Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing Training Programs
How to Select the Best One Near Cedar Falls Iowa

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 Cedar Falls IA that will help guarantee your entrance into the rewarding vocation of nursing. California or Texas students will alternatively enroll in an LVN school to learn to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse. Apart from the titles, there is no difference between an LVN and an LPN. They both practice in health care facilities supervised by Physicians and Registered Nurses and perform the same job duties. Although, as we will discuss in this article, their routine job activities can vary depending on the state where they are employed. When beginning their search for schools, many prospective nursing students start with the ones that are the nearest to their houses or that are the least expensive. Even though cost and location are significant factors, they are not the only criteria that you should base your decision on. 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 even more questions that you should ask prospective schools before enrolling in a LPN or LVN course that we will address later in this article. But to start with, let's look at the job 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 duties that they accomplish in the Cedar Falls IA healthcare facilities where they are employed. As their titles signify, they are required to be licensed in all states, including Iowa. While they may be responsible for supervising Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves typically work under the supervision of either an RN or a doctor. The medical care facilities where they work are numerous and diverse, for instance hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Anywhere that you can encounter patients seeking medical treatment is their domain. Every 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 activities can include:

• • Taking vital signs
  • Giving medicines
  • Setting up IV drips
  • Observing patients
  • Getting blood or urine samples
  • Keeping patient records
  • Supporting doctors or RNs with procedures

In addition to their work functions being controlled by each state, the healthcare facilities or other Cedar Falls IA healthcare providers where LPNs work can further limit their job roles within those parameters. Also, they can practice in numerous specialties of nursing, for example long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

LPN and LVN Degree and Certificate Programs

There are principally two academic credentials available that provide instruction to become an LPN near Cedar Falls IA. The one that can be finished in the shortest period of time, generally about 1 year, is the certificate or diploma program. The next alternative is to attain a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma alternative and generally require 2 years to finish. The benefit of Associate Degrees, in addition to providing a higher credential and more in-depth training, are that they furnish 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 some other national accrediting organization. The NLNAC warrants that the syllabus 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

Attending LPN or LVN schools online is growing into a more in demand way to get instruction and earn a nursing certificate or degree in Cedar Falls IA. Some schools will require attendance on campus for a component of the training, and nearly all programs call for a specific amount of clinical rotation hours completed in a local healthcare facility. But since the rest of the training can be accessed online, this option may be a more accommodating solution to finding the time to attend college for some students. Pertaining to tuition, some online degree programs are less costly than other on campus options. Even supplemental expenses such as for commuting and study materials can be reduced, helping to make education more 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 little time to pursue your academic goals, perhaps an online LPN program will make it easier to fit a degree into your hectic schedule.

Things 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 utilize the following guidelines to start narrowing down your options. As you no doubt are aware, there are many nursing schools and colleges near Cedar Falls IA as well as within Iowa 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 previously discussed, the site of the school along with the cost of tuition are undoubtedly going to be the first two points that you will take into consideration. But as we also stressed, they should not be your sole qualifiers. So prior to making your ultimate decision, use the following questions to evaluate how your pick measures up to the other schools.

• Accreditation. It's a good idea to make sure that the certificate or degree program as well as the school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Besides helping confirm that you obtain a quality education, it may assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are oftentimes not available for non-accredited schools near Cedar Falls IA.
• Licensing Preparation. Licensing prerequisites for LPNs and LVNs are different from state to state. In all states, a passing score is needed on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) in addition to graduation from an accredited school. Some 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 provides an exceptional education, but also preps you to meet the minimum licensing requirements for Iowa or the state where you will be practicing.
• Reputation. Visit internet rating services to see what the evaluations are for each of the LPN or LVN schools you are considering. Ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews too. Also, contact the Iowa school licensing authority to check out if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can speak with some nearby Cedar Falls IA healthcare organizations you're interested in working for after graduation and ask what their opinions 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 displeased with the program and dropped out. It's also important that the schools have high job placement rates. A high rate will not only verify that the school has a superb reputation within the Cedar Falls IA healthcare community, but that it also has the network of contacts to help students attain a position.
• Internship Programs. The best way to obtain experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical setting. Almost all nursing degree programs require a specific number of clinical hours be completed. Many states have minimum clinical hour prerequisites for licensing too. Find out if the schools have associations with local Cedar Falls IA community hospitals, clinics or labs and help with the placing of students in internships.

Find Out More About Training to Be an LPN or LVN in Cedar Falls

Choose the Best Cedar Falls LPN or LVN Program

Selecting the ideal Licensed Practical Nurse school is arguably the most important step to starting a new career in the medical care industry. There are various aspects that you should consider when deciding on a nursing school. These aspects will be prioritized differently depending on your current career goals, lifestyle, and financial situation. As we have highlighted within this content, it is critical that you pick an LPN college and a certificate or degree program that are each accredited and have exceptional reputations within the healthcare community. By utilizing our checklist of qualifying questions, you will be able to develop a shortlist of schools to select from so that you can make your ultimate 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 Cedar Falls Iowa.

 

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