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Licensed practical nurses or LPNs provide basic medical care to patients, but always under the supervision of registered nurses as well as doctors. The program for LPN qualifications involves two to four years of post-secondary education and training. Each category of program has different criteria for admittance, bearing in mind that the The National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission should license any program that you select. The LPN schools you research must meet certain criteria, including affordability. For LPN qualifications, there is financial aid available to needy students as well as they who excel at their studies. This financial aid comes in the form of scholarships and grants as well as student loans.
Being Emotionally Stable Is An LPN Qualification Requirement
Some qualifications that the LPN will need and which won’t necessarily be learned from study, are communication and decision making skills as well as being emotionally stable. If you want to work as a licensed practical nurse there are a number of LPN qualifications that you will need if you want to become a licensed practical nurse. There are educational and legal qualifications that will need to be complied with as well as certain personality traits if you want to nurse successfully. Being able to remain calm in stressful situations is a useful attribute to have, and the ability to follow orders and work under supervision.
The topics that you will have to know are pediatrics, anatomy, physiology, fundamental nursing practices, legal and ethical nursing issues, pharmacology, medical-surgical nursing, geriatric nursing, microbiology, psychology, human nutrition, psychiatric nursing, first aid, administering medication, as well as basic patient care. LPN qualifications include basic office skills as well. This is because the licensed practical nurse will be having to constantly be adding information onto patient’s records. Accuracy is vital because errors can have terrible consequences and also be very costly for the hospital to have to rectify. You will also need to have computer skills. Although as an LPN you won’t have as many qualifications as a registered nurse, you will be interacting with the patients more.
Work Independently Or As Part Of A Team
There are hundreds of traditional colleges as well as on-line programs that meet standard LPN education requirements. LPN qualifications will vary from state to state but anyone wanting to become a licensed practical nurse will want to know, with their particular qualifications, what they will be earning, what job duties will be allocated to them and what education requirements are expected in order to become an LPN. Some LPNs work independently while others work as part of a medical team.
Some licensed practical nurses decide to specialize and become an all out expert in one area of nursing. Some of these specializations are:
- geriatric nurses
- critical care nurses
- orthopedic nurses
- hospice nurses
- substance abuse nursing
- neonatal nurses
- cardiac nurses
- rehabilitation nurses
- oncology nurses
- pediatric nurses … and many others
Qualification For Working With Geriatrics And Pediatrics
Many licensed practical nurses specialize in working with geriatrics after they have completed their general studies. Nurses will work in frail care units or in hospitals while others will prefer to do home care nursing of elderly patients. LPN qualifications will also include studying subjects like medical terminology, anatomy and physiology. Master of Science in Geriatric Nursing will take two to four years to complete, but many go on to do other additional courses as well; more specialized programs like Gerontological Nursing for instance.
Geriatric nurses work with elderly patients who have special needs, like those suffering with alzheimers, as well as those who have to take lots of different medicines and who are requiring round-the-clock care.
On the other hand, licensed practical nurses who want to specialize in pediatrics will need to complete an accredited practical nursing training program. To qualify to work as a pediatric nurse, students will also need to study subjects like chemistry, anatomy, biology, pediatrics, obstetrics as well as physiology and nutrition. LPN programs will also include a clinical experience component. LPNs can enroll in a pediatric internship program at the hospital to get an in-depth look at the skills needed to be able to word professionally and efficiently with children.
Practical Qualifications
It is also a requirement that you complete a certain number of practical hours before you can become an LPN. The number of practical hours that you need to complete will differ with every course but practicals will take place in a hospital or clinic. During your clinical training you will be monitored by a more senior medical professional. These professionals will assess you on your knowledge and techniques and the way you treat the patients. It can sometimes happen, that once you have completed your practical training, the hospital or clinic may want to offer you a permanent position with them.
Accredited Qualifications Most Important
Qualifications that you will need to become an LPN is a degree or certificate from an accredited school or college in your state. These colleges must have the approval of the Board of Nursing in your state as well as the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). It is a known fact that to try and attend a college that is not accredited is to lessen your chances drastically of getting work in the future. LPN qualifications which come from an accredited school will tell your future employers that you have achieved a certain standard of nursing. Without accreditation, there is no knowing what you have learned.
You will also not able to work as an LPN until your high school qualification is complete. Remember, when you are still in high school, choose subjects that prepare you for a career as a nurse. Biology, chemistry as well as any subjects connected to nursing should be your focus.
Remember that studying online can be a useful option if you have difficulty attending a regular college. With LPN qualification, there is plenty of hands on clinical skills you have to learn, and this is simply not possible with online LPN programs. In order to do your LPN training online you will need to have a high school diploma. Once you have completed your online training you will also need to write the National Council of State Boards of Nursing’s licensing examination.
Online qualifications make provision for you to do your practical training at a college close to where you stay. There are a number of colleges and universities that offer accredited online LPN programs, and the University of Phoenix as well as Kaplan University are renowned for their excellent on-line programs. Excellent universities like these always arrange for their online students to be accommodated in health facilities like clinics, nursing homes or hospitals for their internship. Non accredited medical facilities will expect you to make your own arrangements.
Qualifications To Perform A Realm Of Tasks
With licensed practical nurse qualifications, LPNs will be required to perform a realm of tasks, some of which are monitoring a patients health, providing for their basic comfort, reporting their health and any changes to the more senior registered nurse or doctor, keeping patients’ charts up to date, laboratory tests and advising family members on how to care for the patient when they return home. Duties of LPNs will vary depending on their work setting and in some state the LPN may be able to start intravenous drips while in other states they may not.
Ongoing Education
Licensed practical nurses are always learning. They do this on the job and they also take additional courses to enhance their skills further. There are some courses that are mandatory for re-certification such as cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. Many academic institutions offer online education for licensed practical nurse courses. It is important to do your research and find a reputable institution to study with. The Nursing Board in your particular state will be able to verify whether the school is accredited to offer such classes. Every state has different requirements and your Nursing Board will be able to verify the college or universities compliance with the state’s regulations.
For LPN qualifications you can get training in the workplace, online or even through self study and often by being supplied with material offered by your workplace. Whichever courses you opt for for your LPN qualifications, these courses are in high demand because students realize the benefits of having good training behind them and also being licensed. Licensed practical nurses are in demand simply because there is a shortage of well-qualified nurses worldwide and also because of the good salaries and perks that go hand in hand with a job for which you have good qualifications. On top of that the opportunities for licensed practical nurses is endless and certainly not restricted to hospitals only.
A High School Diploma The Most Basic Qualification
With a bachelor’s degree in nursing many doors will open to LPNs. To get into a licensed practical nurse course you will need a high school diploma.. There are some employers, when looking for a licensed practical nurse, will request the applicants’ health background and also check criminal records. A licensed practical nurse will be working with very ill people whose lives are in the hands of the nurses and doctors who are attending to them. Having someone with a criminal record means that you can’t trust the person to do the job properly. Nurses with a criminal history but who have been cleared may be restricted from working in certain settings because of federal and state laws.
Once you have completed all of the educational requirements and have also passed the test you will need to get your LPN license to practice, you will have to apply for your licence with your state board of nursing before you apply to write the test. There are also other eligibility requirements you will have to meet. It is your responsibility to contact your state board of nursing and find out exactly what your state requires of you. LPN qualifications will require that students will need to have hands-on practical experience as well as clinical duties which can be accomplished in hospitals or clinics. This is where students get to put their theoretical learning into action.
Becoming Licensed
After training, students will have to pass the state administered National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nursing, known also as NCLEX-PN. Some states may also require ongoing education to keep a practical nursing license.
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing makes use of computer adaptive testing, known as CAT to see if students pass their exam. Students are given multiple-choice questions and are given plenty of time to complete the test. The computer will calculate the students ability and knowledge, with the minimum number of questions that the examination requires to work out the candidate’s passing or failing status is 85. If the program is not able to determine with 95% certainty that the nurse’s knowledge is above the passing grade, the candidate will fail the examination.
Conclusion
When you start looking for a job as a licensed practical nurse, there are going to be certain things that most employers are going to insist on before they hire you. The most sought after LPNs are those who have the necessary LPN qualifications. Many LPN’s study reviews on LPN qualifications to determine what it is that employers specifically want in a licensed practical nurse. Some of the best qualifications won’t prepare you for some of the tasks you are expected to do; only experience will make you an all rounder. Whether you are wanting to work in a hospital, hospice or home care environment, it is a good idea to know which qualifications are considered the most important.
There is a demand for qualified LPN’s all over the world who have received their qualifications from accredited colleges, and they won’t have any trouble finding suitable work. Being a nurse with the right qualifications can equip you with the confidence to be a fantastic nurse in a rewarding career which pays a worthwhile salary in keeping with your qualifications.