Positive Job Outlook on Horizon for LPNs, LVNs

• A U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report found that Licensed Practical Nurses and Licensed Vocational Nurses have a positive job outlook.
• The Sept. 11, 2024, report found that for occupations that require a postsecondary degree but not a bachelor’s degree, LPNs and LVNs were expected to have higher wages “than the median for all occupations.” 
• Growth of 3% was also expected between 2023 and 2033.

One segment of the nursing population has received some good news, despite the negative workforce outlook across studies, surveys, and real-world situations.

A “positive future jobs projection” was discovered for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs), according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

A Sept. 11 report, which broke down job outlooks based on education level, found that for occupations that require a postsecondary degree but not a bachelor’s degree, LPNs and LVNs were expected to have higher wages “than the median for all occupations.”

This news comes as hospitals and education institutions are establishing or expanding nursing programs, particularly those geared toward LPNs and LVNs. 

Breaking Down the Job Outlook

BLS projects that employment for LPNs and LVNs will grow 3% between 2023 and 2033, with an average of roughly 54,000 openings annually over the decade.

“Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire,” BLS stated.

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California currently employs the most LPNs and LVNs at nearly 80,000 with an annual mean wage of $76,580.

Projected job growth for Registered Nurses (RNs) is slightly higher at 6%, according to the same data. 

LPN, LVN Programs

Several universities and technical colleges have added or expanded their LPN/LVN curriculum.

Roane Jackson Technical Center (RJTC) in West Virginia offers an LPN program, and the college’s assistant director reinforced the BLS data in a conversation with the Jackson (West Virginia) Star & Herald, stating there’s a “high demand for LPNs.”

Mindy Shriver, a teacher in the RJTC practical nursing program, told the newspaper that LPNs don’t get the recognition they deserve.

“That direct care is critical and is so important to the patient,” she said.

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Just last month, Polaris Career Center in Ohio held an official ribbon cutting for its LPN program and East Alabama Health established an LPN school with Chattahoochee Valley Community College (CVCC). 

The collaboration is the first of its kind in the area, according to East Alabama Health.

“By providing high-quality education and hands-on training, East Alabama Health seeks to provide our employees with the skills they need to excel in their careers and deliver exceptional care to our patients,” Jennifer Terry, East Alabama Health’s director of Education, stated in a news release. “All of our education initiatives reflect our commitment to investing in the future of health care and ensuring that our region has the talented professionals it needs to thrive.” 

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On the East Coast, Bassett Healthcare Network launched its own LPN program with A.O. Fox Hospital and Otsego (New York) Northern Catskills Board of Cooperative Educational Services.

Katy Luggar-Schmitt, LPN, is a regular contributor to the Nursing Ce Central Blog and shared her advice for future LPNs in an earlier article.

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“As a new LPN, do not be afraid to try different areas of nursing to see which one you like the best and are the most enthusiastic about,” she wrote. “The more enthusiastic you are about your area of nursing, the less it will feel like work and the more you will enjoy it.”

The Bottom Line

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently projected a 3% growth in jobs for LPNs and LVNs between 2023 and 2033, with an average of roughly 54,000 openings annually in the same timeframe. Educational institutions and hospitals are establishing or expanding programs, notably for LPNs, as they attempt to address the nursing workforce shortage nationwide. 

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