LPN

LPN Overview

There are only few professions, which are selfless and Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) is certainly one among them. A LPN is also known as Licensed vocational nurse (LNV) in some states. An LPN has a huge list of responsibilities starting from the normal routine activities of the patient as well as many other additional responsibilities. The very nature of the job demands the basic requirements like the LPN being healthy, with good stamina, very caring, intelligent, alert, tactful, and the quality of developing a relationship with the patients.

LPN Job Description

Most of the LPNs work for 40-hour a week. In case of the patient needing attention all 24 hours, LPNs work shifts, weekends, holidays all 365 days.  Licensed Practical Nurses work with hospitals, nursing home, mental health institutions, community health clinics, public health departments, and private homes. Their main job is to keep the patient at ease and happy. They take care of all needs of patients, often bedside care like bathing, dressing, eating, moving, giving injections, massages, taking vital signs, help patient for feeding infants, educate the patient and family on healthy habits, supervising nursing assistants and aides etc.

In addition, the LPN is expected to maintain patient’s records up to date, chart maintenance, clean medical equipment, watch out patient’s reaction to the medicine and treatment and keep the physicians reported in case of abnormalities.
The job of an LPN also includes risks of being exposed to heavy chemicals, infectious disease, radiation etc. The risks of damaging their backs are more since the LPNs have to move the patients. They also have to be totally relaxed while dealing with psycho patients and other totally non-cooperative patients.

LPN Training and Certification

To become an eligible LPN, it is required to undergo a complete training program, which is normally a one-year course (it could slightly vary from state to state) offered by various community colleges, vocational schools, hospitals, universities, or online courses. The basic qualification to even do this course requires a high school diploma or something equal to that. Since the requirements vary from state to state, it is advised to study the state rules before taking the training to ensure that it meets one’s needs.

This one year program provides a practical experience on clinical practice under supervision, thorough theoretical knowledge on anatomy, nutrition, pharmacology, first aid, pediatrics, obstetrics nursing etc.

It is also very essential to acquire the license to practice as an LPN. This is obtained by clearing an online (computer based) exam called The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN). The safety and effective care environment, physiological ethics, psychological ethics; health promotion and maintenance are the four major categories, which are tested through this exam.

LPN Career, Job Prospects and Salary

With the increase in the population of old and sick people, and the increase in accidents and injuries, the demand for the LPN obviously, is increasing. One need not stop just as a LPN, but keep advancing in that career by taking further courses and adding  certification in specialized and aspired fields.

LPN Salary

A LPN’s salary ranges approximately from $31,000 to $ 47000, the hourly rate ranging from $14 to $24 depending on the reputation of the employers or industries.

This is one of the best careers to reach heights if one is very ambitious as the employment growth is rapid in the health care industries. Rural areas are demanding more LPNs as they are lacking them and an LPN may also relocate to a rural area if it suits her or him.

I am thinking of becoming a LPN and was wondering how long is the education required to become one. I am looking at a community college nearby. How long does it approximately take to become an LPN in a community college?

It’s great to hear you are seriously considering becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). Most LPN courses and LPN training offered usually run anywhere between 12 – 18 months. Sometimes you have colleges that have an associate degree that might take close to 2 years but that will also include any hands on training that is required to become a LPN.

One other career option you might want to consider is to do an additional 12 – 18 months and become a registered nurse. Nursing is in great demand and there is a lot of pent up demand for LPN’s, CNA‘s and RN‘s. In the scheme of things becoming a RN will open more doors for you as well as increase your long term earning. Good luck

Well, first off, there is no ‘pre-med’ major. You need to fulfill certain requirements, but you cant get a degree in ‘pre-med’. Actually you would be wise to get a degree in something other than science, as science degree holders are a dime a dozen as far as applicants to med school.

Doing nursing and pre-med at the same time is not the typical route many students take. Do you want to be a doctor or a nurse? Pre-med courses are designed to be very difficult and weed out students who are not really strong in science. It sounds like you are planning on taking a LOT of classes at once. This along with working as a nurse can be really tough. Your gpa will most likely suffer and this will basically take you out of the running for med school, if that’s where you want to go.

It may sound like a good idea to get a nursing degree in order to get into med school, but it really does not benefit you. Also, a lot of the classes you need to get into med school are the same as lpn, so it would kind of be a waste of time.

To get into med school, you will need to take a year of bio, chem, orgo, physics and calculus, all while keeping your gpa as close to a 4.0 as possible. Getting medical research under your belt and volunteering in the community (especially medical-related organizations) plus your MCAT score need to be at least around 30. Finally remember that most of the applicants you are up against are top students.

Approximately 58% of all applicants to medical school every year (not a specific one, im talking about every applicant to ANY med school) are rejected from every school they apply to. If you have too much on your plate, your grades will not be the highest they can be, and that is going to hurt you greatly if you want to be a doctor.

In short, i dont think you would be wise to go to two schools at once (and i dont even know if you can). Ive seen so many students put too much on their schedule early on and they ended up getting very low grades in essential science classes and are now completely out of the running for medical school. Also, remember doing two things requires a huge financial investment on your part. You will most likely end up paying a HUGE amount of money and you are stacking the odds against you. You may very well be able to do it but i doubt most people will succeed going that route. It is a route that seems impossible to maneuver.

Nurses are probably the most in demand group right now, and it is a career that is quite rewarding. Not only do nurses make good money, but they get to help people every day of their workweek, and often set their own hours. Although it might seem overwhelming to train do be a nurse, with an accelerated nursing program you can greatly cut the amount of time it takes to become one, and be at it in your new career in no time. I had a friend who took one of the accelerated RN programs, and she is now practicing at a leading state hospital, enjoying her life more than ever. Although there are other ways to be a nurse than taking an accelerated nursing program, why would you want to dawdle when you could be part of this exciting profession today.

Of course, accelerated nursing programs are not for everyone. To really get the most out of an accelerated nursing program, you must be sure that you have the time to dedicate to your training. For example, if you work full time it is probably not even an option. You simply will not have time for an accelerated nursing program and your job, and there are so few of us who can afford to actually take time off of working, with the economy as it is. The good news is that, even if you cannot take an accelerated nursing program, you will probably be able to take classes at night to fit around your work schedule, and work towards your nursing degree at your own pace.

Although an accelerated nursing program is far less commitment than a full medical degree, it is still a good idea to make absolutely sure that nursing is what you want to do with your life before committing to it. You might want to talk to some nurses and find out about their jobs. Because of the shortage of nurses around the country, many hospitals will be most accommodating if you wish to ask them questions or interview their staff. You might even be able to sit in on a class at an accelerated nursing program to see what it is like, or perhaps to follow a nurse around and observe his or her workday first hand. That way, if you do decide to get into nursing and pursue it as a job, you will be completely ready.