LPN to RN Courses - Take Advantage of the Growing Demand For RNs

RN's are the largest occupational group in the health care system; consisting of nearly 2.5 million jobs (60% of which are in a hospital setting). The demand for RN's is growing increasingly fast, with projected employment opportunities to be excellent over the next ten years.

Many RN's begin as LPN's and then enroll in offline or online LPN to RN programs in order to gain the additional requirements needed for RN licensing. There are many schools that offer these programs and the coursework, although it varies from institution to institution, is very similar throughout.

For example, some classes an LPN may need to take in order to meet the licensing requirements for an RN certification include Nursing Systems for Mental Health, Pharmacology, Elements of Microbiology and Introductory Psychology. These courses again, will vary from school to school, but the overall education is primarily the same. Other courses that an LPN may be required to take focus on the areas of Management and Supervision, since RN's are often responsible for overseeing the work of LPN's in hospital settings.

There are LPN to RN schools located throughout country. In fact, nearly all accredited colleges, universities, and trade schools offer courses that will prepare an LPN for their RN licensing examination. After completing the required education and passing the licensing exam, an RN may take a position as a staff nurse in a hospital setting. This is where most RN's begin their careers. With enough experience and good working skills, they may soon find themselves promoted to a position where they have increased responsibility, such as Assistant Nursing Manager or Head Nurse. Other advancement opportunities include Administrative roles such as Assistant Director of Nursing, Director of Nursing and Chief Nurse. In order to meet the requirements for these positions, they must have an RN degree.

Registered Nurses are expected to generate nearly 600,000 new jobs over the next ten years. This is currently one of the largest job growth expectations among all career paths. Of course, the employment of Registered Nurses will likely vary by location as well as employment setting. Some may work within the hospital settings, while others may choose ambulatory care, acute, chronic, or home based health care. But these are not the only institutions that will need to employ Registered Nurses. Managed Care Organizations, pharmaceutical producers, and insurance companies use Registered Nurses for things such as marketing, policy development, consulting, and health planning and development. Even colleges and universities use Registered Nurses to conduct research or as university faculty.

LPN's who want to take advantage of the current job rate expectancy for RN positions can easily upgrade their license by studying LPN to RN online courses. There are many schools that allow nurses to study for job advancement, while still working full time if needed. Having the ability to study from home is a major advantage that the online world has given to those looking to further their careers.