Care for ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled persons in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, group homes, and similar institutions. May work under the supervision of a registered nurse. Licensing required.

Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

1. Administer prescribed medications or start intravenous fluids, and note times and amounts on patients' charts.

2. Observe patients, charting and reporting changes in patients' conditions, such as adverse reactions to medication or treatment, and taking any necessary action.

3. Provide basic patient care and treatments, such as taking temperatures or blood pressures, dressing wounds, treating bedsores, giving enemas or douches, rubbing with alcohol, massaging, or performing catheterizations.

4. Sterilize equipment and supplies, using germicides, sterilizer, or autoclave.

5. Answer patients' calls and determine how to assist them.

6. Measure and record patients' vital signs, such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse and respiration.

7. Work as part of a health care team to assess patient needs, plan and modify care and implement interventions.

8. Collect samples such as blood, urine and sputum from patients, and perform routine laboratory tests on samples.

9. Prepare patients for examinations, tests or treatments and explain procedures.

10. Assemble and use equipment such as catheters, tracheotomy tubes, and oxygen suppliers.

11. Evaluate nursing intervention outcomes, conferring with other health care team members as necessary.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.

Training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.

The college search results are undergraduate programs associated with Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses. Further education may also be required to pursue this career.

The training search results include both short and long-term programs associated with Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses, and may be more appropriate for adult and non-traditional students. Further training may also be required to pursue this career.

In NY the average wage for this occupation was:

$31,830 for entry level workers, and $46,300 for experienced workers.

Based on the total number of annual openings and its growth rate, the employment prospects for this occupation are described as Very Favorable.

During 2006, there were approximately 49,820 Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses employed in NY.

We estimate that in 2016 there will be 54,830  employed in NY. This represents an increase of 500 job(s) each year, and a total of 1,360 job openings each year.

Healthcare: Get Into It! - Healthcare: Get Into It! has been created as a way to explore some of the possibilities of health care careers and give you the opportunity to develop a road map to your future. Health care encompasses many disciplines and information is important. The topics include: Interest Assessment Tool, Career Options,Job Shadowing/Mentoring Programs,Career Planning, Education & Training, and Financial Aid.

Summer Scholars 2007 - Summer Scholars 2007 is a health career exploration opportunity that immerses students in a health care setting for six weeks, introducing them to the daily work tasks and responsibilities of a healthcare provider or allied health professional.

Medical Care Technicians - Visit this link for information on this career in the military.

Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses - Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.

Chiropractors - Adjust spinal column and other articulations of the body to correct abnormalities of the human body believed to be caused by interference with the nervous system. Examine patient to determine nature and extent of disorder. Manipulate spine or other involved area. May utilize supplementary measures, such as exercise, rest, water, light, heat, and nutritional therapy.

Orthodontists - Examine, diagnose, and treat dental malocclusions and oral cavity anomalies. Design and fabricate appliances to realign teeth and jaws to produce and maintain normal function and to improve appearance.

Optometrists - Diagnose, manage, and treat conditions and diseases of the human eye and visual system. Examine eyes and visual system, diagnose problems or impairments, prescribe corrective lenses, and provide treatment. May prescribe therapeutic drugs to treat specific eye conditions.

Physician Assistants - Provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Conduct complete physicals, provide treatment, and counsel patients. May, in some cases, prescribe medication. Must graduate from an accredited educational program for physician assistants.

Respiratory Therapists - Assess, treat, and care for patients with breathing disorders. Assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care modalities, including the supervision of respiratory therapy technicians. Initiate and conduct therapeutic procedures; maintain patient records; and select, assemble, check, and operate equipment.

Dental Hygienists - Clean teeth and examine oral areas, head, and neck for signs of oral disease. May educate patients on oral hygiene, take and develop X-rays, or apply fluoride or sealants.

Psychiatric Aides - Assist mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients, working under direction of nursing and medical staff.