Opportunities for LVN’s in all clinical fields are excellent. The current nursing shortage is gaining in strength resulting in vast numbers of vacancies. With the exploding growth of the aging population, nursing supply simply cannot keep up with the demand. New initiatives to recruit young people to become nurses have been successful in increasing enrollment at many LVN programs; however, the shortage is still mounting.
To attract new nurses and decrease attrition, many healthcare facilities are offering monetary incentives such as $10,000.00 sign on bonuses, trips, longevity bonuses, awards programs and paid tuition. Some factors to consider if you are thinking about a career in healthcare are:
According to the US Department of Labor, the annual LVN salary was $55,860.00 in May of 2023. High end wages were upwards of $64,050.00. Staffing and medical employment agencies paid the highest salaries. Average benefits for full time licensed vocational nurses in hospitals included health insurance; flex scheduling, child care, tuition assistance and retirement saving programs.
Most LVN programs in Bakersfield include career placement assistance.
Careers for registered nurses are becoming far more diverse than in years past. Nurses are turning to a variety of employment relating to some form of healthcare positions including:
It is estimated that by the year 2020, there will be a shortage of over 400,000 nurses. Couple this with the fact that 55% of the current nurses are expected to retire between 2022 and 2030; the shortage will reach critical proportions. The American Hospital Association released a report in 2006 stating that there were 116,000 nursing vacancies nationwide.
These factors, coupled with the variety of employment opportunities makes licensed vocational nursing a fantastic career choice! One of the most common answers of what is the most appealing aspect of nursing is the opportunity to work in so many different fields. Often, when an LVN needs a change of pace from clinical nursing, she/he will take a position in management.
Working as a Director of Nursing at a skilled nursing facility gives LVN’s the opportunity to to gain experience in areas such as budgeting, proper staffing, and working with colleagues throughout the medical continuum.