Comparison in the Role of a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) and Psychiatric Technician (PT)

In the field of medicine and health care, the job profile of a LVN, that is to say, a Licensed Vocational Nurse, and a Psychiatric Technician are often used in relation with one another. However, the two professions vary greatly and each of them entails entirely disparate job qualifications, responsibilities and expectations.

In general, Licensed Vocational Nurses are also referred to as Licensed Practical Nurses or LPNs. The job profile and the term used for a Licensed Vocational Nurse often vary from region to region, depending upon country specific criterion. For example, while the term is Licensed Vocational Nurse in California and Texas, the term used in Australia and New Zealand is Enrolled Nurse.

On an average, a Licensed Vocational Nurse can be expected to undertake simple as well as intricate medical responsibilities, but these can be performed only under the specific supervision of a physician or a registered nurse. All Licensed Vocational Nurses can register medicine dosages, and in some regions they can be expected to fulfill other responsibilities as well. These responsibilities range from having to initiate IV medications and administering the IV push medications, administering wound and injury care, to maintaining records of patients. A Licensed Vocational Nurse is also expected to collect blood and urine samples when these are needed for lab testing.

Also, a Licensed Vocational Nurse can be asked to perform straightforward lab diagnostic and analysis practices such as urine- analysis as well. The work of Licensed Vocational Nurses is not limited to only hospitals. They can work in hospitals and clinics under the express supervision of physicians, and they can also work in long- term health care facilities where they sometimes might be assigned the responsibility of over- seeing the work of orderlies and nursing assistants. Another responsibility of a Licensed Vocational Nurse is to monitor the patient’s vital signs such as body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation.

In the United Kingdom, where Licensed Vocational Nurses are often referred to as State Enrolled Nurses, they are expected to aid in drawing blood samples of patients, record the readings of the ECG and also change wound dressings as and when they are so required. In the United States, it is compulsory for a prospective Licensed Vocational Nurse to have completed high school at least after which there are a number of programs that the candidates are expected to sit for and qualify, depending on their individual aspirations.

The responsibilities of a Psychiatric Technician might oftentimes appear to resemble that of a Licensed Vocational Nurse, but the difference lies in the respective fields of work. While a Licensed Vocational Nurse can be of assistance to a physician or a registered nurse on a wide variety of medical responsibilities, Psychiatric Technicians specifically deal with medical responsibilities arising in the field of Psychology. A Psychiatric Technician is expected to work with a medical team providing professional services, in the capacity of assisting individuals suffering from problems arising out of developmental and emotional difficulties.

Psychiatric Technicians are involved in the process of working with people who suffer from psychological ailments such as dementia, depression and psychosis, when these conditions are causing visible and palpable mental distress as well as emotional duress to the patient. It is important for those looking to take up the profession of a Psychiatric Technician to have studied pharmacology for Psychiatric Technicians are expected to be educated in the field of administering and understanding medication in terms of drug standards, dosages requires and the effects of different medicines in contexts of different psychological issues.

A Psychiatric Technician works under a psychiatrist, a registered nurse or any other category of mental health workers, and forms an important and integral part of a medical team.

Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts offers LVN/LPN programs and Psychiatric technician programs through their campuses in California.

LVN
Licensed Vocational Nursing Program

Tags: Comparison, Licensed, Nurse, Psychiatric, Role, Technician, Vocational