How to become a LPN
The surest way to become a LPN (license practical nurse) is to attend a licensed practical nursing school that specifically prepares you for the NCLEX-LN certification exam, a requirement to be an LPN in all fifty states. Being an LPN is nursing at its most basic. In hospital settings, LPNs usually report to registered nurses. It is only in nursing homes and out care patient facilities that LPNs have supervisory responsibilities (but over fifty percent of LPN jobs are in those settings.)
To become an LPN you attend LPN school. Most LPN programs are a year long and divided into classroom study and practical training. The classroom portion of LPN training teaches you all the fundamentals of the profession. Anatomy, physiology, drug administering, technical equipment, and psychiatric nursing techniques are taught in this portion. The practical learning segment is on-site training. Here you apply all the theory and study learned in the classroom as final preparation for the real job.
Becoming a LPN is a solid career choice in the upcoming years. As mentioned above, the real expansion sector for LPNs is in home care and nursing home treatment. With the increase in the country's retired person population, needs in nursing homes are expected to increase. Pushing this trend along is the increase in home nursing technology, which is allowing old people to get complex treatment without leaving home. People with caring dispositions and with an ability to take orders easily are especially encouraged to become LPNs. The right personality makes the best LPN.
All states and the District of Colombia require nurses to be licensed after completing an approved LPN program. Most programs last about a year and you may receive a combination of classroom based instruction and practical skills. Topics may include: anatomy, physiology, medical and surgical nursing, pediatrics, obstetrics, psychiatric nursing, administration of drugs, nutrition, and first aid. You may receive clinical practice in a hospital to complete your LPN training.
The following schools offer LPN programs and can provide you with more information on how to become a LPN. |
