LPN Job Description: Duties and Scope

A licensed practical nurse (LPN) provides hands-on nursing care under the direction of a registered nurse, physician or other authorized provider. Typical duties include taking vital signs, giving many medications, doing treatments such as wound care, collecting patient data and reporting changes. Exactly what an LPN may do is set by each state's nurse practice act, so scope differs from state to state and even between employers.

LPN or LVN: same role, different title

In California and Texas the title is licensed vocational nurse (LVN). The role is the same idea and the licensing exam is the same NCLEX-PN; only the title differs. Everything below applies to LVNs too.

What scope of practice means for LPNs

Scope of practice is the legal boundary of what you may do with your license. For LPNs it is defined by state law and board of nursing rules, then narrowed further by your employer's policies and your own documented competence. A task can be legal in your state and still not allowed at your facility.

One general pattern holds in most states:

• The RN is responsible for the full nursing assessment, the nursing care plan and evaluating whether the plan is working.
• The LPN contributes to assessment by collecting data and observing, carries out planned care, and reports findings and changes to the RN or provider.

The areas that vary most by state include IV therapy (some states require extra training or certification, and some limit which IV tasks an LPN may do), whether LPNs may take verbal orders, charge nurse roles, and delegation to nursing assistants. Check your board of nursing's website for your state's rules, and ask your employer for its policy in writing.

Common LPN duties

Day-to-day work usually includes:

• Measuring and recording vital signs, weights, and intake and output
• Giving oral, topical and injectable medications as state rules and facility policy allow
• Wound care and dressing changes
• Caring for catheters, ostomies, feeding tubes and tracheostomies as trained
• Collecting specimens and doing point-of-care tests such as blood glucose checks
• Watching for and reporting changes in condition
• Helping patients with comfort, mobility and daily activities
• Reinforcing teaching that the RN or provider has started
• Documenting care in the health record
• Supervising nursing assistants where state rules and policy allow

Where LPNs work

LPNs work in many settings, and the duties shift with each one.

Skills that matter

• Medication safety. You may pass medications to many patients in one shift, so habits matter. The medication safety champion learning path covers the checks that prevent errors.
• Observation and reporting. Noticing a subtle change and telling the RN clearly and promptly.
• Time management. Medication passes and treatments run on tight windows.
• Knowing your limits. Recognizing when a task is outside your scope and asking before you act.
• Communication with residents, families, nursing assistants and RNs.
• Documentation that is accurate, objective and timely.

Education and licensing

1. Complete a state-approved practical nursing program. Programs run through community colleges, technical schools and some hospitals. Many take about a year of full-time study, but length varies by program.
2. Apply for licensure with your state board of nursing and register for the NCLEX-PN. Here is how NCLEX-PN registration works.
3. Pass the exam and receive your license.
4. Keep your license active by meeting your state's renewal and continuing education rules.

The Nurse Licensure Compact covers LPN and LVN licenses as well as RN licenses, so if you live in a compact state you may be able to hold a multistate license. Here is how a multistate compact license works.

Certifications

Employers commonly require BLS. Where your state allows LPNs to do IV therapy, you may need to complete an IV certification course approved under your state's rules. The IV therapy fundamentals learning path is a helpful primer, but it is not a state IV certification.

Some LPNs add specialty certifications in areas such as long-term care, wound care or pharmacology. Check the certifying organization's eligibility rules, and whether employers in your area value the credential, before you pay for an exam.

Schedule

Long-term care facilities and hospitals run around the clock, so expect 8- or 12-hour shifts that include nights, weekends and holidays. Clinics and physician offices usually keep daytime weekday hours. Home health often means daytime visits, sometimes with on-call duty.

Career path

Many LPNs build experience and then go further:

• A charge nurse or unit coordinator role in long-term care, where state rules allow
• Specialty work such as wound care, IV therapy or dialysis after additional training
• Becoming an RN through an LPN-to-RN bridge program, which often gives credit for your practical nursing education. See how LPN to RN bridge programs work.

Questions to ask an employer about LPN scope

Because your scope depends on both state law and facility policy, get clear answers before you start:

• Which IV tasks, if any, may LPNs perform here, and what training is required first?
• Which RN do I report to on each shift, and how do I reach them quickly?
• Will I work in a charge role, and how many nursing assistants would I supervise?
• How are new admissions assessed, and which parts of that process do LPNs complete?
• What does orientation include, and who signs off on my competencies?

Clear answers protect your license and your patients. If an employer is vague about what you may do, ask to see the policy in writing.

Where to see LPN pay

LPN pay depends on state, setting, shift and experience. Read LPN vs RN pay for what changes with the license, and use the free pay calculator to compare offers before you accept one.

Next step

Browse nursing jobs for LPN openings near you; jobs posted on NurseTide show the pay up front.

General information for nurses, not medical, legal, tax or financial advice. Follow your facility's policies, your state board of nursing and the terms of your employer or contract.