In order to become an LPN (Licensed Practice Nurse), one has to be graduated from a formal practical nursing education program and need to be licensed by the state to provide service to the sick.
For pursuing LPN programs, one needs to secure high school diploma and pass the examination given by the educational institution, he or she has to be eighteen years of age, should definitely pass the following tests:
A Criminal Background Check:
One needs to clear the criminal background test in order to pursue the course.
A Drug Test:
You will also be required to pass a drug test. If you cannot pass the drug test, they are not going to allow doing the course. After passing the exam and receiving the certificate, once again you need to pass the drug test by your employer before they could give you a job.
In addition, people with strong interpersonal skills, good physical condition with lots of patience will definitely get some extra advantage. A letter of recommendation is sometimes required.
The LPN programs are generally provided by vocational school or community colleges. The duration of the course is one year of full time study.
Most of the LPN programs include introduction to the basic of nursing, hands on experience. Internship and clinical rotations are also included to give the students a clear idea of what to expect from this type of career. Students will receive a certificate of diploma after completion of the course. Topics like physiology, pharmacology, anatomy, patient care, first aid, nutrition have also been included in the syllabus for better understanding of the course. LPN programs also include a supervised clinical practice in a hospital as a part of their training. After completion of both the classroom and clinical practice program a certificate will be awarded to the student for practical nursing.
After receiving the certificate, students have to take the NCLEX-PN (National Council Licensure Examination – Practical Nurse). Here they need to provide proof of meeting all requirements to be allowed to sit for the test. Passing this exam will allow the student to apply for licence with the local state board of nursing. After receiving the licence the students are free to seek employment.
Now there are some more options for you. Apart from the regular school, online LPN programs are also available. The better and more flexible schedule is the first and foremost advantage of online LPN programs than the regular ones. Online course is cheaper than the regular course not only that this course also allows students to have a regular work if they want. But some disadvantages are also found such as in case of online course students lack hand on experience and that is why online course still have practical trainings to let the students experience how it really is working in a hospital or doctor’s clinic.
Now a day’s online LPN programs are very popular and many schools are offering this type of programs. A student needs to choose a good training school in order to be truly equipped with all the knowledge they need. Here also after completion of the online course, one needs to take NCLEX-PN (National Council Licensure Examination – Practical Nurse) to get the certificate. In occasional cases some colleges also allows students to complete the classes online for making it convenient for students to balance school, work and family obligations.
Though LPN path is simple and straightforward, one need to consider all the factors before opting for a course as it can surely affect your future.
