantages and Disadvantages

• LPNs say that helping people is an important aspect of their job.
• Some LPNs say that they are asked to do work that should be done by Registered Nurses.

Method of Entry

• All states and the District of Columbia require anyone wishing to earn designation of Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) must pass a licensing examination after completing a state-approved Practical Nursing program.
• It is now a requirement that one must first qualify as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) before entering a nursing program.
• Graduates must either have a license or must be eligible to be licensed by the state in which they wish to work.
• Many technical colleges offer Practical Nursing programs.
• At most technical colleges LPNs only complete the first year of an Associate Degree (ADN) program.
• At NTC one must attend a Pathways to Health Career Workshop. This workshop is offered online or in a classroom format. www.ntc.edu
  
  

Education and Training

• Individuals must complete a state-approved practical nursing program that is usually offered through a vocational/technical school or community college.
• Training programs usually last one year and includes coursework in anatomy and physiology, Nursing skills, pharmacology, oral/interpersonal communication, and supervised instruction in a clinical setting.
• Northcentral Technical College (NTC) has a one-year program, LPN Bridge to Associate Degree (LPN Bridge). They have prerequisite admission requirements including proof of a year of high school chemistry with B or better or a semester of college chemistry with a C or better and proof of college anatomy & physiology with C or better (C- is not sufficient).
• Mid-State Technical College (MSTC) Nursing program has similar prerequisites for admission and students are eligible to take the National Licensing Exam for LPN after the first year (32 credits). Students are eligible to take the licensing exam for Registered Nurse (RN) after completion of all 70 credits in the Nursing program.

Helpful High School Courses and Experiences

• Students should take a college preparatory curriculum.
• Most Nursing programs have admission prerequisites of 1 year of high school chemistry or 1 semester of college chemistry; most require a certain grade or better.
• Also recommended are algebra, biology, and anatomy & physiology.

Advancement Opportunities

• There are limited chances for advancement as Licensed Practical Nurses
• LPNs can choose to become Registered Nurses through numerous LPN-to-RN training programs.
• Some train for specialized areas such as surgery.
• Others take in-service training programs to become IV Certified.

Hours

• LPNs usually work 40 hours a week.
• They may work shifts (days, pm’s or nights).
• They may also work weekends and holidays.

Salary

• Typical Salary Range (2011) (Wisconsin): $32,200 to $52,300 per year.
• Typical Salary Range (2011) (National): $30,700 to 57,100 per year.

Employment Information (Wisconsin)

• Number Employed in 2008: 10,820
• Expected Employment in 2018: 12,360
• Percent Employment Growth (2008-2018): 14%
• Expected Annual Openings: 490

Educational Institutions
Chippewa Valley Technical College
College of the Menominee Nation - Keshena
College of the Menominee Nation - Green Bay
Concordia University
Fox Valley Technical College
Gateway Technical College
Lakeshore Technical College
Madison Area Technical College
Mid-State Technical College
Milwaukee Area Technical College
Moraine Park Technical College - West Bend
Moraine Park Technical College - Beaver Dam
Moraine Park Technical College - Fond du Lac
Nicolet Area Technical College
Northcentral Technical College
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College
Western Technical College

Professional Organizations & Additional Information
American Assisted Living Nurses Association
P.O. Box 10469
Napa, CA, 94581
707/253-7299
www.alnursing.org/

American Association of Colleges of Nursing
One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 530
Washington, DC, 20036
202/463-6930
www.aacn.nche.edu

American Health Care Association
1201 L Street NW
Washington, DC, 20005
202/842-4444
www.ahca.org

American Hospital Association (AHA)
155 N. Wacker Dr.
Chicago, IL, 60606
312/422-3000 or 800/424-4301
www.aha.org/

American Nurses Association (ANA)
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 400
Silver Spring, MD, 20910
301/628-5000 or 800/274-4ANA (4262)
www.ana.org

American Psychiatric Nurses Association
3141 Fairview Park Drive, Suite 625
Falls Church, VA, 22042
571/533-1919 or 855/863-APNA (2762)
www.apna.org/

Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
2000 L Street, NW, Suite 740
Washington, DC, 20036
202/261-2400 or 800/673-8499
www.awhonn.org/awhonn/

Coalition of Geriatric Nursing Organizations
Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing and New York University College of Nursing
726 Broadway, 10th Floor
New York, NY, 10003
212/992 - 9416
hartfordign.org/advocacy/cgno/

Dermatology Nurses' Association
15000 Commerce Parkway, Suite C
Mt. Laurel, NJ, 08054
800/454-4362
www.dnanurse.org/

Emergency Nurses Association (ENA)
915 Lee St.
Des Plaines, IL, 60016-6569
800/900-9659 or 800/243-8362
www.ena.org

Independent Nursing Services
25689 Kelly Road
Roseville, MI, 48066
586/771-4097 or 888/741-9878
www.independentnursing.com/

Leading Age Wisconsin
204 South Hamilton Street
Madison, WI, 53703
608/255-7060
www.wahsa.org

National Association for Practical Nurse Education and Service, Inc.
1940 Duke St., Suite 200
Alexandria, VA, 22314
703/933-1003
www.napnes.org

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
5 Hanover Square, Suite 1401
New York, NY, 10004
917/746-8300
www.napnap.org

National Association of School Nurses
8484 Georgia Avenue, #420
Silver Spring, MD, 20910
240/821-1130
www.nasn.org/

National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses (NFLPN)
111 West Main Street #100
Garner, NC, 27529
919/779-0046 or 800/948-2511
www.nflpn.org

National League for Nursing
61 Broadway, 33rd Floor
New York, NY, 10006
212/812-0300 or 800/669-1656
www.nln.org

National Student Nurses’ Association
45 Main Street, Suite 606
Brooklyn , NY, 11201
718/210-0705
www.nsna.org

Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association
613 Williamson Street, Suite 200
Madison, WI, 53703
608/250-2440
www.pcna.net/

Visiting Nurse Associations of America
900 19th St, NW, Suite 200
Washington , DC, 20006
202/384-1420 or 888/866-8773
vnaa.org

Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing
1400 E. Washington Ave., Room 112
Madison, WI, 53703
608/266-2112 or 877/617-1565
dsps.wi.gov/Home

Wisconsin League for Nursing
PO Box 653
Germantown, WI, 53022
414/454-9561
www.wisconsinwln.org/

Wisconsin Nurses Association
6117 Monona Drive #1
Madison, WI, 53716
608/221-0383 or 800/362-3959
www.wisconsinnurses.org/