lpnSome people are not sure of what type of nursing to devote themselves to, there are many variations of a nursing career. Each can be a kind of stepping stone to the next one, that eventually reaches up the ladder to a degree in advanced nursing. Also, as one becomes educated in one facet of nursing, they can be working within that field while pursuing a higher degree. It really is a great career to continue in advancements.

One facet of nursing is the career of an LVN or otherwise known as a licensed vocational nurse. In other parts of the country this career is known as a licensed practical nurse or LPN. What is ideal about this vocation is that it does not take years in the educational sector to be able to have a career that one can get involved in and make a difference.

The program, depending on where one obtains their education and training, can take roughly 12 months. Some schools may take longer and others, as in the accelerated programs, a bit shorter. Nonetheless, once one has sat for their licensing examination, they are able to find employment right away. Not too bad, for a small amount of time invested in ones education.

LVN’s are highly employable and very much in demand. The places that one might find employment can be in doctors offices, hospitals, out-patient clinics and nursing facilities. Their job is not limited to these facilities, as in many cases they are even hired as home health nurses providing care to those who cannot leave their homes.

Many of their duties mirror those of a registered nurse, but they are not to be confused as an RN, who has gone to school for 4 years obtaining a bachelors degree and registered nursing license, as most often they take their orders from an RN that is in charge.

The LVN Duties

An LVN provides the basic needs to the patient as in monitoring and recording their vital signs, diet and liquid intake, administering medications,documenting all symptoms and pertinent medical information, taking care of the cleaning and dressing of wounds. They may also assist the patient in their daily bathing routines and helping them in and out of bed. Sometimes they may help a patient with their mealtimes and feeding assistance. For some patients, if they are able, light exercises can help in their recovery and increased mobility. The LVN’s job description can either be limited or quite vast, depending on where they are working.

The bottom line is that the job can be very varied and exciting and anyone who enjoys working with people to better their care and recovery, would certainly benefit from becoming an LVN.


CPT codes are essential to anyone who works in the medical billing and coding field, as part of their language to insurance companies, identifying certain specifics that have been performed. So, what are CPT billing codes and how important are they? To understand what they are and how they are used and why they are used will allow us to see their importance in the job that is done, by billers and coders.

Billing codes, as in CPT, HCPCS and ICD-9 codes are used to help the doctors and other healthcare practitioners, bill the insurance companies for a particular service that was performed to a patient in the participating facility. They help to simplify the reporting of services.

CPT, refers to the Medical Association’s Current Procedural Terminology. HCPCS, comes from the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System and ICD-9 is the abbreviation from the International Classification of Diseases. All these coding processes explain what has been performed, what the diagnosis is, and why, that in turn enables a presiding doctor or establishment to bill for the services to the appropriate insurances. These billing codes allow the facilities to be paid in a usual and customary fashion. If all the coding is correct, then the reimbursements will follow through as agreed between the facilities and the insurance companies.

If I Know About Medical Coding Do I Need To Know The Billing?

As mentioned on the career blog Medicalbillingandcodings.com, in the definition of medical billing and coding jobs, one must be aware that they are indeed two separate professions, linked into one. Many offices hire either one or the other, but there are those who hire one person to perform both jobs. It is usually a smaller office, with out as much patient flow, as say, a larger hospital, with many patients being seen on a daily basis.

A medical biller, would be one who would take the information that the medical coder had already provided, regarding diagnosis’s and procedures, and input those codes to an electronic insurance claim form to be sent via internet, for a speedy return of reimbursement.

The medical coder is one who would analyze and decipher, from the physicians notes, what codes would need to be used in order for the maximum medical reimbursement return, for the services in which the physician has provided to the patient. The job usually involves a great deal of research and analysis.

The outcome of both jobs is a great benefit to the offices who employ these highly skilled professionals.


One of the most important factors in achieving the highest pharmacy technician salary possible is whether or not you are a certified pharmacy technician or not. Not all states require certification. However, many companies are now insisting that their pharmacy techs become certified.

It’s not hard to achieve certification. After being trained as a pharmacy tech, you must pass one of two tests in order to become certified.

One test is known as the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam or PTCE. It is administered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board or PTCB. The cost of this exam is $129 as of this writing and consists of 90 questions.

The second test is the Exam for Certification of Pharmacy Technician or ExCPT, and it is administered by the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians or ICPT. This examination will cost $105 and has 110 questions.

Upon passing this exam the tester will receive their certified pharmacy technician certification. They will then qualify for the highest pharmacy technician salary available to them.

Hospital Pharmacy Technician Salary

After reading a forum concerning the subject of pharmacy technician salary it has become apparent that working in the hospital pharmacy is a better paying job for a pharmacy technician than working in a retail pharmacy.

I say this based on one person having written that they were hired by a hospital is starting pay of $12 per hour which was followed by hundreds of responses telling this technician how lucky he had been. Most of the responses in this forum stated that they had been hired for $8-$9 per hour and have had no raises in several years.

As mention on the career blog Acto1.com, certification did seem to be an issue. Many who are not certified seem to believe that certification was a means to increase their pay. Yet they did not feel that the education that they needed to become certified was going to be rewarded adequately.

If you want to try becoming a pharmacy technician, try to be hired by a hospital pharmacy in order to get a higher pharmacy technician salary.

The Future is Bright for Pharmacy Technician Jobs

Jobs in this field have a very bright future. Unlike many jobs, pharmacy technicians work in an area that has been relatively untouched by the economic downturn so far. Some predictions for growth in the field state numbers as high as an increase of 25% over the next seven years.

This is good news for people with limited education, or the financial means of getting education. Needing only a high school diploma or GED, a young person or anyone for that matter can spend a few months getting formal training as a pharmacy technician and find employment in a retail pharmacy or hospital pharmacy or any of the other places pharmacy techs are employed.

After completing their formal training, prospective pharmacy techs can pass one of two exams and become certified as a Certified Pharmacy Technician. Once they have accomplished that, they will find many pharmacies willing to employ them. Pharmacy technician jobs are a bright spot in the economy.