Help fill a void by seeking training as a licensed practical nurse, known as an LPN. It’s among the positions sought by hospitals and physician offices in need of LPNs to provide quality care for ailing patients of all ages -- a role that requires sympathetic individuals willing to work all hours of the day to improve a patient’s health. Other vital attributes for individuals include problem solving, strong communication and observation skills, and the ability to work as a team and to remain calm and emotionally stable in sometimes stressful situations.

LPNs receive direction from physicians and registered nurses in duties ranging from helping perform tests and procedures on patients to measuring and recording vital data for patients to dressing wounds to collecting samples for laboratory tests, according to the U.S. Bureau for Labor Statistics. You also may be required to monitor patients and gather personal details for health insurance, pre-authorizations, and other medical forms as well as to update registered nurses and doctors during a course of treatment. In doctors’ offices and clinics, you may be responsible for making appointments, keeping records, and performing other clerical duties. LPNs who work in home health care may prepare meals and teach family members simple nursing tasks. Nursing homes and extended care facilities also employ LPNs.

Deal with Patients in a Growing Healthcare Field
The U.S. Bureau for Labor Statistics projects that LPN positions will grow 14 percent by 2016, much faster than other occupations, due to the general increase in demand and the growing elderly population. About 26 percent of LPNs work in hospitals, 26 percent in nursing care facilities, and 12 percent in physicians’ offices, according to the U.S. Bureau for Labor Statistics. You also may have to work on weekends and late nights, as well as holidays, as the nature of health care is 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Being willing to relocate is a plus as well when you’re applying for an LPN position.

LPN training programs abound, with more than 1,500 offered by community or junior colleges, technical and vocational schools, colleges and universities, hospitals and even high schools. Expect to receive from LPN schools a combination of classroom time on subjects ranging from anatomy to first aid, and supervised clinical practice in settings such as a hospital during the one-year programs. You also can specialize in areas such as obstetrics and surgery as part of your LPN training. The training provided by LPN schools, which typically require a high school diploma or GED, is essential to passing licensing exams given by the National Council on State Boards of Nursing. The median annual earnings of those working as LPNs is $36,550, according to the U.S. Bureau for Labor Statistics.

More people are looking at the nursing field these days, and pursuing LPN training is a way to enter into the field and enjoy a career helping treat individuals of all ages dealing with a variety of illnesses.