Riverside Community College District | Nursing

What is an LVN?

LVN stands for Licensed Vocational Nurse. The scope of nursing practice and educational preparation of Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs) in California and Texas are similar to that of Licensed Practical Nurses in all other states. In California, the legal definition of vocational nursing is the performance of services requiring those technical, manual skills acquired by means of a course in an accredited school of vocational nursing, or its equivalent, practiced under the direction of a licensed physician or registered professional nurse.

LVNs provide care in structured healthcare settings for clients experiencing common, well defined health illness problems. They administer nursing care to clients who are ill, injured, disabled, or convalescing and participate in health teaching and disease prevention. The goal of interventions is to maintain or reestablish health at the optimum level.

In the hospital, LVNs perform a variety of functions. Many provide basic bedside nursing care. They take vital signs and assist with activities of daily living such as comfort, dressing, personal hygiene, nutrition, and activity. Others administer oral and injectable medications, change sterile dressings, irrigate body cavities, insert catheters, collect specimens for testing, and measure food and liquid intake and output. Therapeutic communication skills are used as the foundation to facilitate the client's achievement of established healthcare goals.

With additional certification, LVNs may start and superimpose intravenous lines (I.V.s), perform venipuncture (draw blood), and administer blood transfusions. LVNs assess (collect data about) clients and report adverse reactions to medications or treatments. They work with clients of all ages, including newborns and the elderly.

In skilled nursing facilities (nursing homes), LVNs provide the basic care as listed above, as well as assist to evaluate residents' needs and develop multidisciplinary care plans. They often serve as a Team Leader, which requires the supervision of nursing assistants and clarification of physician's orders. The Director of Staff Development, Utilization Review Nurse, and Infection Control Nurse are often LVNs.

In ambulatory care settings such as physicians' offices, clinics, and health maintenance organizations, LVNs perform basic client assessment, assist the health care provider with exams and treatments, and participate in client education and follow up. They may also help with overall office management through duties such as maintaining records and assuring compliance with standards of regulatory agencies. Additionally, LVNs may be employed to provide nursing services in the home.

There are a number of enrollment requirements for the VN program. Please see the VN information page for information about admission and enrollment requirements.

For more information about this program from the licensing board, you can go to www.bvnpt.ca.gov.

You can download more information about the LVN program here.