Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) - A Career Opportunity

By Kylie Joseph

If you wish to become a nurse then the initial place to start is as a Licensed Practical Nurse or LPN. In order to do this you must complete a training course that is State Board of Nursing approved. The normal length of time that these qualification programs take is 18 months to two years. However there are some training programs that may last as little as 12 months. Once the approved program has been completed you must first pass an examination before you can achieve your full qualification.

The name of the examination you must pass in order to get licensed is NCLEX-PN. It is essential for students to pass this examination if you actually want to practice as a nurse. As a licensed nurse you will be able to carry out a range of medical procedures from simple to complex. LPN's are however required to be supervised by a Registered Nurse (RN) or a physician.

A pre-requisite to being admitted to an authorized training school you must show that as a minimum you have a high school diploma. Students should also be able to prove that they do not have criminal record. Due to high levels of demand for qualified LP's it is now possible to begin the training program before achieving your high school diploma. As a matter of fact, a student can start the LPN program by completing vocational programs whilst they are still in high school.

The choice of approved training schools across the country is plentiful, all offering the necessary qualification programs.

In fact according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics from 2006 the total number of state approved training courses exceeded 1,500 in practical nursing programs. Many more qualification programs have sprung up since 2006 many of which have been designed specifically for completion by online students.

There is a clinical aspect to all the qualification courses. This may be difficult to undertake on a distance learning basis. As a result it is not unlikely that students would be required to attend some form of organized clinical training events. This should not present a significant problem as there are many local vocation schools, technical programs and community colleges that offer complete courses or just specific aspects of the training regime.

A qualified LPN is capable of undertaking a wide variety of activities. These range from simple measurements for example taking someone's blood pressure or body temperature, through to giving CPR on a patient who is experiencing a heart attack. In the main however the LPN will be administering basic care to elderly, infirm or recuperative patients caring environment.

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