Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing Colleges
How to Find the Right One Near Pasadena California

One of the first things that you need to do after making the decision to become a Licensed Practical Nurse is to find and enroll in the right LPN school near Pasadena CA that will help you enter the rewarding field of nursing. If you live in Texas or California, then you will be searching for a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) school instead. There is no difference, except for the names, between an LVN and an LPN. Both practice in medical facilities supervised by Physicians and Registered Nurses and fulfill the same job duties. However their responsibilities do differ depending on the state they practice in, which we will address in the next section. When initiating their search for schools, many potential nursing students begin with those that are the nearest to their houses or that are the least expensive. Although tuition and location are relevant points to consider, they are not the only qualifications that you should base your selection on. Such as do the schools offer job placement assistance and do they have high placement rates, which are both extremely important as well. There are even more questions that you should ask potential schools before enrolling in a LPN or LVN training program that we will cover later in this article. But first, let's take a look at the role of an LPN and what is involved in the training and licensing process.

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LPN and LVN Job Description

Licensed Practical Nurses have many duties that they carry out in the Pasadena CA medical facilities where they practice. As their titles indicate, they are required to be licensed in all states, including California. While they may be accountable for managing Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves normally work under the oversight of either an RN or a doctor. The health care facilities where they work are numerous and diverse, including hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Virtually any place that you can encounter patients requiring medical care is their dominion. Every state not only oversees their licensing, but also what duties an LPN can and can't perform. So based on the state, their daily job functions might include:

• • Taking vital signs
  • Providing medicines
  • Initiating IV drips
  • Monitoring patients
  • Collecting blood or urine samples
  • Taking care of patient records
  • Assisting doctors or Registered nurses with procedures

Along with their job responsibilities being controlled by each state, the health facilities or other Pasadena CA healthcare providers where LPNs work can additionally limit their job roles within those parameters. Also, they can practice in various specialties of nursing, including long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

LVN and LPN Certificates and Degrees

There are principally two scholastic credentials available that provide instruction to become an LPN near Pasadena CA. The one that can be finished in the shortest period of time, usually about twelve months, is the certificate or diploma program. The other alternative is to attain a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma alternative and usually require 2 years to finish. The benefit of Associate Degrees, aside from offering a higher credential and more comprehensive training, are that they provide more transferable credit toward a Bachelor's Degree in nursing. Regardless of the type of credential you pursue, it needs to be state approved and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or another national accrediting organization. The NLNAC warrants that the syllabus effectively prepares students to become Practical Nurses, and that the majority of graduates pass the 50 state required NCLEX-PN licensing exam.

LPN and LVN Online Programs

Attending LPN or LVN programs online is growing into a more in demand way to receive instruction and earn a nursing certificate or degree in Pasadena CA. Certain schools will require attending on campus for part of the training, and almost all programs call for a specific amount of clinical rotation hours carried out in a local healthcare center. But since the remainder of the training can be accessed online, this option may be a more convenient answer to finding the time to attend college for many students. Pertaining to tuition, many online degree programs are less costly than other on campus choices. Even additional expenses such as for commuting and study materials can be lessened, helping to make education more affordable. And many online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. Therefore if your work and household responsibilities have left you with very little time to pursue your academic goals, maybe an online LPN program will make it easier to fit a degree into your busy schedule.

What to Ask LPN and LVN Programs

Once you have decided on obtaining your LPN or LVN certificate or degree, and if you will attend classes on campus or on the web, you can use the following pointers to start narrowing down your choices. As you probably realize, there are numerous nursing schools and colleges near Pasadena CA as well as within California and throughout the United States. So it is necessary to decrease the number of schools to select from so that you will have a workable list. As we already discussed, the location of the school as well as the cost of tuition are probably going to be the first two factors that you will consider. But as we also emphasized, they should not be your sole qualifiers. So before making your ultimate selection, use the following questions to evaluate how your selection compares to the field.

• Accreditation. It's a good idea to make sure that the certificate or degree program along with the school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Besides helping confirm that you obtain a premium education, it may help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are oftentimes not provided for non-accredited schools near Pasadena CA.
• Licensing Preparation. Licensing criteria for LPNs and LVNs vary from state to state. In all states, a passing score is required on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) as well as graduation from an accredited school. Certain states require a specific number of clinical hours be completed, as well as the passing of additional tests. It's essential that the school you are attending not only delivers an outstanding education, but also preps you to meet the minimum licensing requirements for California or the state where you will be working.
• Reputation. Look at internet rating services to see what the assessments are for all of the LPN or LVN schools you are looking into. Ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. In addition, check with the California school licensing authority to check out if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can contact some nearby Pasadena CA healthcare organizations you're interested in working for after graduation and ask what their judgements are of the schools as well.
• Graduation and Job Placement Rates. Find out from the LPN or LVN programs you are considering what their graduation rates are as well as how long on average it takes students to complete their programs. A low graduation rate may be an indication that students were displeased with the program and dropped out. It's also important that the schools have high job placement rates. A high rate will not only substantiate that the school has a good reputation within the Pasadena CA healthcare community, but that it also has the network of contacts to assist students gain a position.
• Internship Programs. The most effective way to acquire experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical setting. Almost all nursing degree programs require a specific number of clinical hours be completed. A number of states have minimum clinical hour mandates for licensing also. Ask if the schools have a working relationship with local Pasadena CA community hospitals, clinics or labs and assist with the placement of students in internships.

Learn More Info About Training to Be an LPN or LVN in Pasadena

Enroll in the Best Pasadena LPN or LVN School

Selecting the ideal Licensed Practical Nurse school is arguably the most crucial first step to beginning a new career in the health care field. There are many aspects that you must think about when deciding on a nursing school. These variables will be prioritized differently contingent on your existing career objectives, obligations, and economic situation. As we have emphasized within this article, it is critical that you select an LPN school and a certificate or degree program that are each accredited and have exceptional reputations within the health care community. By using our list of qualifying questions, you will be able to develop a shortlist of schools to pick from so that you can make your final selection. And with the appropriate degree and training, combined with your dedication and ambition to succeed, you can become a Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse in Pasadena California.

 

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