LPN Training: Arming Yourself Properly
The prerequisite for LPN training is a high school diploma or its GED equivalent. You have to be at least 18 years old if you intend to pursue a career as an LPN.
Programs for licensed practical nursing usually take one year to complete, after which you should be qualified to take the licensure exams for nurse practitioners. Passage of the NCLEX-PN will make you eligible for employment.
LPN Training On campus or online
LPN programs are available both under the traditional set-up of attending LPN classes on campus, or through the internet. As long as they are accredited, both options are valid and provide the same level and quality of training.
Advancements in technology and computers enabled the development of online educational programs. These addressed concerns about schedules and locations as well as cost.
High school graduates will likely prefer on-campus learning, especially if they are able to get financial assistance through grants or scholarships to subsidize their education.
Getting an LPN degree online is tailored more for those who are eyeing to shift careers or advance in their careers if they are already practicing. It allows you to set your own schedule for studying, or at your own pace. And generally, it costs less to undertake this mode of learning. You just have to make sure that you will have a place where to get the practical training for this program.
Instructional and clinical LPN training
LPN training is made up of two parts: instructional or classroom learning and the clinical or practical training.
In classroom learning on campus, you will regularly interact with the class and your teachers. But through the power of the internet, online classes now also provide interaction with tutors or mentors. For the most part however, you will do the course readings on your own and answer the exercises or exams for evaluation.
The instructional portion of the training will have as most basic LPN courses the following:
- Nursing Foundations/Fundamentals
- Medical Nursing
- Medical Terminology
- Medical Ethics and Legalities
You will also have science courses including human anatomy, biology and physiology which are vital technical knowledge when providing proper health care.
Other courses include:
- Introduction to Pharmacology
- Introduction to Psychology
- Introduction to Sociology
- Patient Education
- Communicable Diseases
- Diet Therapy
- Geriatric Nursing/Gerontology
Clinical practice is always supervised by an experienced LPN or a registered nurse. Its purpose is to give students hands-on training to apply the skills they have learned in the LPN training class.
Internship can be undertaken in a hospital, nursing home, medical clinic, or community health clinic. This is usually arranged by the school, especially if they have strong tie-ups with such establishments.
With excellent LPN training, you will likely do well in the licensure exams and be on your way to a promising and rewarding career as an LPN.
Here are some LPN schools to consider:
LPN training in NYC - New York City
Other than the two largest LPN schools under the City University of New York (Bronx Community College and La Guardia Community College), you can train to become a licensed practical nurse at Hastos Community College, also in the Bronx, or the Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn. Both are also under the CUNY system.
Most LPN training in the area cover the same areas of clinical nursing but Medgar Evers offers surgical nursing courses and prepares students for the NCLEX-PN exam through a specific course.
There are 64 hospitals and medical centers within the city and its five boroughs so prospect of employment as a licensed practical nurse is very promising with the proper training.
LPN training in CT - Connecticut
If you take up LPN training in any of the 10 Connecticut public technical schools, you can expect to spend around $10,000 for a two-year associate program.
Two schools -- Lincoln Technical Institute and the Porter and Chester Institute ñ share between them the most number of campuses. They offer certificate programs that last for a year. Lincoln has three campuses and Porter, four, although a fifth is scheduled to open in November 2011.
LPN training in PA - Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has several LPN training programs to choose from. The Greater Altoona Career & Technology Center offers a one-year LPN program that prepares students both theoretically and clinically for the position. The school boasts of a 94% to 100% passing rate for its graduates in the NCLEX-PN exams.
If you live in Lackawanna County and want an intensive 52-week LPN training program, then Career Technology Center of Lackawanna is the school for you. How is it different from other schools? Sixty percent of the course is devoted to clinical training, and only 40% is spent in classroom instruction.
LPN training in NJ - New Jersey
A 15-month diploma course in licensed practical nursing is offered at the Dover Business College in New Jersey. Its 1,424-hour LPN training program designed to provide students the maximum exposure to get the preparation they need for the job. Other LPN schools in the state include Essex County College and Union County College.
LPN training in MI - Michigan
Of the 29 LPN certificate programs approved by the Michigan Board of Nursing only three are in universities and the rest are offered in various colleges across the state. Completion of any one of these will make you eligible to sit for the NCLEX-PN exam.
Everest Institute and the Grand Rapids Community College both offer certificate/diploma courses completed in 12 months, while you can enroll in Davenport University for their associate in practical nursing program. These are the three schools that offer LPN training in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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