Licensed Vocational Nursing (LVN) - Certificate

Begin Your Career as a Licensed Vocational Nurse

The Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) is an important frontline member of the health care team. LVNs are also referred to as Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) in many states. The LVN provides basic patient care. LVNs are supervised by Registered Nurses, Physicians, Physician’s Assistants, Dentists and Podiatrists. There are employment opportunities for LVNs in acute care hospitals, long term care facilities, the home-health care setting, schools, clinics, physician’s offices, and the criminal justice system. Alvin Community College (ACC) has educated individuals to enter the nursing profession for over 40 years and has the reputation of an outstanding LVN program.

The mission of the ACC LVN program is to provide the community an accessible, affordable, and quality education that will prepare safe, professional, competent, and caring VN graduates.

Career Opportunities

LVNs are in demand!  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of licensed vocational nurses is projected to grow 12 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports that the mean annual wage for LVNs in the Woodlands/Houston/Sugar Land area is $48,950.

For more information on career opportunities as a LVN, please visit Career Coach where you can explore the local job market, take a career assessment, and build a resumé.

What Will I Study?

The 44-credit-hour ACC LVN certificate program is one year in length and begins every year in June. This cost-effective program can help pave the way for your entry into a growing and rewarding health care profession. It is an intensive study of vocational nursing, including classroom, laboratory, and clinical experiences. Graduates are eligible to take the NCLEX-PN licensure exam to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN). Courses include medication administration, pharmacology, surgical nursing, maternal-neonatal nursing, pediatrics and more. View the Curriculum Guide for a detailed program outline. LVN training includes attending clinical where you obtain nursing experience working directly with patients in hospitals and other health care facilities under supervision of a Registered Nurse. The ACC LVN program has affiliation agreements with the following health care facilities (the following list is subject to change):  

• Clear Lake Regional Medical Center (Webster) 
• Cornerstone Hospital (Bellaire & Clear Lake) 
• MD Anderson Hospital (Medical Center) 
• Memorial Hermann Hospital Southeast 
• Memorial Hermann Hospital Southeast, Pearland campus
• Kindred Hospitals (Medical Center, Bay Area) 
• UTMB pediatric & ante-partum clinics (Alvin, Angleton, Pasadena, Lake Jackson, Sugar Land)
• Nursing homes: Tuscany Village (Pearland), Regent Care (League City), Country Village (Angleton)