The vocational nursing schools are now widely accepted in the US as good vehicle for producing assistant nurses for physicians or registered nurses. This is only one-year practical course and you can start earning a living either as Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN).

The term LVN or LPN is widely known in Texas and California but these are not the terms used in other 48 states of the United States. Many students who are financially-constrained to take up RN which is usually four to six years to finish prefer to take up LPN or LVN to immediately look for jobs. Then after landing a job as practical nurses or vocational nurses they will decide to pursue the RN course.

Basically the works of practical or vocational nurses are limited only to insertion of catheters, bedside nursing care, administering medications, dressing of wounds, and all other assistant works to Registered Nurse (RN) or a physician.

LVN and LPN is only offered in community nursing schools or schools of practical nursing in far-flung areas away from the bustling cities of America and other countries of the world.

However, in third world countries in Asia like the Philippines LPN and LVN is not available in many licensed nursing schools. What is usually taken up by students is the RN course which is four to five years to finish. Sad to say when these RN or registered nurses try their luck in the US they also need to undergo accreditation exams from the state board of nursing. This situation has forced registered nurses to accept home care employment like taking care of senior citizens and older patients in home for the aged. Although there are some who were lucky enough to pass the state board accreditation and are now working as registered nurses in big hospitals in the US. Still because of the higher payout in home care for the older persons, registered nurses in third world countries have continued their employment. Many have already reached three to ten years in home care. They are registered nurses in the Philippines ands other parts of the world but they work as caregivers in the US.

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