Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing Schools
How to Pick the Best One Near Halfmoon New York

Now that you have decided on a rewarding career in the field of nursing, it's important that you choose a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) school near Halfmoon NY that will deliver the appropriate education. Texas or California residents will alternatively enroll in an LVN school to learn to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse. There is no difference, except for the names, between an LPN and LVN. They both work in health care facilities supervised by Registered Nurses (RN) or Doctors and fulfill identical job duties. However, as we will cover in this report, their routine job functions can vary depending on the state where they are employed. Many new students start searching for schools that are within commuting distance of their homes and of those lean towards the one that is least expensive. While 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 various other questions that you should ask prospective schools before enrolling in a LPN or LVN training program that we will discuss later in this article. But first, let's have a look at the function 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 many different duties that they complete in the Halfmoon NY healthcare facilities where they are employed. As their titles indicate, they are required to be licensed in all states, including New York. While they may be responsible for managing Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves typically work under the supervision of either an RN or a doctor. The health care facilities where they work are numerous and assorted, for instance hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Anyplace that you can find patients requiring medical treatment is their dominion. Every state not only regulates their licensing, but also what work activities an LPN can and can't perform. So based on the state, their day-to-day work functions can include:

• • Taking vital signs
  • Giving medications
  • Starting IV drips
  • Observing patients
  • Collecting blood or urine samples
  • Managing patient records
  • Supporting doctors or Registered nurses with procedures

In addition to their work responsibilities being governed by each state, the medical facilities or other Halfmoon NY healthcare providers where LPNs work can additionally limit their job duties within those parameters. In addition, they can practice in various specialties of nursing, for instance long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

LVN and LPN Training

There are essentially two academic credentials offered that provide instruction to become an LPN near Halfmoon NY. The one that can be completed in the shortest time period, generally 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 option and usually require 2 years to complete. The advantage of Associate Degrees, besides providing a higher credential and more in-depth instruction, are that they provide more transferable credit toward a Bachelor's Degree in nursing. Regardless of the kind of credential you seek, it should be state approved and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or another national accrediting organization. The NLNAC attests that the syllabus effectively prepares students to become Practical Nurses, and that the majority of graduates pass the 50 state required NCLEX-PN licensing exam.

LPN and LVN Programs Online

Enrolling in LPN or LVN schools online is becoming a more popular way to obtain instruction and acquire a nursing certificate or degree in Halfmoon NY. Certain schools will require attending on campus for a component of the training, and almost all programs call for a specified amount of clinical rotation hours completed in a local healthcare facility. But since the remainder of the training may be accessed online, this alternative may be a more practical solution to finding the time to attend college for many students. Concerning tuition, some online degree programs are less expensive than other on campus alternatives. Even other expenses such as for commuting and study materials can be minimized, helping to make education more economical. And numerous online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. And so if your job and household responsibilities have left you with limited time to work toward your academic goals, it could be that an online LPN school will make it more convenient to fit a degree into your busy schedule.

What to Ask LPN and LVN Programs

Now that 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 guidelines to begin narrowing down your choices. As you probably are aware, there are numerous nursing schools and colleges near Halfmoon NY as well as within New York and throughout the United States. So it is important to reduce the number of schools to choose from in order that you will have a manageable list. As we earlier discussed, the site of the school and the cost of tuition are probably going to be the first two factors that you will look at. But as we also stressed, they should not be your only qualifiers. So before making your ultimate selection, use the following questions to see how your pick measures up to the other programs.

• 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 acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to helping ensure that you receive an excellent education, it may assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often not offered for non-accredited schools near Halfmoon NY.
• 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) together with graduation from an accredited school. Certain states require a specific number of clinical hours be performed, as well as the passing of additional tests. It's important that the school you are attending not only delivers an outstanding education, but also readies you to comply with the minimum licensing standards for New York or the state where you will be practicing.
• Reputation. Visit online rating services to see what the reviews are for all of the LPN or LVN schools you are considering. Ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews too. Additionally, get in touch with the New York school licensing authority to check out if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can speak with some local Halfmoon NY 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 schools you are considering 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 superb reputation within the Halfmoon NY healthcare community, but that it also has the network of contacts to help students obtain a position.
• Internship Programs. The best way to acquire experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical environment. Almost all nursing degree programs require a certain number of clinical hours be completed. Various states have minimum clinical hour prerequisites for licensing too. Ask if the schools have associations with local Halfmoon NY community hospitals, clinics or labs and help with the positioning of students in internships.

Find Out More About Learning to Become an LVN or LPN in Halfmoon

Enroll in the Right Halfmoon LPN or LVN Program

Enrolling in the ideal Licensed Practical Nurse program is arguably the most crucial step to starting a new career in the medical care field. There are various aspects that you should consider when picking a nursing school. These variables will be prioritized differently depending on your current career objectives, obligations, and economic status. As we have stressed in this content, it is essential that you choose an LPN school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have outstanding reputations within the medical community. By utilizing our checklist of qualifying questions, you will be able to create a short list of schools to select from so that you can make your ultimate selection. And with the proper degree and training, combined with your hard work and drive to succeed, you can become an LPN or LVN in Halfmoon New York.

 

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