Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing Schools
How to Enroll In the Right One Near Beltsville Maryland

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 Beltsville MD that will help guarantee your entrance into the gratifying vocation of nursing. California or Texas residents will instead enroll in an LVN school to train to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse. Other than the titles, there is no difference between an LVN and an LPN. Both work in health care facilities under the supervision of Registered Nurses (RN) or Doctors and perform identical job functions. However, as we will discuss in this article, their daily job functions can vary depending on the state where they are practicing. When beginning their search for schools, many potential nursing students begin with the ones that are the closest to their homes or that are the least costly. But there are other qualifications that a school must have and a selection 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 even more questions that you should ask prospective schools before enrolling in a LPN or LVN training 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 is an LPN or LVN?

Licensed Practical Nurses have many different functions that they carry out in the Beltsville MD health facilities where they are employed. As their titles imply, they are required to be licensed in all states, including Maryland. Although they may be accountable for monitoring Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves normally work under the direction of either an RN or a doctor. The healthcare facilities where they work are numerous and diverse, such as hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Anywhere that you can find patients seeking medical attention is their domain. 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 activities might include:

• • Checking vital signs
  • Administering medications
  • Setting up IV drips
  • Overseeing patients
  • Taking blood or urine samples
  • Maintaining patient records
  • Helping doctors or Registered nurses with procedures

Along with their job duties being controlled by each state, the healthcare facilities or other Beltsville MD healthcare providers where LPNs work can further limit their job roles within those parameters. Also, they can practice in various specialties of nursing, including long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

LPN and LVN Training

There are generally two scholastic credentials available that provide instruction to become an LPN near Beltsville MD. The one that may be completed in the shortest amount of time, normally about 12 months, is the certificate or diploma course. The other option is to obtain a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are broader in nature than the diploma option and usually require 2 years to complete. The benefit of Associate Degrees, aside from supplying a higher credential and more extensive instruction, are that they provide more transferable credit toward a Bachelor's Degree in nursing. No matter the kind 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 core curriculum effectively 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 programs online is becoming a more in demand way to receive instruction and acquire a nursing certificate or degree in Beltsville MD. Some schools will require attending 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 center. But since the remainder of the training may be accessed online, this alternative may be a more convenient approach to finding the free time to attend school for many students. Regarding tuition, a number of online degree programs are cheaper than other on campus options. Even supplementary expenses such as for commuting and study materials can be lessened, helping to make education more economical. And a large number of online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. Therefore if your work and household responsibilities have left you with little time to pursue your academic goals, it could be that an online LPN training program will make it more convenient to fit a degree into your hectic schedule.

Things to Ask LPN and LVN Programs

Once you have decided on obtaining your LPN or LVN certificate or degree, and if you will attend classes on campus or on the web, you can use the following checklist to begin narrowing down your choices. As you no doubt are aware, there are many nursing schools and colleges near Beltsville MD as well as within Maryland and throughout the United States. So it is essential to decrease the number of schools to choose from in order that you will have a workable list. As we already discussed, the site of the school as well as the expense of tuition are probably going to be the first two points that you will consider. But as we also stressed, they should not be your sole qualifiers. So prior to making your ultimate selection, use the following questions to see how your pick compares to the field.

• 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 agency. In addition to helping make sure that you get an excellent education, it may assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are oftentimes not available for non-accredited schools near Beltsville MD.
• Licensing Preparation. Licensing criteria 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) together with graduation from an accredited school. Certain states require a specified number of clinical hours be performed, as well as the passing of additional tests. It's imperative that the school you are enrolled in not only delivers an outstanding education, but also prepares you to meet the minimum licensing standards for Maryland or the state where you will be working.
• Reputation. Visit internet rating services to see what the reviews are for each of the LPN or LVN schools you are considering. Ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews too. Additionally, get in touch with the Maryland school licensing authority to find out if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can call some local Beltsville MD healthcare organizations you're interested in working for after graduation and ask what their judgements 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 complete their programs. A low graduation rate may be an indication that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It's also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. A high rate will not only confirm that the school has a favorable reputation within the Beltsville MD healthcare community, but that it also has the network of relationships to help students obtain a position.
• Internship Programs. The best way to obtain experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical setting. Essentially all nursing degree programs require a certain number of clinical hours be completed. A number of states have minimum clinical hour prerequisites for licensing as well. Ask if the schools have a working relationship with nearby Beltsville MD community hospitals, clinics or labs and help with the placing of students in internships.

Learn More Info About Training to Be an LPN or LVN in Beltsville

Choose the Best Beltsville LPN or LVN Program

Choosing the right Licensed Practical Nurse school is perhaps the most important phase to starting a new career in the health care industry. There are a number of variables that you need to consider when picking a nursing school. These factors will be prioritized differently contingent on your current career objectives, lifestyle, and economic situation. As we have highlighted within this article, it is essential that you enroll in an LPN college and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the healthcare community. By using our checklist of qualifying questions, you will be able to produce a shortlist of schools to pick from so that you can make your final selection. And with the right degree and training, combined with your dedication and drive to succeed, you can become an LPN or LVN in Beltsville Maryland.

 

BELTSVILLE LPN OR LVN PROGRAMS | BELTSVILLE LPN OR LVN SCHOOLS