Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing Schools
How to Find the Best One Near Jacksonville Beach Florida

A first step that you need to take after deciding to become a Licensed Practical Nurse is to locate and enroll in the right LPN college near Jacksonville Beach FL that will help you enter the rewarding field of nursing. If you live in California or Texas, then you will be searching for a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) school instead. Other than the names, there is no difference between an LVN and an LPN. They both work in medical facilities under the supervision of Registered Nurses (RN) or Doctors and fulfill identical job duties. However, as we will cover in this article, their daily job functions can vary depending on the state where they are practicing. Most nursing candidates begin by looking for schools that are close to their homes and of those target the one that has the lowest tuition. But there are additional credentials that a school must have and a decision should not be made based on location and cost alone. Such as are the schools accredited or do they have high pass rates on the licensing exam, which are both extremely important as well. There are even more questions that you should ask prospective schools before enrolling in a LPN or LVN training program that we will address later in this article. But first, let's look at the job of an LPN and what is involved in the training and licensing process.

It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your LPN or LVN Career Below

What does an LPN or LVN Do?

Licensed Practical Nurses have numerous functions that they perform in the Jacksonville Beach FL healthcare facilities where they work. As their titles indicate, they are required to be licensed in all states, including Florida. While they may be accountable for monitoring Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves usually work under the oversight of either an RN or a doctor. The medical facilities where they work are numerous and assorted, for instance hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Virtually any place that you can encounter patients seeking medical attention is their domain. Each state not only oversees their licensing, but also what duties an LPN can and can't perform. So depending on the state, their day-to-day work functions might include:

• • Taking vital signs
  • Giving medications
  • Starting IV drips
  • Overseeing patients
  • Collecting blood or urine samples
  • Keeping patient records
  • Helping physicians or Registered nurses with procedures

Along with their job functions being governed by each state, the medical facilities or other Jacksonville Beach FL healthcare providers where LPNs work can further limit their job roles within those parameters. Additionally, they can practice in different specialties of nursing, including long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

LPN and LVN Training Programs

There are essentially two academic credentials offered that provide instruction to become an LPN near Jacksonville Beach FL. The one that can be concluded in the shortest period of time, usually about twelve months, is the certificate or diploma course. The 2nd alternative is to attain a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are broader in nature than the diploma option and typically require 2 years to finish. The benefit of Associate Degrees, besides providing a higher credential and more extensive instruction, are that they furnish more transferable credit toward a Bachelor's Degree in nursing. Regardless of the kind of credential you seek, it needs to be state approved and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or some other national accrediting organization. The NLNAC warrants that the course of study adequately prepares students to become Practical Nurses, and that most graduates pass the 50 state required NCLEX-PN licensing exam.

Online LPN and LVN Programs

Enrolling in LPN or LVN schools online is emerging as a more preferred way to obtain instruction and acquire a nursing certificate or degree in Jacksonville Beach FL. Some schools will require attending on campus for part of the training, and nearly all programs require a specific amount of clinical rotation hours completed in a local healthcare center. But since the remainder of the training may be accessed online, this method may be a more practical solution to finding the time to attend college for many students. Pertaining to tuition, many online degree programs are cheaper than other on campus choices. Even other expenses such as for commuting and study materials can be lessened, helping to make education more easily affordable. And a large number of online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. Therefore if your job and family obligations have left you with little time to work toward your academic goals, it could be that an online LPN program will make it easier to fit a degree into your active schedule.

What to Ask LPN and LVN Programs

Once you have decided on obtaining your LPN or LVN certificate or degree, as well as if you will attend classes on campus or on the web, you can use the following checklist to begin narrowing down your choices. As you undoubtedly realize, there are a large number of nursing schools and colleges near Jacksonville Beach FL as well as within Florida and throughout the United States. So it is necessary to decrease the number of schools to select from to ensure that you will have a workable list. As we earlier discussed, the location of the school along with the price of tuition are undoubtedly going to be the initial two points that you will consider. But as we also stressed, they should not be your only qualifiers. So prior to making your ultimate choice, use the following questions to see how your pick measures up to the other programs.

• Accreditation. It's a good idea to make sure that the certificate or degree program in addition to the school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to helping confirm that you get a premium education, it may assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are oftentimes not offered for non-accredited schools near Jacksonville Beach FL.
• Licensing Preparation. Licensing prerequisites for LPNs and LVNs are different from state to state. In all states, a passing score is required on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) together with graduation from an accredited school. Certain states require a specified number of clinical hours be performed, as well as the passing of additional tests. It's essential that the school you are enrolled in not only delivers an outstanding education, but also readies you to meet the minimum licensing requirements for Florida or the state where you will be practicing.
• Reputation. Check online rating companies to see what the reviews are for each of the LPN or LVN schools you are looking into. Ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Additionally, check with the Florida school licensing authority to determine if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can speak with some local Jacksonville Beach FL 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 dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It's also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. A high rate will not only confirm that the school has a superb reputation within the Jacksonville Beach FL medical community, but that it also has the network of contacts to help students gain a position.
• Internship Programs. The most ideal way to obtain experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical setting. Essentially all nursing degree programs require a certain number of clinical hours be completed. Various states have minimum clinical hour prerequisites for licensing also. Ask if the schools have associations with local Jacksonville Beach FL community hospitals, clinics or labs and help with the placement of students in internships.

Find Out More Info About Learning to Become an LPN or LVN in Jacksonville Beach

Choose the Right Jacksonville Beach LPN or LVN School

Enrolling in the ideal Licensed Practical Nurse school is perhaps the most important step to launching a new career in the health care industry. There are various aspects that you should consider when deciding on a nursing school. These variables will be prioritized differently contingent on your existing career objectives, lifestyle, and economic status. As we have pointed out in this post, it is important that you enroll in an LPN college and a certificate or degree program that are each accredited and have outstanding reputations within the medical community. By utilizing our list of qualifying questions, you will be able to develop a short list of schools to pick from so that you can make your final selection. And with the proper degree and training, combined with your hard work and drive to succeed, you can become a Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse in Jacksonville Beach Florida.

 

JACKSONVILLE BEACH LPN OR LVN COURSES NEAR ME | JACKSONVILLE BEACH LPN OR LVN TRAINING NEAR ME