Licensed Practical Nurse Training Class

Licensed Practical Nurse Job Description

A licensed practical nurse is a general practice nurse, who handles basic caretaking duties. Under the supervision of physicians and registered nurses, LPNs care for patients who are sick, injured, recuperating or disabled. LPNs provide general bedside care, including measuring and recording patients’ vital signs such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse and respiration. LPNs are also in charge of preparing and giving injections, enemas, catheters, treating bedsores and applying medical dressings.

They spend a great deal of time working alongside the patient, helping them with daily needs, such as bathing, dressing, personal hygiene, maneuvering in bed, as well as standing, walking and eating. LPNs have to be observant caretakers, since they are responsible for monitoring patients’ movements, reactions to medication and treatments and the overall state of their health. LPNs also collect samples for testing, perform routine laboratory tests and record daily fluid and food intake and output.

Depending on the state and job setting, some LPNs are allowed to administer prescribed medicines, give IVs, perform blood transfusions and provide care to ventilator-dependent patients. LPNs tend to patients on a more personal level than most health care professionals do. Because LPNs spend the majority of their time working with patients, they get to know their personalities and emotional states as they receive medical treatment.

They address patients’ emotional needs on a daily basis by simply conversing with them. LPNs often talk to patients about health education and discuss their conditions, as well as calm their nerves about treatments and medical procedures. Many times, patients just need someone to listen to them and vent about whatever is on their mind. LPNs can serve as confidants to patients, which is useful in determining deeper issues that affect a patient’s state of health and overall mindset.

Licensed practical nurses are trained to work in a variety of health care facilities, such as hospitals, nursing homes, doctors’ offices, home healthcare and other medical settings. LPNs’ duties vary depending on their place of work. For instance, LPNs who work in nursing care settings typically work with elderly residents by developing care plans, monitoring their health and overseeing nursing aides’ patient care.

Whereas in home health care settings, LPNs will do routine health checks, prepare meals and teach families or caretakers how to do certain tasks and administer care when nurses or physicians are not there. To learn more about the LPN profession, visit the Mayo Clinic’s nursing career overview.

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Licensed Practical Nurse Salary

When compared to other occupations, nursing tends to always come up on top as a profitable and safe career field to be in. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, licensed practical nurses are projected to grow much faster than the average of other occupations, signifying excellent job prospects for the future. LPN employment is expected to grow by 21 percent during the 2008-2018 decade, adding approximately 155,600 new LPN jobs.

This growth can be attributed to the expanding population, which increases the overall demand for health care. A large contributor of the demand for LPNs is the elderly population and their need for long-term care. Elderly people are at a higher risk for injury and illness, therefore, increasing the demand for general health care services — LPN’s area of specialty.

With today’s medical advancements and an increasing life expectancy rate, people are living longer and requiring more long-term medical attention. Therefore, experts believe LPN employment growth will take place in all health care settings, but especially in geriatric services like nursing care, community care and home health care services.

It’s important to note that the job and salary outlooks for LPNs will vary by industry, but researchers find that LPNs will have the best job opportunities in nursing care facilities and home health care services. In an effort to lower health care costs, medical procedures that were once performed in hospitals only are now being done in physicians’ offices, outpatient care centers and clinics.

Thanks to medical advances and technological discoveries, LPNs can serve patients in these smaller and extremely efficient medical settings. While outpatient facilities are growing in popularity, hospitals will continue to hire LPNs and remain as their largest employers. As for job prospects, LPNs should continue to see favorable opportunities in various health care settings across the nation.

According to the Bureau, there is a growing shortage of available health care in rural areas around the country. Therefore, LPNs who are willing to relocate to rural areas should have positive job prospects. In addition to favorable job prospects, LPNs will experience satisfactory salary outlooks too. LPNs made a median annual wage of $39,030 in 2008, according to the Bureau. With years of experience, continued education and increased job responsibilities, LPNs are likely to experience job advancements and increased earnings.

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How to Become an Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Nursing is a career that’s in demand and the pay is competitive. There’s a variety of types to explore and many offer flexible scheduling options. Becoming an LPN, or Licensed Practical Nurse, is considered the fastest way to becoming a nurse. Online nursing schools offer classes and training programs to help you achieve this goal. The following information will help you understand what a Licensed Practical Nurse does and what you need to do to become one.

Besides being a growing field, nursing is also an interesting and fast-paced job where you can see an impact on patients’ lives. If you like helping people and would like to gain the skills to assist them in the field of medicine, becoming an LPN is a good place to start. Work opportunities for LPNs are abundant in hospitals, clinics, nursing care facilities and physician’s offices. An LPN, under the close supervision of a Registered Nurse or Doctor, performs nursing duties like checking vital signs, applying wound dressings, collecting lab samples, and feeding patients. These are all crucial functions in a health care facility, making LPNs a valuable asset to the health care team.

Steps to becoming an LPN:

Complete a nursing training program. An LPN, also called LVN or Licensed Vocational Nurse, performs nursing duties without having a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Educational training for an LPN can be obtained in only one year from a vocational center, technical school or community college. LPN courses focus on different nursing principles, such as pediatrics, adult health, and psychology. An LPN training program also exposes students to laboratory work and clinical practice. To qualify for LPN classes within a training program, you must at least be a high school graduate or have obtained your GED.
Get licensed. After completing the nurse training program, you need to take and then pass the NCLEX-PN (National Council Licensure Examination-Practical Nursing), which will gauge your competency as a Practical Nurse. Check with your state to see if they have any additional licensure requirements. A nursing exam will cover a variety of nursing areas, including health promotion and maintenance, physiological integrity, pharmacological therapies, and safe, effective care environments.
Hone your nursing skills. To be an effective LPN, you must have the necessary skills for the job to be able to think quickly on your feet. Don’t forget that nursing is often a physical job as well, so build up your stamina, since you will lift patients if needed, wheel them from one place to another, and work in a fast-paced environment for many hours at a time. The job description of an LPN requries you to also be gentle, caring and understanding. Remember, a grouchy, uncompassionate nurse is not what patients want—nor is it what they need as they struggle with their illness.
Look for a nursing job. There are lots of options and opportunities to become an LPN, and hopefully your nursing training will have helped you understand what type of nursing your skills are best suited to. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment opportunities for LPNs are likely to increase by 14% by 2016. This means there are and will continue to be a lot of opportunities and job options for an LPN. Although you can look for work in hospitals and healthcare facilities, the main source of jobs these days are in home health care, provided at the patient’s home. When you are looking for a job, remember to highlight your competencies in your interview. Be prepared to discuss your training experiences and the types of nursing duties you enjoy the most.

Most LPNs currently report annual earnings of $36,033 to $43,420. But if you wish to earn more and improve your career, consider completing a bachelor’s degree in nursing. One option to look into is a Licensed Practical Nurse to Bachelor’s of Nursing (LPN-to-RN) degree program. Whatever you choose to do, becoming an LPN is a great place to start your nursing career.