LPN Careers And Training

What LPN Careers Are Open To You?

Nursing has many different levels and environments to be part of, and with the size of the ageing population, there are more and more nursing jobs opening up everyday. If you are caring and nurturing and feel that nursing could be a good choice for you, there are many LPN careers and training you can choose from, and becoming an LPN is a good stepping stone to maybe one day advancing your studies and becoming an RN. With the right LPN training, this could be a lucrative field for you.

Job Description

A licensed practical nurse works under the orders of a registered nurse and provides many types of patient care. Things like checking vital signs, taking temperature, giving injections and enemas, bathing, dressing wounds, giving massages and checking catheters are all part of the job description. Essentially they are in charge of doing whatever it takes to make the patient more comfortable. An LPN will also be working with nursing assistants and aides, often in a supervisory role. They could also assist RNs and doctors in conducting certain tests and even help deliver and care for babies.

Many students who go to LPN school become general nurses who work in hospitals or health care clinics, but you could also specialize your studies to work in a nursing home, home health care or doctor's office. The tasks in each setting will differ according to the needs of the office and could include more administrative work. Their hours are long and can extend to evenings and weekends because of the nature of the work, so it is not an easy profession.

Becoming a LPN

To become an LPN, you need to complete a minimum of a 1 year LPN training program. You can do this either online or at a trade school or community college. Once the training is complete, an LPN must pass a national certification exam called the NCLEX-PN. If you do not pass the test and become licensed, you cannot practice.

Once you are a licensed practical nurse though, there are many opportunities to advance your career. If you work in a nursing home, you could be promoted to charge nurse who act as head LPNs. In other settings, you can later opt to take an LPN to RN bridge course which is a part time training program that prepares you for becoming a registered nurse in your free time, while you simultaneously collect experience as an LPN. This is a common choice for many LPNs looking to advance their careers since a registered nurse is the highest level of nursing you can attain.

There are many different LPN careers and training and opportunities to choose from, that after a simple 1 year program, you are flooded with options. If nursing is an itnerest for you, it doesn't hurt to try it out because becoming an LPN is not time consuming, but if you then choose to stay in the profession, there are many places for you to climb.

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