Welcoming nursing homes. Fast-paced hospitals. Diverse home health settings. Wherever you choose to work, your skill and dedication as a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) are in high demand in the Lone Star State. PRN LVN jobs in Texas offer opportunities to experience the various nursing environments.
How Many Licensed Vocational Nurses Does Texas Employ?
The entire Lone Star State employs 59,170 LVNs, also called licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and expects to need over 90,000 by 2032, with a projected shortage of more than 12,000 LVNs. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 5 percent growth in employment of LVNs from 2022 to 2032, far above the 3 percent average for all occupations but somewhat lower than the 6 percent average for registered nurses (RNs). This growth fluctuates over the years, but the prevailing trend is a need for increasing numbers of nurses.
With one of the fastest growing populations in the US—increasing more than 20 percent from 2010 to 2023—Texas is home to a growing number of nursing jobs.
Which Are the Most Common Work Settings for LVNs?
The largest percentage of LVNs—35 percent—work in long-term care, including nursing homes and assisted living facilities, 15 percent in medical surgical hospitals, 13 percent in home healthcare services, 12 percent in physicians’ offices, six percent in government jobs, and the rest in other diverse settings.
Long-Term or Residential Care Facilities
Long-term or residential care facilities grow in proportion to the marked increase in the population 85 and older. Statistics clearly show the growth of this age group.
- The number of people over age 85 is expected to nearly double by 2035 (from 6.5 million to 11.8 million).
- The Texas Demographic Center foresees that from 2023–2050, the fastest-growing age groups in the state will be among people 65 years and older, and the number of people over 65 will increase by more than 88 percent.
Texas has 1,215 nursing homes and 2,000 assisted living facilities, adding up to 3,215 facilities.
Regarding the number of nursing home residents, Texas comes in third after California and New York, with over 85,000 people living in long-term care facilities.
Home Health Services
Home healthcare is another common work option for LVNs, typically providing one-on-one care in the patient’s home for individuals who cannot care for themselves. While patients are usually older, home health nursing serves patients of all ages who require medical supervision or assistance with daily activities. Home health LVNs are vital in delivering personalized care, monitoring patient conditions, administering medication, and educating patients and their families in health management. LVNs may also help patients with personal needs such as getting into and out of bed, walking, bathing, and dressing, although home care assistants may also have such duties.
Diabetes, congestive heart failure, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s, and dementia are among the most frequent diagnoses for admission into home healthcare programs.
Diabetes: With at-home attention, LPNs help patients lead full and active lives in several ways:
- Teaching patients and their families about diabetes management with emphasis on the following:some text
- A healthy diet low in concentrated carbohydrates and sweets
- Signs of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia (excessively high or low blood glucose level, respectively) and how to treat them
- The importance of regular aerobic exercise to lower blood sugar and periodic foot exams to detect and avoid complications
- Treating wounds
- Preventing hospitalization or shortening hospital stays
Congestive heart failure: LVNs monitor vital signs; manage symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, and fluid retention; administer medication as prescribed by the physician; and provide patient education on diet, exercise, medication management, and how to recognize and respond to worsening symptoms.
Dementia or Alzheimer’s: LVN home health services can significantly reduce the confusion for the patient and the burden for the family or other caregivers in the following ways:
- Establishing a daily routine that provides structure
- Assisting in daily activities
- Monitoring patient safety and creating a safe environment by removing hazardous objects, such as knives, loose rugs, matches, medications, or alcohol
- Providing emotional support
- Educating families on communication—talking one-on-one in quiet spaces without much distraction and making eye contact—and behavior management
Most home healthcare nurses work for agencies, hospitals, or insurance companies, visiting patients after discharge from inpatient settings. On a typical day, a nurse visits five to seven patients, although this varies greatly depending on the patient’s needs. Home healthcare can also provide remote nursing jobs in TX.
Medical Surgical Hospitals
While hospitals are often high-stress environments, many LVNs prize the opportunity to gain experience in various roles and units, including the emergency room (ER), labor and delivery, the operating room (OR), and the intensive care unit (ICU). Hospital settings also involve larger healthcare teams where LVNs work closely with experienced registered nurses, physicians, or other knowledgeable healthcare professionals. These settings provide excellent contexts for observing and learning more about patient management strategies and complex medical conditions.
Bilingual Nurses in Texas
Did you know that Garcia is the second most common surname in Texas? Did you know that 40 percent of the Texas population identified as Hispanic or Latino in the last US Census?
According to the Texas Demographic Center, by 2050, the Hispanic population will be the state’s largest racial/ethnic group in all age categories.
One-fourth of the population of Texas speaks Spanish, second only to California with 26.9 percent. Healthcare facilities must provide language services that help ensure access to quality care regardless of the patient’s language.
How do healthcare organizations face this language challenge? Besides technological innovations, such as machine translation or voice recognition that allows the clinician to understand in real-time when a patient is speaking in another language, healthcare facilities also seek human solutions such as the following:
- Hospital interpretation services for non-English speaking patients
- Multilingual call centers with nurses who reach out to non-English speaking patients, with services in Spanish, Vietnamese, French, Tagalog, Chinese languages, and other languages
- Bilingual clinicians
Texas healthcare appreciates bilingual nurses, especially those who speak English and Spanish. Such nurses bring enhanced capacity to care for and communicate effectively with Spanish-speaking patients and their families.
Communication is essential to educating patients on procedures, securing consent, and ensuring patients and families fully understand discharge instructions. Overcoming language barriers is crucial to culturally competent and patient-centered care.
How Much Is the LVN Salary in Texas?
Texas LVNs make a mean wage of $56,490 annually or $27.16 per hour, ranging from under $45,100 to over $70,530 for the top 10 percent. Of course, this varies by location. At the top, Austin pays LVNs an average wage of $60,790 yearly, followed by Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston at over $59,000. However, PRN or per diem jobs typically pay at a significantly higher hourly rate.
For a complete breakdown of average wages and typical variations throughout the state, see Nursa’s Texas LVN Salary Guide.
How Can I Find Per Diem Nursing Jobs in Texas?
Nursa connects LVNs, RNs, and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) looking for jobs with healthcare organizations that are looking for nurses to cover shifts. Find PRN jobs in record time with Nursa. Browse the locations listed below to see job opportunities close to home and apply for PRN LVN jobs in TX. To learn more about unlocking opportunities, read our article about the ban on noncompetes.
Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Area
The Austin-Round Rock Metro has some of the highest-paying locations in Texas. If this is the area where you would like to work, click on some of the links listed below and check out job postings.
Travis County
Bastrop County
Hays County
Williamson County
Houston Metropolitan Area
The Houston Metro is another large metropolitan area that offers some of the best-paid jobs. Look into jobs in the Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, and Montgomery counties.
Fort Bend County
Galveston County
Harris County
Montgomery County
Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area
The Dallas-Fort Worth Metro has the highest employment level of LVNs in the state, with over 14,000 LVNs working in this Texas metroplex. Browse through the locations listed below to find a PRN job and apply.
Dallas County
Denton County
Tarrant County
Collin County
Parker County
San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Area
The San Antonio-New Braunfels Metro needs LVNs. Click on the links below to find LVN jobs for you.
Bexar County
Kendall County
Corpus Christi, El Paso, and Laredo Metropolitan Areas
The Corpus Christi, El Paso, and Laredo metropolitan areas also offer enticing per diem LVN jobs for you to choose from.
Nueces County
El Paso County
Webb County
To meet the requirements for these job opportunities, you must complete one of the state’s LVN programs approved by the Texas Board of Nursing and hold an active nursing license. You can verify your license status using the Texas Board of Nursing license lookup service if you are already a licensed LVN.
The Future of Licensed Vocational Nursing in Texas
LVNs are not being phased out. More LVNs will be needed to meet the health needs of changing patient demographics in Texas, especially in telehealth, long-term care, and home health, which has implications for LVN education. In long-term care, LVNs have less supervision than their counterparts in hospitals, and the LVN programs need to ensure that students develop critical thinking and communication skills.
If you have an active nursing license valid to work in Texas, see for yourself what PRN LVN jobs in Texas have to offer.
Check out the most popular ways to stay hydrated on the job in our post about the best water bottles for nurses.
Sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (Registered Nurses)
- National Library of Medicine: Current situation analysis of diabetic home care patients
- National Library of Medicine: Congestive Heart Failure (Nursing)
- NurseJournal: Caring for Patients With Dementia and Alzheimer’s: Tips & Resources for Nurses
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