Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing Colleges
How to Find the Best One Near Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

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 Pittsburgh PA that will help you enter the rewarding profession of nursing. Texas or California students will instead enroll in an LVN school to train to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse. Other than the names, there is no difference between an LVN and an LPN. Both work in health care facilities supervised by Physicians and Registered Nurses and perform identical job functions. However, as we will discuss in this article, their daily job activities can vary depending on the state where they are practicing. Many new students start searching for schools that are close to their homes and of those target the one that is least expensive. Although tuition and location are important points to consider, they are not the only qualifications that you should base your selection 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 additional questions that you should ask potential schools before enrolling in a LPN or LVN training program that we will discuss 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 instruction 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 many tasks that they carry out in the Pittsburgh PA healthcare facilities where they practice. As their titles indicate, they are required to be licensed in all states, including Pennsylvania. Even though they may be accountable for managing Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves normally work under the oversight of either an RN or a doctor. The healthcare facilities where they work are numerous and varied, for instance hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Anywhere that you can find patients requiring medical assistance is their domain. Every state not only regulates their licensing, but also what functions an LPN can and can't perform. So based on the state, their daily work functions may include:

• • Checking vital signs
  • Giving medications
  • Setting up IV drips
  • Overseeing patients
  • Taking blood or urine samples
  • Maintaining patient records
  • Assisting physicians or RNs with procedures

In addition to their occupational functions being regulated by each state, the medical facilities or other Pittsburgh PA healthcare providers where LPNs work can further limit their job roles within those parameters. Additionally, they can practice in different specialties of nursing, for example long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

LVN and LPN Degree and Certificate Programs

There are generally two scholastic credentials offered that provide training to become an LPN near Pittsburgh PA. The one that can be completed in the shortest time period, usually about twelve months, is the certificate or diploma program. The second option is to earn 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 benefit of Associate Degrees, along with providing a higher credential and more comprehensive instruction, are that they furnish more transferable credit toward a Bachelor's Degree in nursing. No matter the type 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 attests that the syllabus effectively prepares students to become Practical Nurses, and that most graduates pass the 50 state required NCLEX-PN licensing exam.

Online LPN and LVN Programs

Enrolling in LPN or LVN schools online is growing into a more preferred way to receive training and earn a nursing certificate or degree in Pittsburgh PA. Certain schools will require attending on campus for a component of the training, and nearly all programs call for a specified amount of clinical rotation hours conducted in a local healthcare facility. But since the remainder of the training can be accessed online, this option may be a more accommodating approach to finding the time to attend college for some students. Pertaining to tuition, some online degree programs are cheaper than other on campus alternatives. Even additional expenses such as for commuting and study materials may be lessened, 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 household commitments have left you with limited time to work toward your academic goals, maybe an online LPN school will make it easier to fit a degree into your busy schedule.

Questions 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 online, you can use the following guidelines to start narrowing down your options. As you no doubt realize, there are numerous nursing schools and colleges near Pittsburgh PA as well as within Pennsylvania and throughout the United States. So it is essential to reduce the number of schools to choose from in order that you will have a manageable list. As we earlier mentioned, the site of the school along with the cost of tuition are most likely going to be the primary two points that you will look at. But as we also emphasized, they should not be your sole qualifiers. So prior to making your final decision, use the following questions to evaluate how your pick measures up 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 acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to helping verify that you obtain a premium education, it may help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools near Pittsburgh PA.
• 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) in addition to graduation from an accredited school. Some states require a specified number of clinical hours be completed, as well as the passing of additional tests. It's imperative that the school you are attending not only delivers a top-notch education, but also prepares you to satisfy the minimum licensing standards for Pennsylvania or the state where you will be working.
• Reputation. Look at online rating companies to see what the assessments are for each of the LPN or LVN schools you are looking into. Ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Also, contact the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to find out if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can contact some local Pittsburgh PA 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 imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. A high rate will not only verify that the school has a favorable reputation within the Pittsburgh PA healthcare community, but that it also has the network of contacts to assist students obtain employment.
• Internship Programs. The best way to obtain 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. Various states have minimum clinical hour mandates for licensing as well. Find out if the schools have a working relationship with local Pittsburgh PA community hospitals, clinics or labs and help with the positioning of students in internships.

Learn More Info About Becoming an LVN or LPN in Pittsburgh

Enroll in the Best Pittsburgh LPN or LVN School

Picking the right Licensed Practical Nurse school is arguably the most important phase to launching a new career in the healthcare field. There are a number of aspects that you should consider when selecting a nursing school. These factors will be prioritized differently contingent on your current career objectives, obligations, and economic status. As we have emphasized within this article, it is essential that you choose an LPN school and a certificate or degree program that are each accredited and have excellent reputations within the medical community. By using our checklist of qualifying questions, you will be able to produce a short list of schools to choose from so that you can make your final selection. And with the proper degree and training, combined with your dedication and drive to succeed, you can become an LPN or LVN in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.

 

PITTSBURGH LPN OR LVN TRAINING NEAR ME | PITTSBURGH LPN OR LVN PROGRAMS NEAR ME