Finding the Right LPN School For You
So you’ve decided to go into nursing. Congratulations! It’s a wonderful and rewarding career choice. Finding an LPN school in your community may be as easy as contacting your local community college, or more difficult, requiring an online LPN school environment.
A licensed practical nurse (LPN) may also be called a licensed vocational nurse. Training to become a licensed practical nurse takes less time than that required for a registered nurse, and in most cases, an LPN training program can train you within a year. LPN’s responsibilities generally include caring for convalescent, injured, sick or disabled individuals, similar in some respects to an RN, but within certain limitations. Needless to say, an LPN should also be caring and compassionate, and have a pleasant attitude to patients as well as staff. An LPN school will teach you:
- How to take vital signs
- Prepare and give injections
- Perform lab tests
- Supervise nursing assistants (CNA’s)
- Help patients with personal hygiene and their other daily activities
- Gather and document patient health information and data for medical records
A nurse completing an LPN training course may find jobs in convalescent centers, acute care hospitals, retirement communities, within the Veterans Administration, and the military. Average earnings are between $30,000 and $50,000 a year, depending on geographical location, specialty, and employment services offered.
An LPN program offers men and women the education and clinical practice required to care for others. A rewarding career, LPN’s also face challenges in patient care, but the high necessity of specialized services you can provide to others can make your choice very lucrative. The demand for certified and experienced healthcare service providers continues to grow, and licensed practical nurses are an essential part of the healthcare industry.
Generally speaking, an LPN school offers one year of study that includes text, clinical, and hands-on instruction at a community college, technical vocational school, or hospital. Before choosing a specific school, make sure its nursing program is approved by your state’s Board of Nursing. After you’ve completed your coursework, be prepared to take the NCLEX-PN exam offered by the National Council Licensure Examination to earn your nursing license.
Tuition costs for a licensed practical nursing degree generally range around $2,000, but schools and facilities often offer grants, scholarships and financial aid to help aspiring nurses fund their education. Individuals opting for online nursing education may choose among a variety of accredited and excellent online LPN school providers such as the University of Phoenix, Kaplan University, Excelsior, and Walden University, to name a few. As with any school, talk to friends and associates who have attended any of the schools that you are interested in, and get their experience and opinion. This can prevent problems for you down the road, both financially and career wise.
