LPN Jobs | LPN Careers | LPN Employment

The outlook for Licensed Practical Nurse careers is currently very good, but not only this it is actually expected to grow by 14% between now and the year 2016.  This is mainly due to an increase in the elderly population in the United States and because of the  current and growing need for medical care services. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, LPN positions have an average annual salary in the U.S. of $40,110.00.

Is it worth pursing LPN careers?  The answer is that generally speaking the LPN salary that you might expect is certainly above average.  LPN jobs in nursing home facilities  an average annual income of $41,600.00; pursuing LPN careers in general medical and surgery hospitals would provide an expected yearly income of $39,340.00; in offices of physicians you might expect an annual salary of $35,940.00; in home health care services an average annual income $41,410.00 would be normal; and with employment services nurses in LPN careers can expect their yearly average to be $44,860.00.

Top paying states are Connecticut, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New Jersey and California.

Nurses who choose an LPN position play a vital role in clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, doctor offices, outpatient facilities, or in home health care environments. Most following LPN nursing careers are under the supervision of either a Registered Nurse (RN) or a Physician.

Nurses in LPN careers will maintain patient files and records, collect blood and urine specimens for laboratory testing, administer and bandage wounds, monitor patients on medications, take the patient’s vital signs (blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, etc.), and may perform simple procedures like urine analysis. In some states across the U.S., nurses in LPN careers can administer some medicines and start IV (intravenous) push medications.

Other duties which the LPN may perform are preparing and administering injections and enemas, monitoring catheters, give patients alcohol massages and rubs, administer to patient hygiene, give feeding assistance to disabled patients, and they monitor a patient’s food and liquid intake and output. Nurses in LPN careers work more directly with patients than most other medical positions.

Those who wish to take up LPN positions in hospital environments typically have a 40-hour work week, but in these type facilities patients need 24-hours-per-day health care, so the LPN will work some nights, weekends and holidays. They will assist patients in moving from their beds to standing and walking positions.

The LPN which works in home-based environments may help with meal preparations for the patient and undertake simple household cleaning. They also may help educate other family members on basic home health care of their disabled loved one.

To pursue LPN careers, the prospective student must be a high school graduate or have their GED. They must have graduated from an approved accredited practical nursing program, and follow the rules of the State Board of Nursing.

There are many reasons therefore why a career in LPN is well worth pursuing.  The role of the LPN is a good starting point to pursue a career in nursing, the training is good quality and the nurses in LPN careers can expect above average rates of pay.

LPN Job Description

Before embarking on an LPN career it is important to understand the nature of the work you will be required to undertake.  You will need to consider the nature of the environment  in which you will work, the type of work, the commitment the work will place upon you and your family and the physical demands that being a dedicated LPN will place upon you.  These are important considerations for almost any job, but for LPN nursing jobs where there is a mix of physical exertion and clinical skill they become particularly important.

In undertaking your LPN job search you will encounter many different descriptions for LPN job openings.  These might be a little overwhelming as you may be unsure exactly what each job entails.  Hopefully we will address some of these concerns in this post.

An LPN is usually required to work in a number of different health care settings.  These will include primarily hospitals, but increasingly physician surgeries, community medical facilities, clinics, homes for the elderly and nursing homes.

LPN Jobs | Demands Of Shift Working

The role of the LPN in a hospital is usually of particular interest to those interested in pursuing an LPN career.  Hospitals, and to a large degree nursing and elderly care homes tend to work on a shift basis.  The standard working week is most normally five 8 hour shifts, totalling the typical 400 hour working week.

However, the type of care these facilities provide also means that the patients who reside typically need care outside of the normal working day.  They often need care at night, almost always at weekends and most likely holidays too.  The LPN must be aware, and usually willing to work shifts at unusual times.  This  will normally have an impact on family life and therefore this too needs some consideration.

It is easy to underestimate the impact that shiftworking can have on your lifestyle.  If you have never worked shifts before then you should give this some particular thought.  A great deal of you ordinary day to day activities might have to be reorganised.  So don’t overlook this step when undertaking your LPN job search.

LPN Nurse Jobs | Physical Demands

You should be under no doubt.  The role of the nurse is a physical one.  The LPN may often have to stand or walk around for long periods of time without break.  In addition to simply having to spend a lot of time on your feet you will also have to engage in a number of lifting and handling situations involving personal patient care.  This might involve moving patients in their beds, assisting patients into and out of the bath or just helping them move about generally.

This type of physical activity, although you are provided specific training to ensure you know the correct techniques, still presents you with an ever present risk of injury, particularly to your back.

Given the nature of the work, working in the main with patients who are unwell or infirm, often with chemicals which are hazardous to health, there is clearly risk, both from the risk of infection and from some of these chemical products in use.

When considering particular LPN nursing jobs the physical aspects of the role really do need to be considered.   You may think that  you will be able to cope without problem, but try to imagine the role as being five to six days per week, week after week.  Not all LPN jobs have the same physical demands, so when thinking about those LPN job openings you should think hard about exactly what you want the job to be like.

Emotional Demands Of LPN Jobs

Another factor to bear in mind is that the LPN nurse job may often be quite stressful due to heavy workloads and the need to deal with patients who are often confused, agitated, or uncooperative.

Examining next some of the characteristics that an LPN needs to demonstrate.  Clearly, the role of the nurse is to care for patients who need treatment.  To this end an LPN needs a caring, sympathetic nature. You should also be able to deal with stressful situations and therefore have to be able to be unaffected emotionally by the work, especially when dealing with those who are particularly sick or injured.  Remember at times like these the patient needs the LPN more than ever and the last thing they need is someone who is unable to function due to the trauma of the situation.

When looking at the LPN job description you really need to give careful consideration to this aspect of LPN nursing jobs.  Being placed in emotionally demanding positions over and over again can really take its toll on you both emotionally and in the end physically.  It takes a particularly stong character to be able to keep this up for  long periods of time.  If you are in any way concerned about this aspect of the LPN job then when you are undertaking your LPN job search and reviewing those LPN job openings you should try to bear in mind whether this will be a significant aspect of those particular roles.

LPN Skills | Other Factors To Consider

Finally, as you may expect an LPN in LPN nurse jobs need to demonstrate responsibility, be observant, able to communicate effectively especially in stressful situations and be able to make good decisions.  Most of all, the LPN is a member of a health care team, and in line with all team members there are times when they are required to follow orders and work under close supervision.  A good LPN manages this along with the other significant demands of the job.

LPN Job Summary

In summary, LPN jobs can be engaging, interesting and motivating, but can also be physically and emotionally demanding.  Before embarking on your LPN career you should spend some time giving thought to whether you are indeed suited to the particular demands of particular LPN nursing jobs.  In any event, whatever you ultimately decide, good luck.

You are thinking of training to be an Licensed Practical Nurse, or LPN.  But you are not sure what the qualification entails and whether the there are much in the way of LPN jobs available.  You would also be interested in the LPN employment prospects and LPN salary prospects.  This is perfectly understandable.  According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) the prospects for LPN employment are above average.  Indeed the rate of  growth in LPN jobs is forecast to grow at 14% per annum through to the year 2016.

So what is it that LPN’s do?  Well in short LPN’s care for people who are sick, or injured, or convalescing or disabled.  Generally they work under the direct supervision of a registered nurse (RN) or a physician.  The typical LPN is indeed a generalist.  They are able to provide basic bedside care, give injections, enemas, dress wounds and give alcohol rubs and massages.  They are able to monitor patient reactions to drug treatments, take samples and record bodily functions, through to providing general advice to family members on how best to stick to good health habits.

In order to qualify as an LPN and ultimately to pursue and LPN career you need to undertake an LPN training program (LPN program) which usually lasts one year.  At the end of the years training course in order to qualify as an LPN you must pass the licensing examination known as the NCLEX-PN.

LPN salary expectations, once qualified are generally good, with the median in the region of $30,000-$40,000 per year which equates to $15-$20 per hour.  So the prospects can only really be considered to be positive and with the current focus on healthcare there are surely many more prospects for the furtherment of you LPN career in coming years.

So where do you find an LPN school or an appropriate LPN program?  Well much of the training may be done online in a realtively flexible manner.  In fact the only real parts of the training program that you are not really able to undertake online is the practical parts, including for instance anatomy, which is really only possible in a classroom environment.  Do not worry however as these sorts of classes are available as evening classes and can be intermingled with the LPN online training.

Hopefully you have been persuaded that the prospects for the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) are indeed very exciting and therefore you have decided to embark on an LPN career.

Your decision as to whether to train as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) will largely depend upon your perception of the LPN jobs market and what it is like once you have qualified.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics LPN jobs are forecast to increase at a faster than average rate.  Job prospects, although generally felt to be very good will still likely vary by particular sector.  Particularly good LPN jobs are expected to be experienced in the care home sector, in particular nursing home facilities and in home health care services.  In contrast the LPN jobs outlook for the hospital sector is felt to be more likely to be competitive and more challenging.

Its a widely recognised fact that most routine and some not so routine medical procedures that were once only ever performed in hospitals are increasingly being performed in physician’s surgery’s and other outpatient care facilities, for example walk-in surgical and emergency medical centers.  The main reason for this is advances in healthcare and improvements in procedures due to the enhancing impact of technology.

LPN’s routinely care for patients who have been treated with these medical procedures and as a result it is expected that LPN jobs in hospitals will very likely fall over the next several years as the level of these routine procedures in hospitals declines.  Conversely and as you might expect the level of LPN jobs is expected to increase in facilities outside of the hospital sector.

The home health care sector is expected to grow strongly in coming years as the consumer preference for care in the home is likely to create strong demand for LPN jobs.  Again technological advances have made it more possible to provide technologically advanced treatments, previously only provided in hospitals, to be now provided in the privacy and comfort of peoples homes.

Despite the rising demand for home health care services because of the rapidly increasing population of aged and infirm people the nursing care sector and as a consequence the opportunities for LPN jobs is expected to grow most stongly. LPN jobs in nursing homes provide routine bedside care, help evaluate residents’ needs, develop care plans, and supervise the care provided by nursing aides.

LPN jobs are also a great way to decide if you want to pursue more advanced study in nursing.    The employment landscape looks promising and so the decision to enroll in an LPN program or LPN school should be a straightforward one.

If you are a Licensed Practial Nurse (LPN) and are interested in furthering your professional qualifications by becoming a Registered Nurse (RN) then the process is actually quite straigtforward.  Indeed transitioning from the LPN qualification to the RN qualification is one of the quickest ways to becoming an RN.

LPN to RN programs are a convenient way to open the door to higher paying opportunities in nursing.  If you do wish to bridge your LPN qualification to an RN degree then a bridging degree program is what you need.  Continuing nursing education through an LPN to RN program can also help job security, career advancement, improve patient care, personal growth and job satisfaction.

An LPN to RN transition program is designed for qualified Licensed Practical Nurses who wish to become Registered Nurses with a minimum amount of time and with a little repeat of course content and credits.  The cost of an LPN to RN online program is less than traditional on-campus study.  Availability of online LPN to RN programs is generally nationwide and accessible even in remote parts of the United States.  Taking part in LPN to RN distance learning programs will provide the opportunity for the individual to learn more, have more responsibility, and earn a higher rate of pay.  Some LPN to RN distance learning programs are offered in evening or weekend only formats.

It is now perfectly possible to LPN’s to further their career whilst at the same time continuing their studies by enroling in online LPN To RN degree programs.  Online LPN to RN degree programs can be completed in as little as 18 months.

Most LPN to RN degree or  LPN to BSN degrees do not require attendance at many, or indeed any, classes.  They can be completed almost entirely from the home of the student.  The LPN to RN bridge online degree program enhances the skills that LPNs have acquired and readies the students for their role as an RN.

An aspirant to the LPN to RN should have an LPN registration or he should be eligible for an LPN registration in the US.  Once the LPN to RN course has been completed you will be required to take the  NCLEX examination.  This examination is compulsory for anyone aspiring to become a licensed registered nurse.  While choosing an online LPN to RN check the number of students from that course who actually go on to acquire an RN degree, try and gauge the satisfaction levels of those who are taking the course and those who have finished it.  The best advice is to make sure that you choose an LPN to RN program that allows you to balance your work, your studies and your personal life without sacrificing any of them.

In conclusion therefore it should be obvious that in order to become an RN it is good to start as an LPN and move into an LPN to RN program.  The process is relatively straightforward, but remember to maintain your work life balance at all times.  Having stated all that we mustn’t forget that the prospects for LPN jobs are strong and it may well be that continuing as an LPN furthering your LPN career is the preferred option.