Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing Courses
How to Select the Best One Near Parkersburg West Virginia

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 college near Parkersburg WV that will help guarantee your entrance into the gratifying vocation of nursing. If you reside in California or Texas, then you will be searching for a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) school instead. There is no distinction, except for the names, between an LPN and LVN. They both carry out the same job functions and work in medical facilities under the supervision of Registered Nurses (RN) or Doctors. But their duties do fluctuate depending on the state they practice in, which we will cover in the following section. Many nursing candidates start looking for schools that are close to their homes and of those target the one that has the lowest tuition. But there are other credentials that a school should have and a selection should not be made based on location and cost alone. For example are the schools accredited or do they have high pass rates on the licensing exam, which are both very important as well. There are various other questions that you should ask potential schools before enrolling in a LPN or LVN course that we will talk about later in this article. But first, let's have 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

LPN and LVN Job Description

Licensed Practical Nurses have many duties that they carry out in the Parkersburg WV medical facilities where they practice. As their titles signify, they are required to be licensed in all states, including West Virginia. Although they may be accountable for supervising Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves normally work under the oversight of either an RN or a doctor. The medical care facilities where they work are numerous and assorted, for instance hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Anyplace that you can encounter patients in need of medical care is their dominion. Each state not only controls their licensing, but also what work activities an LPN can and can't perform. So depending on the state, their routine job functions may include:

• • Measuring vital signs
  • Providing medications
  • Setting up IV drips
  • Monitoring patients
  • Collecting blood or urine samples
  • Managing patient records
  • Helping physicians or RNs with procedures

In addition to their work responsibilities being regulated by each state, the health care facilities or other Parkersburg WV healthcare providers where LPNs work can further limit their job roles within those parameters. Also, they can practice in numerous specialties of nursing, for instance long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

LVN and LPN Training Programs

There are essentially two academic credentials offered that provide instruction to become an LPN near Parkersburg WV. The one that may be concluded in the shortest amount of time, usually about 12 months, is the certificate or diploma program. The next alternative is to obtain a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma option and typically require 2 years to finish. The benefit 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 type of credential you pursue, it should be state approved and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or another national accrediting organization. The NLNAC warrants that the syllabus adequately 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

Attending LPN or LVN schools online is growing into a more in demand way to get instruction and acquire a nursing certificate or degree in Parkersburg WV. Some schools will require attendance on campus for part of the training, and almost all programs call for a certain amount of clinical rotation hours performed in a local healthcare facility. But since the rest of the training can be accessed online, this alternative may be a more accommodating answer to finding the free time to attend classes for some students. Concerning tuition, some online degree programs are cheaper than other on campus alternatives. Even supplementary expenses such as for commuting and study materials may be reduced, 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 job and household responsibilities have left you with limited time to pursue your academic goals, perhaps an online LPN program will make it more convenient to fit a degree into your active 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 utilize the following guidelines to start narrowing down your options. As you undoubtedly are aware, there are a large number of nursing schools and colleges near Parkersburg WV as well as within West Virginia and throughout the United States. So it is necessary to lower the number of schools to select from so that you will have a workable list. As we already mentioned, the site of the school and the expense of tuition are probably going to be the first two things that you will consider. But as we also emphasized, they should not be your only qualifiers. So before making your final selection, use the following questions to evaluate how your selection compares to the other schools.

• 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 agency. Aside from helping make sure that you obtain a premium education, it may assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools near Parkersburg WV.
• Licensing Preparation. Licensing requirements 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) together with graduation from an accredited school. Certain 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 enrolled in not only provides a top-notch education, but also readies you to satisfy the minimum licensing requirements for West Virginia or the state where you will be working.
• Reputation. Check internet rating companies to see what the evaluations are for all of the LPN or LVN schools you are looking into. Ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Additionally, check with the West Virginia school licensing authority to check out if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can contact some nearby Parkersburg WV 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 programs you are looking at 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 important that the schools have high job placement rates. A high rate will not only substantiate that the school has a superb reputation within the Parkersburg WV medical community, but that it also has the network of relationships to help students gain employment.
• Internship Programs. The most ideal way to acquire experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical environment. Essentially all nursing degree programs require a specified number of clinical hours be completed. Various states have minimum clinical hour requirements for licensing also. Ask if the schools have a working relationship with local Parkersburg WV community hospitals, clinics or labs and help with the placing of students in internships.

Learn More About Training to Be an LPN or LVN in Parkersburg

Choose the Right Parkersburg LPN or LVN School

Choosing the right Licensed Practical Nurse school is probably the most critical step to beginning a new career in the healthcare industry. There are numerous aspects that you should think about when choosing a nursing school. These variables will be prioritized differently contingent on your current career goals, lifestyle, and financial situation. As we have emphasized within this article, it is important that you pick an LPN college and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have outstanding reputations within the healthcare community. By utilizing our list of qualifying questions, you will be able to create a shortlist of schools to choose from so that you can make your final selection. And with the appropriate degree and training, combined with your dedication and ambition to succeed, you can become a Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse in Parkersburg West Virginia.

 

PARKERSBURG LPN OR LVN COURSES NEAR ME | PARKERSBURG LPN OR LVN TRAINING NEAR ME