Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing Colleges
How to Find the Best One Near Thomasville 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 program near Thomasville GA that will help you enter the gratifying vocation 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 distinction, other than the names, between an LVN and an LPN. Both practice in medical facilities under the supervision of Physicians and Registered Nurses and perform the same job functions. However their responsibilities do fluctuate depending on the state they practice in, which we will address in the next segment. Many nursing candidates start looking for schools that are close to their homes and of those target the one that is least expensive. But there are other qualifications that a school should have and a decision should not be made based on location and cost alone. 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 additional questions that you should ask potential schools before enrolling in a LPN or LVN course that we will cover 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 is an LPN or LVN?

Licensed Practical Nurses have numerous tasks that they complete in the Thomasville GA health facilities where they practice. As their titles indicate, they are required to be licensed in all states, including Georgia. Even though they may be accountable for supervising Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves normally work under the guidance of either an RN or a doctor. The medical facilities where they work are numerous and varied, including hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Virtually any place that you can find patients seeking medical care is their domain. Every state not only controls their licensing, but also what work activities an LPN can and can't perform. So depending on the state, their daily work functions might include:

• • Taking vital signs
  • Giving medications
  • Initiating IV drips
  • Overseeing patients
  • Taking blood or urine samples
  • Maintaining patient records
  • Helping doctors or RNs with procedures

Along with their job duties being mandated by each state, the medical facilities or other Thomasville GA healthcare providers where LPNs work can additionally limit their job duties within those parameters. Additionally, they can work in different specialties of nursing, including long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

LPN and LVN Training Programs

There are basically two academic credentials offered that provide education to become an LPN near Thomasville GA. The one that can be completed in the shortest amount of time, generally about twelve months, is the certificate or diploma program. The second option is to attain a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are broader in nature than the diploma alternative and generally require 2 years to finish. The benefit of Associate Degrees, along with providing a higher credential and more comprehensive instruction, are that they furnish 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 some other national accrediting organization. The NLNAC guarantees that the course of study 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

Attending LPN or LVN programs online is becoming a more favored way to obtain training and acquire a nursing certificate or degree in Thomasville GA. Some schools will require attendance on campus for part of the training, and almost all programs call for a specific number of clinical rotation hours performed in a local healthcare center. But since the balance of the training may be accessed online, this method may be a more convenient approach to finding the free time to attend classes for many students. Pertaining to tuition, many online degree programs are less costly than other on campus options. Even additional expenses such as for commuting and study materials may be reduced, helping to make education more easily affordable. And a large number of online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. So if your work and family responsibilities have left you with limited time to pursue your academic goals, perhaps an online LPN program will make it easier to fit a degree into your busy schedule.

Questions to Ask LPN and LVN Schools

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 internet, you can use the following pointers to begin narrowing down your options. As you probably realize, there are many nursing schools and colleges near Thomasville GA as well as within Georgia and throughout the United States. So it is necessary to reduce the number of schools to select from in order that you will have a manageable list. As we previously mentioned, the location of the school and the price of tuition are probably going to be the initial two things that you will take into consideration. 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 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. Aside from helping confirm that you obtain a quality education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often not offered for non-accredited schools near Thomasville GA.
• Licensing Preparation. Licensing prerequisites 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. Many states require a specific number of clinical hours be performed, 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 preps you to satisfy the minimum licensing standards for Georgia or the state where you will be practicing.
• Reputation. Visit internet 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 also. Additionally, check with the Georgia school licensing authority to determine if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can call some nearby Thomasville 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 programs 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 unhappy 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 Thomasville GA healthcare community, but that it also has the network of contacts to help students gain a position.
• Internship Programs. The most effective way to acquire experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical environment. Virtually all nursing degree programs require a certain number of clinical hours be completed. Various states have minimum clinical hour mandates for licensing as well. Ask if the schools have associations with local Thomasville GA community hospitals, clinics or labs and help with the placement of students in internships.

Learn More About Learning to Become an LPN or LVN in Thomasville

Choose the Best Thomasville LPN or LVN School

Choosing the ideal Licensed Practical Nurse program is probably the most critical first step to beginning a new career in the health care industry. There are a number of aspects that you must take into account when deciding on a nursing school. These factors will be prioritized differently contingent on your current career goals, obligations, and financial status. As we have emphasized within this article, it is important that you enroll in an LPN college and a certificate or degree program that are each accredited and have excellent reputations within the healthcare 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 ultimate selection. And with the right degree and training, combined with your dedication and desire to succeed, you can become an LPN or LVN in Thomasville Georgia.

 

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