Education

• To become an LPN/LVN you must complete nine to 18 months of post-secondary academic training. Training may be completed at a school of nursing or community college. Candidates study subjects, such as nutrition, psychology and human anatomy. At the end of in-class academic training, they must complete a term of hands on training at a hospital or other medical facility. During this time they learn how to care for patients directly. After all requirements have been a student nurse earns her LPN/LVN certificate.
  
  

State Certification

• After a nurse has earned her certification, she must pass state exams to work as an LPN/LVN. The licensing exams are known as the NCLEX or National Counsel Licensure-PN (Practical Nurse). The NCLEX is given several times a year. Candidates answer multiple-choice questions. The exams are graded on a pass/fail basis. Each state has different licensing requirements.
  
  

Primary Duties

• An LPN/LVN's primary duty is to help patients recovering from short-term illness or coping with chronic illness. As part of his duties, he will check a patient's vital signs, record the patient's blood pressure and pulse, and take a patient's temperature. An LPN/LVN may also administer injections, perform routine tests, dress wounds and monitor the functioning of medical equipment, such as respirators.
  
  

Other Duties

• LPN/LVN's also help patients perform personal tasks. An LPN/LVN may assist a stroke victim with eating, help a person with an injured knee learn to walk with crutches and care for newborn infants. An LPN/LVN also works with a patient's family to help them learn how to care for an injured family member.
  
  

Promotional Opportunities

• After earning LPN/LVN certification, a nurse may decide that she wants to become an RN or registered nurse as well. RN's are nurses who have completed at least two years of post-secondary education. An RN has greater responsibilities than her LPN/LVN counterpart. She can supervise LPN's/LVN's, administer intravenous medication and earn a master's degree that may even allow her to deliver low-risk babies or perform medical research.