Studying to Be a Nurse (LPN/LVN)
Date: January 19, 2023
License to Nurse!
Have you ever watched the popular movie License to Kill, a James Bond spy film? Or have you listened to the spoof song “License to Chill,” sung by Jimmy Buffett? Maybe you’ve heard someone jokingly ask if you have a `license to parent.’ Inferred, even into popular culture, is the notion that one should have a license to do something correctly.
By and large, a license is required for almost any worthwhile or industrial procedure. For this reason, there are software, traffic, property, business, building, operational, and more licenses. Medically speaking, there are also many licenses.
What’s a License?
According to the IC&RC, an international certification consortium, “A license is a state’s grant of legal authority to practice a profession within a designated scope of practice. It is required to practice or to call oneself a licensed professional.”1 Given this definition, it makes sense there are multiple licenses for practicing nursing, too.
A nurse working in the field after completing an accredited vocational nursing program to become an LPN/LVN.
License Need
Currently, the US needs more practitioners with VN licensure. Due to a shortage of LVNs in the workforce, VN programs have become popular. Keeping pace, many schools offer authorized programs to encourage students to take up nursing.
According to the BLS, employment of LPNs/LVNs is only projected to grow. At the same time, current markers indicate an increase of six percent over the next decade. (This growth is about as fast as the average for all occupations.)2 In short, LVNs are in high demand.
Programs for the License
One should complete an accredited VN program to be eligible for VN licensure. A good VN course seeks to equip students with an entry-level nurse’s knowledge of techniques and procedures. Coursework primarily teaches limited patient-care tasks, while an overview is given in anatomy, physiology, medications, and practical patient care.3
Generally taking two years to complete, pathways to the VN License include the LVN Diploma and the Associate of Science in Nursing (ASVN).4 While some colleges combine the two programs, Gurnick Academy offers them separately. The Academy provides the following options:
- The Vocational Nurse Diploma program takes 13 months* to complete.
- The A.S. in Vocational Nurse (ASVN) program takes eight (8) months† to complete. (The ASVN requires obtaining a VN Diploma <AND> earning the ASVN.)
Test for the License
Individuals who graduate from an approved VN program must then sit for and pass the National Council Licensure Examination-PN (NCLEX-PN). Upon successfully passing the NCLEX-PN, individuals are considered licensed and free to practice within an LVN scope of practice. LVNs provide basic nursing tasks in multiple health and wellness environments. Typically, these entry-level professionals work under the direction of Registered Nurses or physicians.
Where the License Can Take You
While the VN License is not a pop culture term and bears no relation to “License to Chill,” it is a popular license. Simultaneously, it’s a “permit” to care, help, serve, treat, and comfort!
This credential may aid you in treating vulnerable populations. It may facilitate work with diverse medical teams or help you develop outcome-based skills within medicine.
Additionally, you never know where this license might take you. It could be a stopping place and culminate into a rewarding career. Or, it might be the foundation needed to procure another license—such as a Registered Nursing License. If so, you will be that much ahead for your next license!
Want to Go After Your License?
But you’ll never know where your license will take you until you start. To see if a trek toward becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) is for you, take our free career quiz today.~
* Indicates 52 Approved Instructional Weeks
† Indicates 82 Approved Instructional Weeks
Citations
1 “IC & RC–Licensure vs. Certification.” Internationalcredentialing.org, International Certification, and Reciprocity Consortium Exam Candidates Certified Professionals IC&RC Representatives, 2019. (Accessed January 11, 2023.)
2 Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses. (Accessed January 11, 2023.)
3 — “LPN Certificates vs. Nursing Associate Degrees|NurseJournal.org.” Nursejournal.org, Red Ventures. January 20, 2022. (Accessed January 6, 2023.)
4 Jividen, Sarah. “What Are the Differences Between an RN and an LPN?” Nurse.org, Full Beaker, Inc. July 15, 2021. (Accessed January 6, 2023.)
