LPN stands for "licensed practical nurse" and it is a term used widely throughout the United States when someone refers to a nurse who is looking after or takes care of an ill/ injured/ disabled person, following the instructions received from a registered nurse or a doctor. This term means the same thing as:
These nurses need to fulfill their duty; most of the times this involves bedside activities such as:
Just to be on the safe side, these licensed practical nurses have a general training in medicine and can function in any area of the health care system, but there are LPNs working in a specialized environment: at the home of the patient, in nursing homes or in the doctor's office. Most of them work a full-time schedule, but part timing is not something unheard of for them. Unsettling for those who might consider working as a licensed practical nurse, is the fact they might be needed during the night, the weekends and/ or during holidays.
As for the payment, a survey from 2008 shows that the average salary per year for licensed practical nurses is of US$ 39,000, for the home health care services. The most would earn those nurses working in the employment services (almost US$ 45,000) and the lowest the nurses found in doctors' offices: US$ 35,000.
As far as finding employment goes, there are many on-line websites full of advertisements for such professionals. It may not even be out of the ordinary that once the training is over (for the training is mandatory for all nurses), to either be sent to a place in need of any kind of nurses, or to even be recruited during the actual training. Of course, for the best hiring chances you should study well and perform everything requested of you as well as possible.