Vocational Nursing → Career Options

As of 2006, licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses held 749,000 jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this number will grow to 854,000 by 2016, indicating a 14 percent increase in employment over the 10 year span. While opportunities will remain strong in hospitals, LPNs and LVNs can expect to find the greatest number of new jobs in home health care services and nursing care facilities.

The higher demand for this occupation results primarily from the aging baby boomer population and a general increase in demand for health care services. In addition, advanced medical technology has made it possible for patients to go to their doctor's office or an outpatient care facility for procedures that were typically performed only in hospitals in the past. Licensed practical nurses play a vital role in caring for patients who undergo such procedures and may offer assistance at the health care office as well as in the patient's home.

Graduates with a Vocational Nursing Certificate have the opportunity to work in a variety of healthcare settings, such as:

• Hospitals
• Clinics
• Outpatient medical centers
• Nursing homes
• Schools
• Industry

Among the variety of work environments, vocational nurses may have the opportunity to specialize in one of the following areas: medical-surgical, pediatrics, mental health, maternal health, or perioperative.