Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing Training
How to Pick the Right One Near Cartersville Georgia

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 school near Cartersville GA that will help you enter the gratifying vocation of nursing. California or Texas students will instead enroll in an LVN school to learn to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse. There is no difference, other than the names, between an LVN and an LPN. Both practice in health care facilities supervised by Physicians and Registered Nurses and perform identical job duties. But their functions do vary depending on the state they practice in, which we will cover in the following segment. Most new students begin by searching for schools that are close to their homes and of those lean towards the one that has the lowest tuition. But there are other qualifications that a school must have and a selection should not be made based on location and cost alone. For example are the schools accredited or do they have high pass rates on the licensing exam, which are both very important as well. There are various other questions that you should ask potential schools before enrolling in a LPN or LVN program that we will address later in this article. But to start with, let's look at the role of an LPN and what is involved in the instruction and licensing process.

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What does an LPN or LVN Do?

Licensed Practical Nurses have many different duties that they complete in the Cartersville GA health facilities where they are employed. As their titles indicate, they are required to be licensed in all states, including Georgia. While they may be accountable for managing Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves normally work under the guidance of either an RN or a doctor. The healthcare facilities where they work are numerous and diverse, for instance 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 controls their licensing, but also what functions an LPN can and can't perform. So based on the state, their everyday job activities may include:

• • Checking vital signs
  • Giving medications
  • Initiating IV drips
  • Overseeing patients
  • Taking blood or urine samples
  • Taking care of patient records
  • Helping doctors or Registered nurses with procedures

Along with their job duties being regulated by each state, the health care facilities or other Cartersville GA healthcare providers where LPNs work can additionally limit their job duties within those parameters. Additionally, they can practice in various specialties of nursing, which include long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

LPN and LVN Degree and Certificate Programs

There are basically two academic credentials offered that provide training to become an LPN near Cartersville GA. The one that may be completed in the shortest time period, usually about twelve months, is the certificate or diploma program. The second choice is to obtain a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma alternative and normally require 2 years to finish. The benefit of Associate Degrees, besides supplying 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 seek, it should be state approved and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or any other national accrediting organization. The NLNAC attests that the syllabus properly prepares students to become Practical Nurses, and that the majority of graduates pass the 50 state required NCLEX-PN licensing exam.

Online LPN and LVN Programs

Enrolling in LPN or LVN schools online is growing into a more popular way to receive training and acquire a nursing certificate or degree in Cartersville GA. Many schools will require attendance on campus for part of the training, and nearly all programs call for a specific number of clinical rotation hours completed in a local healthcare facility. But since the balance of the training can be accessed online, this option may be a more accommodating solution to finding the time to attend school for many students. Concerning tuition, a number of online degree programs are less costly than other on campus options. Even supplementary expenses such as for commuting and study materials may be reduced, helping to make education more easily affordable. And numerous online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. And so if your work and family responsibilities have left you with very little time to work toward your academic goals, it could be that an online LPN school will make it easier to fit a degree into your busy schedule.

Things 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 utilize the following checklist to start narrowing down your options. As you no doubt are aware, there are many nursing schools and colleges near Cartersville GA as well as within Georgia and throughout the United States. So it is essential to reduce the number of schools to select from to ensure that you will have a manageable list. As we earlier pointed out, the location of the school along with the price of tuition are probably going to be the first two factors that you will look at. But as we also emphasized, they should not be your only qualifiers. So before making your ultimate decision, use the following questions to evaluate how your pick compares to the other schools.

• 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 agency. Besides helping ensure that you receive an excellent education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are oftentimes not offered for non-accredited schools near Cartersville GA.
• Licensing Preparation. Licensing criteria for LPNs and LVNs differ from state to state. In all states, a passing score is needed on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) together with graduation from an accredited school. Certain states require a certain number of clinical hours be completed, as well as the passing of additional tests. It's important that the school you are attending not only provides an exceptional education, but also preps you to comply with the minimum licensing requirements for Georgia or the state where you will be working.
• Reputation. Visit online rating services to see what the evaluations are for all of the LPN or LVN schools you are considering. Ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews too. In addition, get in touch with the Georgia school licensing authority to determine if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can call some local Cartersville GA 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 complete 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 verify that the school has a superb reputation within the Cartersville GA healthcare community, but that it also has the network of contacts to assist students attain a position.
• Internship Programs. The best way to acquire experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical environment. Almost all nursing degree programs require a certain number of clinical hours be completed. Various states have minimum clinical hour prerequisites for licensing as well. Find out if the schools have a working relationship with nearby Cartersville GA community hospitals, clinics or labs and help with the placing of students in internships.

Find Out More About Learning to Become an LPN or LVN in Cartersville

Enroll in the Right Cartersville LPN or LVN Program

Choosing the right Licensed Practical Nurse school is probably the most important phase to launching a new career in the healthcare industry. There are numerous variables that you should think about when choosing a nursing school. These aspects will be prioritized differently depending on your existing career objectives, obligations, and financial situation. As we have stressed in this article, 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 health care community. By utilizing our list of qualifying questions, you will be able to produce a shortlist of schools to pick from so that you can make your ultimate selection. And with the proper degree and training, combined with your dedication and drive to succeed, you can become a Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse in Cartersville Georgia.

 

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