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Vocational Nurses: Valuable Part of The Team
Considering a career in nursing? Becoming a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) may be just the place to begin.
As an LVN, you will be responsible for providing care to patients at the most basic level. LVNs are often called “bedside nurses,” because they give direct, physical care to patients at their bedside. This includes anything patients cannot do for themselves, from getting bathed, dressed and groomed, to eating, standing and walking, to making their bed.
Such care is known as the Self-Care Deficit Theory of Nursing, which was founded by nursing theorist Dorothy Orem and is taught at American Career College. “We believe that whatever patients can do for themselves, they should do,” says Wendy Maleki, MS, RN, CNS/PMH, Director of Nursing at the Ontario campus. “If they can’t, we do it for them in the meantime. If we can encourage, motivate, empower and teach them, we do.”
LVNs also administer medications; perform physical assessments, measure and record vital signs; evaluate responses to medications by observing patients for both side effects and positive results; and perform routine tests, including those for fasting glucose.
After state licensure, students may take additional education and certifications. With these certifications, LVNs can perform blood draws and start intravenous lines.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of Licensed Practical Nurses (as LVNs are known in states other than California and Texas) is expected to grow 14 percent between 2006 and 2016, which is faster than the average for all occupations. This growth is attributed to the long-term care needs of an increasing elderly population and a general increase in demand for health care services.
In 2006, LVNs held about 749,000 jobs nationwide. That year, about 26 percent worked in hospitals, 26 percent in nursing care facilities and another 12 percent in doctor’s offices. Others worked for home health care services, employment services, residential care facilities, community care facilities for the elderly, outpatient care centers, and federal, state and local government agencies. In addition, about 19 percent worked part time.
Fewer LVNs can be found in hospitals. Ms. Maleki notes that the current trend is for hospitals to be staffed with RNs, who have a more encompassing scope of practice. However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects faster growth in settings outside of hospitals because technology advancements are allowing more and more procedures to be performed in doctor’s offices and surgical centers.
Many specialties attract LVNs, such as pediatrics, geriatrics and hospice. LVNs can become charge nurses, supervising nursing assistants and aides, if they report to an RN. In addition, they can work in business environments as legal nurse specialists.
American Career College offers the LVN program at its Los Angeles, Orange County and Ontario campuses. The curriculum consists of 1,560 hours of course work, including 580 hours of theory and 980 clinical hours in four comprehensive terms. The scope of practice for LVNs includes provision of basic hygienic and nursing care; measurement of vital signs; basic patient assessment; documentation; performance of prescribed medical treatments; and administration of prescribed medications.
Skill laboratories on campus ensure students are safe and competent for clinical work. The hands-on experience involves practicing on other students and mannequins for 124 hours. When students don white uniforms and function as student nurses in the community, they are prepared to provide nursing care for their own patients, notes Ms. Maleki.
The goal of the American Career College program is to ensure students are successful, says Ms. Maleki. “We are student-centered — everything we do is designed to make students successful.”
She notes that class schedules are set according to students’ needs, not faculty members. In addition, the comprehensive program includes book and uniforms, which are brought to students on campus; career services; and transportation and childcare assistance.
Graduating students sit for the national NCLEX-PN exam. American Career College prepares students for the exam through a free eight-week review program. Upon passage, LVNs can practice under the supervision of a Registered Nurse, licensed Medical Doctor or Dentist.
After completing the LVN program and becoming licensed, many LVNs move on to earn their Associate Degree in Nursing and study for licensure as a Registered Nurse. West Coast University, American Career College's affiliate school, offers an LVN to RN Bridge Program, which enables LVNs to earn an associate degree in four semesters. Upon passage of the NCLEX-RN exam, they may practice as a Registered Nurse.
West Coast University’s Los Angeles and Orange County campuses also offer an RN to BS Nursing program, which allows professional nurses the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in as little as 18 months.
