Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
Overview
SaveJob Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Examples
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, desktop publishers, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters and simultaneous captioners, and medical assistants.
Care for ill, injured, or convalescing patients or persons with disabilities in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, group homes, and similar institutions. May work under the supervision of a registered nurse. Licensing required.
Yearly Salary
| High: | $65K |
| Median: | $48K |
| Low: | $35K |
Demand
Core Tasks
- Observe patients, charting and reporting changes in patients' conditions, such as adverse reactions to medication or treatment, and taking any necessary action.
- Measure and record patients' vital signs, such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration.
- Administer prescribed medications or start intravenous fluids, noting times and amounts on patients' charts.
- Provide basic patient care or treatments, such as taking temperatures or blood pressures, dressing wounds, treating bedsores, giving enemas or douches, rubbing with alcohol, massaging, or performing catheterizations.
- Answer patients' calls and determine how to assist them.
- Provide medical treatment or personal care to patients in private home settings, such as cooking, keeping rooms orderly, seeing that patients are comfortable and in good spirits, or instructing family members in simple nursing tasks.
- Sterilize equipment and supplies, using germicides, sterilizer, or autoclave.
- Supervise nurses' aides or assistants.
- Evaluate nursing intervention outcomes, conferring with other healthcare team members as necessary.
- Assemble and use equipment, such as catheters, tracheotomy tubes, or oxygen suppliers.
- Record food and fluid intake and output.
- Work as part of a healthcare team to assess patient needs, plan and modify care, and implement interventions.
- Collect samples, such as blood, urine, or sputum from patients, and perform routine laboratory tests on samples.
- Make appointments, keep records, or perform other clerical duties in doctors' offices or clinics.
- Help patients with bathing, dressing, maintaining personal hygiene, moving in bed, or standing and walking.
- Prepare or examine food trays for conformance to prescribed diet.
- Apply compresses, ice bags, or hot water bottles.
- Prepare patients for examinations, tests, or treatments and explain procedures.
- Set up equipment and prepare medical treatment rooms.
- Wash and dress bodies of deceased persons.
- Clean rooms and make beds.
- Inventory and requisition supplies and instruments.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Customer and Personal Service
80%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language
78%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Psychology
75%
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Medicine and Dentistry
74%
Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Administration and Management
66%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Education and Training
64%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Therapy and Counseling
63%
Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Mathematics
61%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Administrative
60%
Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Computers and Electronics
60%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Top 10 Skills
Service Orientation
83%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Coordination
80%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Social Perceptiveness
80%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Active Listening
78%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Monitoring
78%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Speaking
78%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking
75%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension
75%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Judgment and Decision Making
73%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Time Management
73%
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Top 10 Abilities
Oral Comprehension
80%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity
80%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Written Comprehension
80%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Speech Clarity
78%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Deductive Reasoning
75%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning
75%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Near Vision
75%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Speech Recognition
75%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Expression
68%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Top 10 Work Activities
Assisting and Caring for Others
92%
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Documenting/Recording Information
90%
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Getting Information
89%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
84%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
84%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
83%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
83%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
83%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
81%
Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
76%
Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
Detailed Work Activities
- Monitor patient conditions during treatments, procedures, or activities.
- Record patient medical histories.
- Measure the physical or physiological attributes of patients.
- Administer intravenous medications.
- Administer basic health care or medical treatments.
- Apply bandages, dressings, or splints.
- Provide basic information to guests, visitors, or clients.
- Answer telephones to direct calls or provide information.
- Supervise patient care personnel.
- Analyze quantitative data to determine effectiveness of treatments or therapies.
- Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
- Prepare medical supplies or equipment for use.
- Operate diagnostic or therapeutic medical instruments or equipment.
- Test biological specimens to gather information about patient conditions.
- Collect biological specimens from patients.
- Manage preparation of special meals or diets.
- Assist patients with hygiene or daily living activities.
- Explain medical procedures or test results to patients or family members.
- Prepare patients physically for medical procedures.
- Treat patients using physical therapy techniques.
- Train patients, family members, or caregivers in techniques for managing disabilities or illnesses.
- Sterilize medical equipment or instruments.
- Schedule patient procedures or appointments.
- Maintain medical facility records.
- Perform clerical work in medical settings.
- Clean medical equipment or facilities.
- Maintain inventory of medical supplies or equipment.
- Order medical supplies or equipment.
Education
Interests
Social
79%
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Conventional
66%
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
Realistic
66%
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
Investigative
53%
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
Enterprising
31%
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
Artistic
16%
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.
Work Values
Relationships
91%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support
81%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Achievement
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Working Conditions
62%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Recognition
58%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.