A licensed practical nurse (LPN) is a healthcare professional who provides basic bedside patient care under the supervision of registered nurses and doctors. LPNs complete about 12 months of training, pass a national licensing exam, and work in settings ranging from nursing homes to hospitals. In some states, this role is called a licensed vocational nurse (LVN), but the job is the same.
What LPNs Do Day to Day
LPN responsibilities center on hands-on patient care. The core duties include monitoring vital signs like blood pressure, temperature, and heart rate, then reporting changes to doctors or registered nurses. LPNs change wound dressings, insert catheters, help patients bathe and dress, assist with feeding, and administer medications. They also keep detailed records of each patient’s condition, tracking how wounds are healing, whether vital signs are shifting, and how patients respond to treatment.
Communication is a big part of the role. LPNs relay a patient’s health status to the broader care team, and they’re often the ones explaining care routines to patients’ families. Because LPNs spend significant time at the bedside, they frequently notice subtle changes in a patient’s condition before anyone else does.
One important detail: what an LPN is allowed to do varies by state. In some states, LPNs can start IV fluid drips and give IV medications. In others, those tasks are off-limits or require additional certification. Iowa, for example, lets LPNs perform IV therapy only after completing a separate certification course, logging at least 1,040 hours of practice, and working in a facility that explicitly permits it.
How LPNs Differ From Registered Nurses
The simplest way to understand the distinction is that registered nurses (RNs) work at an independent level while LPNs work at a dependent level, meaning LPNs carry out care plans rather than creating them. LPNs cannot perform a comprehensive initial assessment of a new patient, interpret clinical data independently, develop nursing care plans, or formulate a nursing diagnosis. Those tasks require the broader clinical judgment that comes with RN-level education.
LPNs also cannot supervise or direct the work of a registered nurse. In practice, the relationship flows the other direction: RNs delegate specific tasks to LPNs and oversee their work. Think of it this way. An RN evaluates a patient, determines what care is needed, and builds the plan. The LPN then carries out many of the hands-on elements of that plan, from wound care to medication administration, and reports back on how things are going.
Education and Licensing Requirements
Becoming an LPN takes about one year. Programs are offered at community colleges and technical schools, and they combine classroom instruction with supervised clinical practice. Prerequisites are straightforward: a high school diploma or GED, and sometimes a background check or basic skills test before enrollment. Coursework covers anatomy, pharmacology, patient care techniques, and infection control.
After finishing the program, graduates must pass the NCLEX-PN, the national licensing exam administered through Pearson VUE. The exam tests four major areas: safe care environments (infection control, coordinated care), health promotion across the lifespan, psychosocial integrity (supporting patients dealing with illness and stress), and physiological integrity, which is the largest section and covers physical care skills, medication knowledge, and recognizing when a patient’s condition is changing. Once you pass, you apply for licensure through your state’s nursing regulatory body.
Where LPNs Work
The largest employer of LPNs by far is skilled nursing facilities, commonly known as nursing homes. In 2023, about 171,000 of the roughly 630,000 LPNs in the U.S. worked in those settings. General hospitals employed around 85,000, and home health care services accounted for another 78,000. The rest work in physicians’ offices, outpatient clinics, government agencies, and community care settings.
The heavy concentration in long-term care makes sense given the role. Nursing home residents need consistent daily assistance with medications, wound care, mobility, and vital sign monitoring, which is exactly what LPNs are trained to do. In home health, LPNs visit patients in their residences to provide similar care on a one-on-one basis.
Salary and Job Growth
The median annual wage for LPNs was $62,340 as of May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, roughly matching the average growth rate across all occupations. Demand stays steady because of an aging population that needs more long-term and home-based care.
Pay varies significantly by setting and location. LPNs working in hospitals or metropolitan areas generally earn more than those in rural nursing facilities, though cost of living differences can offset that gap.
Moving From LPN to RN
Many LPNs treat the role as a stepping stone toward becoming a registered nurse. LPN-to-RN bridge programs are designed specifically for this path, building on skills you already have rather than starting from scratch. These programs typically run about 15 months and focus on the areas where RN practice diverges from LPN practice: independent patient assessment, pathophysiology, the nursing process (assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation), and learning to delegate and prioritize care across multiple patients.
Bridge programs exist at community colleges and nursing schools across the country. Completing one qualifies you to sit for the NCLEX-RN, which opens the door to a broader scope of practice, higher pay, and more clinical autonomy.