Lpn - What's the Market For Jobs Really Like?

In coming to your decision of whether to start the process of training to become a Licensed Practical Nurse or Lpn you will obviously be very interested in what the ultimate job market will be like when you do qualify. There are many news reports suggesting that demand for Lpn's are not only growing in the US but are also the employment market is demonstrating acute supply shortages throughout the world.

But what is the reality? Well, the latest statistics are provided from the Bureau of Labor Statistic. Unfortunately these are a little out of date, the latest figures being for 2006 only. However what they show is that the stories of demand exceeding supply are indeed true. They estimate there are approximately 750,000 Lpn roles in the US. Approximately one quarter of these work in hospitals and another quarter work in nursing care facilities. Of the remainder the majority worked in physician surgeries and provided home care services.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimate that the job market for practical nurses will grow by approximately 14% per annum for the period up to 2006. This is quite an astonishing rate of growth and the State-approved training programs will almost certainly struggle to meet the resultant demand.

All of this spells good news if you are either already a Licensed Nurse, or are about to enroll on a training course for which this is the objective.

Interestingly the forecast for growth in jobs includes an expected decline in the hospital sector of the market. This is mainly as a consequence of continued technological improvements in medical practice. More and more complex treatments are being undertaken outside hospitals, at clinics and walk in emergency centers. In addition, as patients are increasingly discharged more quickly from hospitals, nursing care facilities are inevitably having to step up to meet the care requirements of recuperating patients.

Home care services are also expected to increase sharply as the aging and increasingly infirm population requires continuous care, and the consumer is increasingly expressing a preference for care in their own home rather than the traditional care home model.

So in summary the market for Lpn jobs is indeed buoyant and expected to remain so for the foreseeable future. Be warned however, the traditional roles for nursing are being supplanted by the changing face of medical practice.