Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing Schools
How to Find the Right One Near Hickory Hills Illinois

A first step that you need to take after making the decision to become a Licensed Practical Nurse is to locate and enroll in the right LPN college near Hickory Hills IL that will help guarantee your entrance into the gratifying profession of nursing. Texas or California residents will instead enroll in an LVN school to learn to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse. Other than the titles, there is no difference between an LPN and LVN. Both work in medical facilities under the supervision of Registered Nurses (RN) or Doctors and fulfill identical job duties. However their duties do vary depending on the state they practice in, which we will cover in the following section. Most new students start looking for schools that are within commuting distance of their homes and of those lean towards the one that has the lowest tuition. 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 are the schools accredited or do they have high pass rates on the licensing exam, which are both very important as well. There are additional questions that you should ask potential schools before enrolling in a LPN or LVN course that we will address later in this article. But to start with, let's take a look at the job of an LPN and what is involved in the education and licensing process.

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What does an LPN or LVN Do?

Licensed Practical Nurses have a number of functions that they carry out in the Hickory Hills IL healthcare facilities where they are employed. As their titles indicate, they are mandated to be licensed in all states, including Illinois. Although they may be accountable for managing Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves usually work under the direction of either an RN or a doctor. The health care facilities where they work are numerous and assorted, including hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Anyplace that you can encounter patients seeking medical assistance is their dominion. Each state not only oversees their licensing, but also what work activities an LPN can and can't perform. So based on the state, their day-to-day job activities can include:

• • Measuring vital signs
  • Providing medications
  • Initiating IV drips
  • Monitoring patients
  • Taking blood or urine samples
  • Taking care of patient records
  • Helping doctors or RNs with procedures

In addition to their work responsibilities being mandated by each state, the health facilities or other Hickory Hills IL healthcare providers where LPNs work can further limit their job duties within those parameters. Additionally, they can practice in different specialties of nursing, for instance long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

LVN and LPN Degree and Certificate Programs

There are basically two scholastic credentials offered that provide education to become an LPN near Hickory Hills IL. The one that can be finished in the shortest amount of time, generally about 1 year, is the certificate or diploma course. The 2nd alternative is to earn a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are broader in nature than the diploma option and commonly require 2 years to complete. The advantage of Associate Degrees, along with supplying a higher credential and more comprehensive instruction, are that they provide more transferable credit toward a Bachelor's Degree in nursing. No matter 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 core curriculum effectively prepares students to become Practical Nurses, and that most graduates pass the 50 state required NCLEX-PN licensing exam.

LPN and LVN Programs Online

Attending LPN or LVN programs online is emerging as a more in demand way to receive training and acquire a nursing certificate or degree in Hickory Hills IL. Many schools will require attending on campus for a component of the training, and virtually all programs require a certain number of clinical rotation hours conducted in a local healthcare facility. But since the balance of the training may be accessed online, this option may be a more practical approach to finding the free time to attend college for some students. Regarding tuition, a number of online degree programs are cheaper than other on campus choices. Even other expenses such as for commuting and study materials can be minimized, helping to make education more easily affordable. And numerous online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. So if your work and household commitments have left you with very little time to work toward your academic goals, perhaps an online LPN program will make it more convenient to fit a degree into your active schedule.

What to Ask LPN and LVN Programs

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 choices. As you no doubt are aware, there are numerous nursing schools and colleges near Hickory Hills IL as well as within Illinois and throughout the United States. So it is important to lower the number of schools to choose from to ensure that you will have a workable list. As we previously discussed, the location of the school along with the price of tuition are probably going to be the first two points that you will look at. But as we also emphasized, they should not be your only qualifiers. So prior to making your ultimate choice, use the following questions to see how your selection compares to the field.

• 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 recognized accrediting agency. Besides helping make sure that you get a quality education, it may help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often not offered for non-accredited schools near Hickory Hills IL.
• Licensing Preparation. Licensing criteria 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. Some states require a certain number of clinical hours be completed, as well as the passing of additional tests. It's imperative that the school you are enrolled in not only provides an excellent education, but also preps you to comply with the minimum licensing standards for Illinois or the state where you will be working.
• Reputation. Check internet rating companies to see what the evaluations are for each of the LPN or LVN schools you are looking into. Ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Also, contact the Illinois school licensing authority to find out if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can speak with some local Hickory Hills IL 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 considering 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 essential that the schools have high job placement rates. A high rate will not only substantiate that the school has a good reputation within the Hickory Hills IL medical community, but that it also has the network of relationships to help students attain a position.
• Internship Programs. The best 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 as well. Ask if the schools have a working relationship with local Hickory Hills IL community hospitals, clinics or labs and assist with the positioning of students in internships.

Learn More About Becoming an LPN or LVN in Hickory Hills

Choose the Right Hickory Hills LPN or LVN School

Deciding on the right Licensed Practical Nurse program is potentially the most important first step to launching a new career in the health care industry. There are many factors that you need to consider when choosing a nursing school. These variables will be prioritized differently depending on your existing career objectives, lifestyle, and financial situation. As we have pointed out in this article, it is critical that you select an LPN school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the health care community. By using our checklist of qualifying questions, you will be able to create a shortlist of schools to select from so that you can make your final selection. And with the appropriate degree and training, combined with your hard work and drive to succeed, you can become an LPN or LVN in Hickory Hills Illinois.

 

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