Licensed Practical Nurse: What is the cost of hiring?

Why hire a licensed practical nurse?

The need for new staff can affect both your existing team and your patients’ lives. A great LPN hire can improve the quality of care you offer your patients. They can help your business: 

• See more patients
• Increase quality of care
• Offer more services

What are the types of licensed practical nurses?

All LPNs complete similar schooling, but their duties vary based on the type of LPN position they have or the facility they work in. Some types of licensed practical nurse jobs include:

• Doctor’s office LPN: At a doctor’s office, an LPN works with patients who’ve scheduled appointments by taking vitals, administering medicine and helping with medical testing.
• ER LPN: An LPN in the ER helps treat patients with injuries and illnesses that are often life-threatening. It’s a fast-paced environment that requires an LPN who can remain calm and prioritize patients.
• Specialty department LPN: Some LPNs specialize in a certain type of medicine, such as labor and delivery, oncology, dialysis or pediatrics. They work with patients at either a hospital or specialty clinic.
• Administrative LPN: This role works more behind the scenes, handling administrative tasks instead of working directly with patients. The LPN does clerical and administrative tasks such as working with medical records.
• Home health LPN: These LPNs go to patients’ homes to help with various health care activities, such as taking vitals or administering medication.

Where to find licensed practical nurses

To find the right LPN for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Work with nursing schools. Partner with a local college that offers an LPN program to meet students and recruit them before they graduate. You might speak in classes or invite students to your facility to observe.
• Create an employee referral program . Offer an incentive for your current employees to refer other LPNs they know.
• Network in the medical field. Spread the word about your opening for a licensed practical nurse to all your contacts in the medical field.
• Attend career fairs. Set up a booth for your health care company at a career fair, especially those that cater to health care professionals.
• Post your job online. Try posting your licensed practical nurse job on Indeed to find and attract quality licensed practical nurse candidates.

Skills to look for in a great Licensed Practical Nurse

A great LPN candidate will have the following skills and attributes as well as work experience that reflects:

• Licensed by a board
• Advanced medical knowledge
• Ability to administer medication
• Empathy for patients
• Clear communication
• Problem solving ability

Writing a licensed practical nurse job description

A thoughtful description can help you find qualified licensed practical nurse candidates. A licensed practical nurse job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your licensed practical nurse job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on licensed practical nurse jobs, according to Indeed data:

• LPN
• Licensed practical nurse
• LPN nurse
• RN
• Registered nurse
• Nurse
• LVN
• Medical assistant
• LPN nursing
• Nursing

Interviewing licensed practical nurse candidates

Strong candidates for LPN positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• Dealing with a difficult patient
• Standard procedures
• Medical software and terminology

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of licensed practical nurse interview questions for examples (with sample answers).