Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing Colleges
How to Choose the Best One Near Knoxville Tennessee

One of the first things that you need to do after making the decision to become a Licensed Practical Nurse is to locate and enroll in the right LPN college near Knoxville TN that will help you enter the rewarding field of nursing. California or Texas students will instead enroll in an LVN school to learn to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse. There is no distinction, other than the names, between an LPN and LVN. 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 routine job functions can vary based on the state where they are employed. When starting their search for schools, many potential nursing students start with the ones that are the closest to their homes or that are the least costly. Although price and location are significant considerations, they are not the only qualifications 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 potential schools before enrolling in a LPN or LVN training program that we will cover later in this article. But to start with, let's look at the function of an LPN and what is involved in the instruction and licensing process.

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LPN and LVN Job Description

Licensed Practical Nurses have many functions that they carry out in the Knoxville TN health care facilities where they are employed. As their titles imply, they are mandated to be licensed in all states, including Tennessee. Even though they may be responsible for supervising Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves generally work under the direction of either an RN or a doctor. The medical facilities where they work are numerous and assorted, such as hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Anywhere that you can encounter patients requiring medical care is their dominion. Each state not only controls their licensing, but also what functions an LPN can and can't perform. So based on the state, their daily work activities might include:

• • Taking vital signs
  • Giving medications
  • Initiating IV drips
  • Monitoring patients
  • Taking blood or urine samples
  • Taking care of patient records
  • Helping physicians or Registered nurses with procedures

Along with their work duties being mandated by each state, the medical facilities or other Knoxville TN healthcare providers where LPNs work can further limit their job duties within those parameters. In addition, they can practice in different specialties of nursing, which include long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

LVN and LPN Training Programs

There are essentially two academic credentials available that provide training to become an LPN near Knoxville TN. The one that can be completed in the shortest time frame, commonly about twelve months, is the certificate or diploma course. The 2nd option is to earn a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma alternative and typically require 2 years to complete. The advantage of Associate Degrees, in addition to offering a higher credential and more in-depth instruction, are that they furnish more transferable credit toward a Bachelor's Degree in nursing. Regardless of 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 attests that the course of study properly prepares students to become Practical Nurses, and that the majority of graduates pass the 50 state required NCLEX-PN licensing exam.

LPN and LVN Online Programs

Attending LPN or LVN schools online is emerging as a more favored way to get instruction and earn a nursing certificate or degree in Knoxville TN. Certain schools will require attending on campus for part of the training, and almost all programs call for a specified number of clinical rotation hours completed in a local healthcare facility. But since the remainder of the training may be accessed online, this method may be a more convenient answer to finding the time to attend college for some students. Regarding tuition, some online degree programs are cheaper than other on campus options. Even supplementary expenses such as for commuting and study materials can be reduced, helping to make education more easily affordable. And numerous online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. And so if your job and household obligations have left you with limited time to pursue your academic goals, maybe 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 online, you can use the following checklist to begin narrowing down your choices. As you probably realize, there are many nursing schools and colleges near Knoxville TN as well as within Tennessee and throughout the United States. So it is essential to decrease the number of schools to choose from so that you will have a manageable list. As we earlier pointed out, the location of the school as well as the cost of tuition are most likely 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 prior to making your ultimate choice, 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 along with the school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Besides helping verify that you get a premium education, it may assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not offered for non-accredited schools near Knoxville TN.
• Licensing Preparation. Licensing criteria for LPNs and LVNs are different 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 specified number of clinical hours be performed, as well as the passing of additional tests. It's important that the school you are enrolled in not only provides a top-notch education, but also prepares you to meet the minimum licensing requirements for Tennessee or the state where you will be practicing.
• Reputation. Look at internet rating companies to see what the assessments are for each of the LPN or LVN schools you are considering. Ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Also, contact the Tennessee school licensing authority to check out if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can call some nearby Knoxville TN 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 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 displeased 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 good reputation within the Knoxville TN healthcare community, but that it also has the network of relationships to help students gain a position.
• Internship Programs. The most effective way to acquire 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 mandates for licensing too. Check if the schools have associations with nearby Knoxville TN community hospitals, clinics or labs and assist with the placing of students in internships.

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

Choose the Right Knoxville LPN or LVN School

Enrolling in the right Licensed Practical Nurse school is potentially the most important phase to starting a new career in the medical care industry. There are many factors that you need to consider when picking a nursing school. These aspects will be prioritized differently contingent on your existing career objectives, lifestyle, and economic status. As we have pointed out within this content, it is critical that you select an LPN college and a certificate or degree program that are each accredited and have excellent reputations within the medical community. By utilizing our list of qualifying questions, you will be able to develop a short list of schools to choose from so that you can make your ultimate selection. And with the right degree and training, combined with your dedication and drive to succeed, you can become an LPN or LVN in Knoxville Tennessee.

 

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