LPN Jobs | LPN Careers | LPN Employment

For anyone thinking of a career in nursing a great place to start is to consider becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), or if you live in certain states in the US, a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN).  A typical LPN training program lasts between one and two years and for this reason it is attractive to prospective nursing candidates who can see the process of LPN training, moving to LPN qualification and on to LPN jobs occuring comparatively quickly.  This aids life planning and means that the commitment of having to go to an LPN school and study whilst potentially holding down another job, or dealing with family commitments is not as signficant as other nursing career options.

In order to get the LPN certification at the end of the LPN training program students in the US must sit and pass the NCLEX-PN licensing examination (the LPN exam) that is operated by their State Board of Nursing.  Once the LPN courses have been completed and the NCLEX-PN examination has been passed the student is a qualified LPN and can then commence work as a practical nurse.

The entrance requirements for the majority of LPN training programs is comparatively straightforward.  A high school diploma is the typical academic requirement for entrance to LPN classes.  Having no criminal record tends to be the other significant requirement.  Some LPN training programs allow the prospective LPN student to start the LPN course by taking vocational programs whilst still at high school.  LPN training programs are offered at universities, LPN colleges, hospitals and local volcation schools as well as some community colleges so there is usually a great selection of options available to choose the best LPN program for you.  In addition there are a number of LPN colleges that offer online LPN programs which you can take advantage of.  Many of the university LPN courses seem to take second place to their Registered Nurse (RN) degree programs.  However, if you are interested in becoming an RN a very good way of achieving this outcome is to qualify first as an LPN and then undertake relevant work experience prior to applying for RN degree courses.

The vast majority of LPN training is as you would expect medical training to be.  A student will typically spend a proportion of their time on academic studies including attending lectures and spending time in the lab, but this will be combined with a clinical element to the LPN training with attendance at medical facilities and hospitals to work as trainees under close supervision of other medical professionals and experienced LPNs.

A typical selection of medical courses covered by your LPN training would include subjects in the following list (although this is not an exhaustive list):

• anatomy and physiology;
• first aid and CPR/AED;
• geriatrics;
• pediatrics;
• pharmacology;
• nutrition;
• supervisory skills;
• medical surgical; and
• psychiatry.

So, if you have made up your mind and you want to know where to start, the answer is simple.  You need find an LPN program that suits your location and personal circumstances and request an application pack.  Make sure you go through the application pack carefully ensuring that you are fully aware of their requirements and qualifications and you understand exactly how the LPN training program will be administered by the LPN school. Once enrolled you are committed to make sure that you work hard and do your best in each and every area.  Success at this point will help you both in applying for LPN jobs when you qualify and being successful in those jobs later.

The LPN education is a good one, but remember you should only really be thinking about a career in the healthcare industry if you a patient and caring person.  Qualifiying as an LPN, even with top marks will not necessarily result in you being the best LPN in the workplace.  This will only be achieved if you behave compassionately and caringly. Remember, a significant proportion of your LPN job will be looking after people who are ill, aged or infirm and this can take its toll on you both physically and emotionally.  If you are not prepared for this it can be very stressful.  Having said that there is no doubt that the flip side of being an LPN is that it can be a tremendouly rewarding and fulfilling role, for which there is currently significant demand in the healthcare sector.  So, don’t waste time, why not get that application pack today?

If you’ve decided to pursue a nursing career then the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) qualification may well be the best career path for you. You should therefore look for an LPN school in which to enroll and start the qualification program.

At this point it is worth noting that if you live in the states of California or Texas then it is routine to refer to the Licensed Practical Nurse qualification as the Licensed Vocational Nurse, or LVN qualification. In almost all aspects the roles are equivalent. In the main references will be made here to LPN schools, but these might just as easily be referred to as LVN schools. The make up of the LPN program and LVN program is essentially the same, so consider a reference to an LPN school as equivalent to an LVN school and you will not go too far wrong.

LPN schools provide both educational resources and career planning resources for students who want to pursue a lifelong career in the field, and typically take between one and two years to complete. An important ability that all LPN schools should be able to demonstrate is to show you how an LPN works to provide direct patient care while working under the direction of Registered Nurses (RN’s) and doctors. But LPN schools also provide you with classroom tuition as well as hands-on training for you to get the necessary breadth of learning that you will require to become a licensed practical nurse.

If you are a prospective LPN student then you should use the factors set out below to be able to systematically evaluate all the relevant factors when coming to a decision about what is your preferred choice of LPN school (or LVN school):

The Size Of The LPN School

When determining the best location for your LPN schooling you should give some consideration to the size of the LPN nursing school. There are advantages and disadvantages to large and small LPN schools alike.

Larger schools for LPN will almost always have a larger selection of learning programs and study options for you to choose from. A smaller school for LPN may be less capable of delivering a wide choice of curriculum, but they can still be a great choice of LPN school because in order to compete despite their lack of breadth of courses they tend to concentrate their efforts on providing good levels of student access to the staff of the faculty allowing knowledge to transfer effectively. These different types of approach suit some students more than others.

Some LPN schools are run as online LPN schools and with these the size of the school is less of a critical factor as most of the study is done in isolation or by working very closely with your personal tutor. The online LPN school may be very much to the liking of some individuals who for instance have committed family lives, or maybe if they are continuing to work whilst studying.

How You See Your LPN Career Developing?

Is the program run by the LPN institute a component of a wider nursing qualification program allowing you to move naturally onto a Registered Nurse (RN) or a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN)? Schools which offer this sort of flexibility if you decide to pursue additional qualifications later may well be the best choice for you.

The Ratio Of Students To Teachers At The LPN School

During the clinical training phase of your LPN qualification the ratio of students to teaching staff can be an important factor. Most often low student teacher ratios provide the best quality education. Again as noted above the online LPN schools tend to operate in such a way that you get individual tutor support and therefore the ratio of students to teachers may not be as important a factor.

Online nursing schools do seem to have advantages over conventional schools but there will continue to be a demand for conventional LPN schools simply because a great number of students enjoy going to school to study.

The Clinical Phase Run By The LPN school

The clinical phase of LPN programs is often critical. The better LPN schools, or LVN schools will ensure that each student receives more than just the minimum level of clinical experience in all training areas. Prospective students should look for time spent directly with patients which is one of the most important criteria in the role after qualification. If the LPN school or LVN school can’t demonstrate this then there is a good chance that newly qualified LPN’s will not be adequately prepared for their LPN jobs. One sensible manner in which to evaluate this is to try to talk with some of the current students at the school you are considering. Or if that is not possible then it may be a good idea to look up the student alumni and try to talk to students who have graduated in the past to try to get a sense of whether their experiences at the school prepared them for their subsequent jobs.

The LPN Qualification Rates

It almost goes without saying that you should look to pick a school that has a high pass rate of the State Board of Nursing examinations. If the LPN nursing school does not produce a sufficient quantity of suitably qualified LPN’s then you should question why. High pass rates are usually a good sign of the quality of both the program and the school.

Assistance With Financial Matters And The Availability Of Personal Tuition

Personal tuition and assitance by the schools with students financial affairs can vary quite widely from one school to another so you would do well to research this prior to applying to enroll in the school.

Graduates of LPN schools can also pursue careers as a registered nurse or further their career in the health and medical field to work as a physician, surgeon or doctor.

As a qualification in its own right the LPN program is well worth pursuing at it will lead you to be able to take advantage of the LPN job opportunities that are growing rapidly in today’s employment markets. But LPN employment may well not be your ultimate objective. You may well wish to go on to an RN or BSN qualification and further your career options that way. In this case the best place to start is the LPN qualification and to look at LPN schools with the objective of enrolling straight away.