Classes Taken During LPN Studies

If you want to try a career in the health industry, you might want to try taking Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) classes. You usually need 12 to 18 months to graduate and you can easily find work afterwards. It's a good stepping-stone and you spend a lot less compared to other health courses. It is a good start if you want to go on and get a nursing career.

There are a lot of online classes you can get and the hours are flexible. You can work while you study. LPN practitioners work under the supervision of Registered Nurses and doctors. Most of bedside care is done by LPNs. Their responsibilities include collecting samples (blood, stool, urine, etc.), feeding, bathing and monitoring vital signs.

Here are the basic subjects in most LPN programs (it may differ in some schools):

1. Nutrition Since most LPNs perform feeding to patients they need to have a background in Nutrition. They do Nasogastric Tube (NGT) feedings where they feed patients through a tube that connects to their stomach.

2. Basic Nursing Skills LPNs do a lot of bedside care. Basic nursing skills like proper positioning, taking and monitoring of vital signs and taking samples are some basic skills that LPNs need to learn.

3. Emergency Care Like all persons in the health care team, LPNs are requires to take up emergency care. LPNs need to know basic care like CPR, Heimlich maneuver and what do in instances of choking, seizures, cardiac arrest, etc.

4. Medical-surgical Nursing An LPN must have the basic background in Medical-surgical nursing since they take care of the patients. They need to familiarize themselves of the different diseases and how the body works.

5. Pediatric Nursing Since most pediatric patients need to be monitored, LPNs need extra classes on how to take care of them. They need to learn the different developmental stages and what are the normal vital signs for children in varying age groups.

6. Anatomy and Physiology Basic anatomy and physiology is introduced to LPNs to give them a birds-eye view on the different systems of the body. They need to be at least aware of the different functions of our body system.

7. Obstetric Nursing Pregnant women are constantly monitored and have regular check-ups. LPNs need to know what goes on during pregnancy. Caring for pregnant patients differ from other patients.

Apart from lecture class, there are also clinical practicum courses and various skills labs. Most countries require licenses and the test may differ depending on where you want to practice. LPN is a good start if you want to get into the health profession. You can always pursue an LPN-to-RN degree if you want to advance your career.