Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing Colleges
How to Find the Best One Near Silver Spring Maryland

One of the first things that you need to do after making the decision to become a Licensed Practical Nurse is to find and enroll in the right LPN school near Silver Spring MD that will help guarantee your entrance into the gratifying profession of nursing. Texas or California students will instead enroll in an LVN school to train to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse. Apart from the names, there is no difference between an LPN and LVN. They both work in health care facilities under the supervision of Registered Nurses (RN) or Doctors and fulfill the same job duties. But their responsibilities do vary depending on the state they practice in, which we will look at in the following segment. When initiating their search for schools, many future nursing students start with those that are the closest to their houses or that are the 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 various other questions that you should ask prospective schools before enrolling in a LPN or LVN course that we will cover later in this article. But first, let's take a look at the function of an LPN and what is involved in the education and licensing process.

It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your LPN or LVN Career Below

What does an LPN or LVN Do?

Licensed Practical Nurses have a number of duties that they perform in the Silver Spring MD medical facilities where they work. As their titles imply, they are required to be licensed in all states, including Maryland. Although they may be accountable for managing Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves normally work under the supervision of either an RN or a doctor. The medical care facilities where they work are numerous and varied, such as hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Virtually any place that you can encounter patients seeking medical treatment is their dominion. Each state not only controls their licensing, but also what work activities an LPN can and can't perform. So based on the state, their daily job activities can include:

• • Checking vital signs
  • Administering medications
  • Starting IV drips
  • Observing patients
  • Taking blood or urine samples
  • Maintaining patient records
  • Assisting physicians or Registered nurses with procedures

Along with their job responsibilities being controlled by each state, the healthcare facilities or other Silver Spring MD healthcare providers where LPNs work can additionally limit their job duties within those parameters. In addition, they can practice in numerous specialties of nursing, including long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

LPN and LVN Training Programs

There are essentially two academic credentials available that provide education to become an LPN near Silver Spring MD. The one that can be finished in the shortest time frame, typically about 1 year, is the certificate or diploma course. The 2nd choice 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 advantage of Associate Degrees, in addition to supplying a higher credential and more comprehensive instruction, are that they furnish 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 another national accrediting organization. The NLNAC warrants that the course of study effectively prepares students to become Practical Nurses, and that most graduates pass the 50 state required NCLEX-PN licensing exam.

LPN and LVN Online Programs

Attending LPN or LVN programs online is growing into a more favored way to receive instruction and acquire a nursing certificate or degree in Silver Spring MD. Some schools will require attendance on campus for part of the training, and almost all programs require a specific amount of clinical rotation hours conducted in a local healthcare center. But since the rest of the training may be accessed online, this alternative may be a more convenient answer to finding the free time to attend college for many students. Concerning tuition, some online degree programs are less costly than other on campus alternatives. Even supplementary expenses such as for commuting and study materials may be minimized, helping to make education more easily affordable. And a large number of online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. Therefore if your work and family obligations have left you with very little time to work toward your academic goals, maybe an online LPN school will make it more convenient to fit a degree into your busy schedule.

Things 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 checklist to start narrowing down your options. As you no doubt are aware, there are a large number of nursing schools and colleges near Silver Spring MD as well as within Maryland and throughout the United States. So it is necessary to lower the number of schools to choose from in order that you will have a workable list. As we earlier discussed, the site of the school as well as the price of tuition are probably going to be the initial two points that you will consider. But as we also stressed, they should not be your sole qualifiers. So prior to making your final decision, use the following questions to see how your selection measures up 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 acknowledged accrediting agency. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain a premium education, it may assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are oftentimes not provided for non-accredited schools near Silver Spring MD.
• Licensing Preparation. Licensing requirements for LPNs and LVNs differ from state to state. In all states, a passing score is required on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) in addition to 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 a top-notch education, but also prepares you to satisfy the minimum licensing requirements for Maryland or the state where you will be working.
• Reputation. Check internet rating services 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 too. In addition, get in touch with the Maryland school licensing authority to determine if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can call some nearby Silver Spring MD 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 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 confirm that the school has a superb reputation within the Silver Spring MD medical community, but that it also has the network of contacts to help students obtain employment.
• Internship Programs. The most ideal way to get 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. A number of states have minimum clinical hour requirements for licensing also. Ask if the schools have a working relationship with local Silver Spring MD community hospitals, clinics or labs and assist with the placing of students in internships.

Learn More About Learning to Become an LVN or LPN in Silver Spring

Enroll in the Best Silver Spring LPN or LVN Program

Deciding on the right Licensed Practical Nurse program is probably the most important first step to starting a new career in the healthcare industry. There are numerous aspects that you need to take into account when choosing a nursing school. These factors will be prioritized differently depending on your current career goals, lifestyle, and economic situation. As we have pointed out in this article, it is essential that you choose an LPN college and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have outstanding reputations within the healthcare community. By using our checklist of qualifying questions, you will be able to develop a short list 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 Silver Spring Maryland.

 

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