How to find the right LVN for your needs?
A Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) is vital in providing primary care for patients in facilities. LVNs directly interact with patients, providing them with full-time support and assistance while monitoring their condition. Hence, making an informed choice when you hire an LVN is crucial to ensure that you provide high-quality patient care at your facility. The challenge lies not only in the shortage of LVN talent but also in understanding their unique responsibilities and skills and in aligning these with the particular demands of your healthcare facility setting.
This blog will guide you through some useful tips to attract and hire a Licensed Vocational Nurse so that you can enhance patient outcomes while increasing your facility’s overall satisfaction and operational efficiency. The rise in demand has also led many facility managers to ask, Can LVNs be hired on contract for hospitals? The answer is yes. Contract-based LVNs provide a flexible solution, especially when facilities face staffing shortages or seasonal spikes. With the help of an advanced LVN staffing platform, facilities can streamline hiring and improve retention.
Getting to know LVNs and their job outlook over the decade
Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs) perform specific medical duties, such as providing bedside assistance for patients who are ill or injured, administering medications, monitoring patient conditions, and performing various medical procedures as allowed by state regulations. They work under the supervision of Registered Nurses (RN) and Physicians. However, it depends on the state and the type of facility they work for. Unlike RNs, LVNs complete one-year vocational training in nursing. They should also pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. In most states in the USA, LVNs are referred to as Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs).
According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, an LVN earned $28.72 per hour, and the median annual pay was $59,730 in 2023. The job market for LVNs is very demanding since they play an essential role in delivering primary patient care. Moreover, the US government has also projected 34,900 job openings between 2022 and 2032.
To remain competitive in hiring, many facilities have begun offering enhanced benefits and more competitive pay for LVNs. Employers must also ensure they have accurate, up-to-date information about compensation benchmarks to make informed offers.
Below is an infographic highlighting average LVN pay ranges, which is beneficial if you are hiring in metro cities, where salary expectations tend to be higher.
Top-paying metropolitan areas for LPNs
Source: www.bls.gov
What are the primary duties of LVNs?
It is important to note that the duties of an LVN can vary depending on the state, healthcare facility, and experience level.
Some of the typical job roles of an LVN include:
- Continuous monitoring of patients for any vital signs and reporting them
- Wound care, including changing bandages and inserting catheters
- Administering medication and injections
- Collecting samples for laboratory assessments
- Providing patient education
- Preparing the patient for surgery
- Assisting with daily life activities
- Documenting health records
What are the types of LVNs you can hire?
Even though the job role of an LVN remains the same as mentioned above, LVNs are categorized based on the work settings. When you hire an LVN, ensure he/she is experienced enough to work in your facility’s setting.
This is especially important for decision-makers who often wonder, How to hire a licensed LVN for my hospital? Once you have finalized the requirements of what your healthcare facility wants, then the answer lies in evaluating experience, certifications, and work setting compatibility. Different settings require unique soft skills and adaptability, making role alignment essential.
Some of the different types of LVNs based on their roles and specializations are:
- General LVN: They work in hospitals, primary care clinics, nursing homes, etc.
- Home Health LVN: They provide nursing care for chronic patients at their homes.
- Surgical LVN: They prepare patients for surgery and work in hospital operating rooms.
- Pediatric LVN: They provide care to infants and children and work in pediatric wards or home care settings.
- Geriatric LVN: They care for elderly patients with age-related issues. The work settings include retirement homes, long-term care centers, and home care facilities.
- Specialty LVN: These LVNs usually have additional certifications in certain specialties such as diabetes management, oncology, rehabilitation, etc.
10 tips to find the right LVN that meets your facility’s requirements
Finding the right LVN starts with understanding both your staffing gaps and the patient care standards your facility upholds. From specialty certifications to soft skills, many factors beyond licensure affect whether an LVN is a good match. Facilities that take a structured approach to hiring tend to make more successful long-term placements.
If you are asking where to find qualified LVNs for hospital settings, the following tips will help you focus on both sourcing and screening processes.
- Determine your specific needs, including the type of care and work setting, i.e., whether it is a specialty clinic or long-term care facility.
- Add all specific requirements to your job description for clarity.
- Proactively determine the budget for hiring a professional.
- Consider temporary LVNs instead of full-time ones if you have financial constraints.
- Carefully examine your current staff allocation and shifts to decide on the most efficient arrangement.
- Ensure the candidate is licensed to work in your state and has the required experience.
- Conduct a thorough background check, including educational qualifications and work history.
- Conduct detailed interviews to evaluate both technical skills and soft skills such as empathy, communication, and flexibility.
- Collaborate with an LVN staffing agency to streamline the process.
- For specialty clinics, check for relevant certifications aligned with your facility’s care needs.
To support this step, an infographic is included below outlining four highly recognized LVN certifications that are especially relevant for clinical and specialized care environments. These credentials can help administrators make more informed and targeted hiring decisions.
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Even after addressing key hiring steps like defining role expectations, verifying licensure, and checking relevant certifications, many experienced recruiters still revisit an essential consideration: how should I use a staffing agency to hire an LVN? The answer lies in providing the agency with a clear outline of your job description, compliance requirements, and preferred work arrangement so they can align candidates to both clinical needs and facility culture.
Why MedSquirrels is the bright choice for LVN staffing
For a healthcare facility, hiring the right candidate is a strategic investment in the long run. Given the demanding nature of the role and the extended shifts LVNs often work, ensure you employ all the wellness strategies for retention when you hire an LVN. The rising demand for LVN professionals and the availability of limited candidates make LVN staffing a challenging task.
Traditionally, many facilities have relied on healthcare staffing agencies to fill LVN positions. While this route can be effective, traditional agencies often come with steep markups, inconsistent candidate quality, and a lack of transparency in the recruitment process. Partnering with the wrong agency may result in delayed onboarding, poor retention, and higher long-term costs.
MedSquirrels offers a better solution. As a modern LVN staffing platform powered by AI, MedSquirrels simplifies the entire process, from LVN profile screening, interviewing, credentialing, and compliance to onboarding and payroll. The platform focuses on efficiency, transparency, and cost-effectiveness, helping healthcare facilities stay ahead in hiring the right LVN for hire.
You can choose from three cost-effective hiring plans:
Purple Plan – Offers EOR/Payrolling services for contract LVNs you’ve already sourced internally. Ideal if you want to retain control over selection but need help managing compliance and payments.
Orange Plan – A full-service recruitment and EOR/Payrolling solution that helps you find and manage contract LVNs efficiently.
Blue Plan – Focused on recruitment for full-time LVNs or non-clinical roles, this plan ensures a seamless hiring pipeline for full-time staff.
Whether you are hiring for temporary, contract, or full-time roles, MedSquirrels ensures you are matched with qualified, vetted professionals at affordable hiring costs.
To explore how the platform works and streamline your hiring process, schedule a free demo at your convenience.
FAQs:
How to hire a licensed LVN for my hospital?
To hire a licensed LVN for your hospital, you must clearly outline your care needs, licensure requirements, and preferred experience in the job description. Then, use a staffing agency or platform that offers credential checks and healthcare-specific screening to ensure qualified, compliant hires.
How can I ensure my job description attracts qualified LVNs?
Include clear role expectations, work setting details, licensure requirements, and any preferences for certifications. Mention competitive pay or benefits if offered, and highlight opportunities for professional development or shift flexibility.
Can LVNs be hired on a contract basis for hospitals?
Yes. Contract-based LVNs are widely used during seasonal demand spikes or to fill temporary staffing gaps. It is a flexible solution that many hospitals are adopting, especially when managing fluctuating patient loads or project-based staffing needs.
Can I hire both contract and full-time LVNs through MedSquirrels?
Yes. The platform supports contract, temp-to-perm, and full-time hiring options to suit your staffing model, allowing you to respond to short-term demands while building a reliable long-term care team.
How does MedSquirrels help in hiring LVNs efficiently?
MedSquirrels uses AI-powered tools to screen candidates, manage credentialing, and handle onboarding, all in one platform, making hiring faster and simpler by reducing administrative burden and improving candidate-employer matching accuracy.
