Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing Schools
How to Choose the Best One Near Oakland Park Florida

A first step that you need to take after deciding to become a Licensed Practical Nurse is to find and enroll in the right LPN school near Oakland Park FL that will help you enter the rewarding profession of nursing. If you live in California or Texas, then you will be looking for a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) school instead. There is no difference, apart from the names, between an LVN and an LPN. Both practice in health care facilities under the supervision of Registered Nurses (RN) or Doctors and fulfill the same job duties. However their duties do fluctuate depending on the state they practice in, which we will cover in the next section. Many new students begin by searching for schools that are close to their homes and of those target the one that has the lowest tuition. While price and location are important factors, they are not the only criteria that you should base your selection on. For example are the schools accredited or do they have high pass rates on the licensing exam, which are both extremely important too. There are additional questions that you should ask potential schools before enrolling in a LPN or LVN course that we will talk about later in this article. But to start with, let's look at the job of an LPN and what is involved in the education and licensing process.

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What is an LPN or LVN?

Licensed Practical Nurses have many different functions that they accomplish in the Oakland Park FL medical facilities where they work. As their titles signify, they are required to be licensed in all states, including Florida. Although they may be responsible for supervising Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves generally work under the supervision of either an RN or a doctor. The health care facilities where they work are numerous and diverse, such as hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Anywhere that you can encounter patients requiring medical treatment is their dominion. Each state not only controls their licensing, but also what functions an LPN can and can't perform. So depending on the state, their everyday job functions can include:

• • Checking vital signs
  • Providing medicines
  • Setting up IV drips
  • Monitoring patients
  • Taking blood or urine samples
  • Maintaining patient records
  • Supporting doctors or RNs with procedures

Along with their occupational duties being regulated by each state, the healthcare facilities or other Oakland Park FL healthcare providers where LPNs work can additionally limit their job roles within those parameters. In addition, they can practice in various specialties of nursing, including long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

LPN and LVN Degree and Certificate Programs

There are essentially two academic credentials offered that provide instruction to become an LPN near Oakland Park FL. The one that may be completed in the shortest amount of time, usually about twelve months, is the certificate or diploma program. The next alternative is to obtain a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are broader in nature than the diploma alternative and typically require 2 years to finish. The benefit of Associate Degrees, aside from offering a higher credential and more in-depth instruction, are that they provide more transferable credit toward a Bachelor's Degree in nursing. No matter the type of credential you pursue, it should be state approved and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or another 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.

LPN and LVN Programs Online

Enrolling in LPN or LVN schools online is emerging as a more preferred way to receive training and acquire a nursing certificate or degree in Oakland Park FL. Many schools will require attendance on campus for a component of the training, and almost all programs require a specified number of clinical rotation hours completed in a local healthcare center. But since the rest of the training can be accessed online, this option may be a more convenient solution to finding the time to attend school for some students. Regarding tuition, some online degree programs are less costly than other on campus choices. Even supplemental expenses such as for commuting and study materials may be reduced, helping to make education more economical. And many online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. So if your job and family commitments have left you with very little time to work toward your academic goals, perhaps an online LPN school will make it more convenient to fit a degree into your active schedule.

Questions to Ask LPN and LVN Schools

Now that you have decided on obtaining your LPN or LVN certificate or degree, and if you will attend classes on campus or on the internet, you can use the following pointers to begin narrowing down your options. As you no doubt realize, there are a large number of nursing schools and colleges near Oakland Park FL as well as within Florida and throughout the United States. So it is essential to lower the number of schools to choose from to ensure that you will have a workable list. As we earlier pointed out, the location of the school as well as the price of tuition are undoubtedly going to be the primary two factors that you will consider. But as we also stressed, they should not be your sole qualifiers. So before making your final choice, use the following questions to evaluate how your selection measures up to the other programs.

• 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 recognized accrediting organization. Besides helping confirm that you get a quality education, it may assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are oftentimes not offered for non-accredited schools near Oakland Park FL.
• Licensing Preparation. Licensing requirements for LPNs and LVNs vary from state to state. In all states, a passing score is needed on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) along with graduation from an accredited school. Some states require a specified 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 a top-notch education, but also prepares you to meet the minimum licensing requirements for Florida or the state where you will be practicing.
• Reputation. Look at online rating services to see what the evaluations are for each of the LPN or LVN schools you are considering. Ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews too. Additionally, contact the Florida school licensing authority to determine if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can contact some local Oakland Park FL healthcare organizations you're interested in working for after graduation and ask what their assessments are of the schools as well.
• Graduation and Job Placement Rates. Find out from the LPN or LVN schools you are looking at what their graduation rates are as well as how long on average it takes students to finish their programs. A low graduation rate may be an indication that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It's also essential that the schools have high job placement rates. A high rate will not only substantiate that the school has a superb reputation within the Oakland Park FL healthcare community, but that it also has the network of contacts to help students obtain a position.
• Internship Programs. The most effective way to get experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical environment. 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. Check if the schools have associations with local Oakland Park FL community hospitals, clinics or labs and assist with the placement of students in internships.

Learn More About Learning to Become an LVN or LPN in Oakland Park

Enroll in the Right Oakland Park LPN or LVN School

Enrolling in the ideal Licensed Practical Nurse program is arguably the most important first step to launching a new career in the healthcare industry. There are various factors that you need to take into account when selecting a nursing school. These factors will be prioritized differently contingent on your current career goals, obligations, and economic situation. As we have emphasized within this content, it is important that you enroll in an LPN school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have outstanding reputations within the health care community. By utilizing our list of qualifying questions, you will be able to produce a shortlist of schools to select from so that you can make your final selection. And with the proper degree and training, combined with your hard work and desire to succeed, you can become a Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse in Oakland Park Florida.

 

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