Becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) is one of the fastest and easiest ways to begin working in the medical field. LPN Training programs can be completed in as little as 6 or 7 months to a year if you are only going to get your hospital certificate or up to 2 years if you decide to get an LPN associates degree from an online, community or trade school.
What do LPNs do?
As a certified LPN, or LVN you work under the direction of doctors and registered nurses (RNs). Your job would be do things such as:
· Take vital signs
· Gather and record patient information
· Give injections/shots
· Collect lab samples and/or perform lab tests
· Help and care for patients
How much can LPNs earn?
The salary for LPNs varies between approximately $32,000 and $42,000 per year. Factors that affect the amount you make primarily are where you work. As an example, and LPN working at a nursing care facility start somewhere between $37,880 and $38,320 compared to an LPN working in a hospital who would start closer to $35,000 per year.
Even with a slow economy right now, one industry that is very strong is the medical industry. People with LPN/LVN certification are in demand more than ever.
How can you get certified?
You would want to check with your local school or online school for the specifics of their program. Typically LPN training involves one year of training at a hospital, community college or trade school. Where ever you chose to study, just make sure that your school is approved by your state's Board of Nursing. You can check with your school to find this out.
Once you complete your training you must pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN). You can find out more information about taking this examination from your states Board of Nursing, such as fees, requirements and scheduling the exam.
Another bonus is that you can apply the course work you complete in your LPN training towards becoming a Registered Nurse if you chose to do that some day. There are many specialized LPN-to-RN programs available that are designed specifically for getting you to that next level of nursing. Having prior nursing experience as an LPN can help you complete a RN program a little faster. You should be able to test out of some classes based on your experience.
Where do I find LPN Schools?
There are many websites online that list various schools with LPN programs. I generally break them down into two categories, online schools or community/vocational colleges. Either option is fine and the choice to attend one over another should be based on your own personal circumstances. Online colleges are very convenient and flexible. You should also consider the cost of one schools program over another.
It is worth your time to first gather the information about the programs offered in your area, then take a little bit of time to examine the pros and cons of the various programs.
One final piece of advice, I would recommend finding two to three quality programs in your area (either local or online). The reason for this is because due to the demand for LPN training you may find that your fist choice school may have a waiting list. This may not be a big deal for you, but if you are wanting to get started as soon as possible then having a back-up plan is not a bad idea, in other words, if one school has a six month waiting list, then you may want to go with your second choice school assuming they will still provide you with all the training you need.
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