The Colorado Nursing Association reports that the shortage of qualified candidates for Denver nursing jobs is twice the national average and that by 2020 there will be a 30% vacancy rate for nursing jobs in Denver and the rest of Colorado. Home health is one of the fastest growing sectors for Denver nurses, but the region has also seen the opening of a number of new hospital facilities as well. Denver's largest hospitals include: Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital, Denver Health, and St. Anthony Central Hospital.
Licensed practical nurses (LPN) working in Texas or California are called licensed vocational nurses (LVN). Licensed vocational nurses provide basic bedside patient care under the direction of physicians and registered nurses. Training programs last about a year, offered at community colleges, vocation schools, and technical colleges. An individual must pass the NCLEX-PN, which is a state licensing examination, required to work as a licensed vocational nurse. License vocational nurses oversee the bedside care provided by nursing assistants. Licensed vocational nurses are also known as registered practical nurse in Ontario, as enrolled nurses in Australia, and as state enrolled nurses in the United Kingdom.