LPN Jobs | LPN Careers | LPN Employment

You may well be interested in becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse, or LPN.  The fact of the matter is that many are becoming increasingly interested in becoming an LPN.  There are almost certainly any number of reasons for this increased interest, but quite possibly one of the most frequent reasons cited will be due to the poor economic conditions faced by the economy at this time.  The fact is that there are increasing numbers of people who are uncertain about their own jobs or have already lost their job and are looking to re-train into a career where the job prospects remain good and are likely to do so for some time to come.

The fact is that training to become an LPN is a comparatively cheap and quick way to get into nursing and a good way to find that first nursing job.  But before embarking on this journey into your new career you really should now what is involved in order to get LPN certification.

The first task you will need to undertake is to enroll on a State Board of Nursing approved LPN training program.  There are many such programs available these days and if you write to your State Board of Nursing they will provide you with a list of the ones available in your home state.  Alternatively there are an number of LPN certification programs available online.  A quick online search should present you with a number of options almost straight away.  In order to qualify for an LPN certification program you will need a high school diploma and occasionally you will have to sit an entrance exam which is a simple test of your math skills, your english and your comprehension skills.

The typical LPN course is about training to become a practical nurse, and therefore there is a high degree of clinical training within each course.  You may well need to spend some time at your local community college if you are studying your LPN certification online as this may well be the only way you can get the requisite practical experience.

Most LPN certification courses last between 12 months and two years.  At the end of the program, in order to qualify as an LPN you will need to sit the National Council Licensure Examination – Practical Nursing exam or NCLEX-PN exam.  This examination is administered by your State Board of Nursing and it is they who will certify you as an LPN should you successfully pass the exam.

In conclusion the process of LPN certification is comparatively straightforward, does not involve a high degree of academic study and is quite short in length but does combine necessary study with a high degree of practical experience which should ensure that when you get your first LPN job you are capable and confident from the very first day.

The acronym LPN stands for Licensed Practical Nurse.  The LPN has a particular nursing role to play in a number of healthcare environments in the modern day healthcare sector.  They undertake a number of patient care activities such as:

• Personal care;
• The taking of medical histories;
• Monitoring of vital signs; and
• Administrering certain medicines;

They are required to work under the supervision of a Registered Nurse, or RN, or a physician, but they can relieve those professionals of significant amounts of their workload allowing them to concentrate on providing better outcome driven patient care themselves.  In the states of Texas and California the LPN is called the Licensed Vocational Nurse, or LVN, so you need to remember this in order to avoid confusion.

Nowadays there are a number of different ways in which a prospective LPN student can qualify.  There are the traditional LPN schools that offer conventional LPN programs at which the student attends, just like college and studies in a classroom and clinical evironment.  But increasingly these same schools, in order to extend their reach, and as a reflection of the advances of modern technology, and in particular the impact of the world wide web are able to offer LPN training online as an alternative to conventional training.  At the end of any LPN training program the student still, of course, needs to pass the examination NCLEX-PN (PN stands for Practical Nursing) which is run by their State Board of Nursing, but the advantages of LPN training online are worth considering when deciding on which particular LPN program to take.

The first thing to note about becoming an LPN is that in order to pre-qualify you need as a minimum a high school diploma and a clean criminal record.  However, some LPN programs do include other entry requirements so whatever program you are considering it is worth checking that you meet their particular qualification criteria.  LPN training online courses give you the following advantages over the more conventional LPN programs:

• As much of the learning is online you will be able to adapt your time to suit your particular family circumstances.  This means that you may well be able to do much of your study at times convenient to you, rather than at times convenient for the teachers at the LPN school you are attending.
• The flexibility provided by LPN online training may well mean that you can continue to work whilst studying which will ease the financial burden considerably.
• LPN online training programs are likely to be far less expensive than conventional LPN training programs due to the fact that you are not placing a burden on the school resources in the same way as daily attendance would do.

You should before taking the final step satisfy yourself that the level of tuition and contact with the lecturers and teachers will suit you as you may otherwise find the online LPN program isolating, but if you are happy with all that you find then you would do well to undertake LPN training online as a route to becoming a qualified LPN.

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?