Practical Nursing Degree Southwest Harbor ME

How to Pick the Right LPN Training near Southwest Harbor Maine

Southwest Harbor ME LPN pediatric nurse holding infant There are essentially two scholastic credentials available that provide education to become an LPN near Southwest Harbor ME. The one that can be finished in the shortest time period, normally about twelve months, is the certificate or diploma course. The second option is to obtain 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, along with providing a higher credential and more comprehensive instruction, are that they furnish more transferable credit toward a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing. Regardless of the kind of credential you seek, it needs to be state approved and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or any other national accrediting organization. The NLNAC guarantees that the core curriculum effectively prepares students to become Practical Nurses, and that the majority of graduates pass the 50 state required NCLEX-PN licensing exam.

What is an LPN?

Southwest Harbor ME Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensed Practical Nurses have many duties that they complete in the Southwest Harbor ME healthcare facilities where they work. As their titles imply, they are mandated to be licensed in all states, including Maine. While they may be accountable for monitoring Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves usually work under the direction 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. Anywhere that you can find patients seeking medical assistance is their dominion. Every state not only oversees their licensing, but also what work activities an LPN can and can’t perform. So depending on the state, their day-to-day job functions may include:

Measuring vital signs
Giving medications
Initiating IV drips
Observing patients
Collecting blood or urine samples
Keeping patient records
Supporting physicians or RNs with procedures

Along with their work duties being mandated by each state, the healthcare facilities or other Southwest Harbor ME healthcare providers where LPNs work can additionally limit their job duties within those parameters. In addition, they can work in numerous specialties of nursing, for instance long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

LPN Programs Online

female student attending LPN school online in Southwest Harbor ME Enrolling in LPN schools online is growing into a more preferred way to receive training and attain a nursing certificate or degree in Southwest Harbor ME. Certain schools will require attendance on campus for part of the training, and virtually all programs require a specific amount of clinical rotation hours performed in a local healthcare center. But since the rest of the training can be accessed online, this option may be a more convenient solution to finding the free time to attend classes for many students. Regarding tuition, many online degree programs are cheaper than other on campus choices. Even additional expenses such as for commuting and study materials may be lessened, helping to make education more economical. And a large number of online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. Therefore if your job and household obligations have left you with very little time to pursue your academic goals, perhaps an online LPN school will make it easier to fit a degree into your hectic schedule.

LPN Salary

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) was $45,030 in May 2017. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $32,970, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $61,030. Most licensed practical nurses near Southwest Harbor ME work full time, although about 1 in 5 worked part time in 2016. Many work nights, weekends, and holidays, because medical care takes place at all hours. They may be required to work shifts of longer than 8 hours. Employment of LPNs is projected to grow 12 percent from 2016 to 2026. Job prospects should be favorable for LPNs who are willing to work in rural and medically under served areas.

What to Ask LPN Programs

Questions to ask Southwest Harbor ME LPN programs Once you have decided on obtaining your LPN certificate, and if you will attend classes on campus or on the web, you can use the following checklist to begin narrowing down your choices. As you no doubt are aware, there are numerous nursing schools and colleges near Southwest Harbor ME as well as within Maine and throughout the United States. So it is important to lower the number of schools to choose from to ensure that you will have a workable list. As we earlier pointed out, the location of the school along with the expense of tuition are probably going to be the primary two factors that you will take into consideration. But as we also stressed, they should not be your only qualifiers. So prior to making your ultimate selection, use the following questions to evaluate how your selection measures up to the other programs.

Accreditation. It’s a good idea to make sure that the certificate program along with the school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides helping make sure that you get a quality education, it may assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools near Southwest Harbor ME.
Licensing Preparation. Licensing requirements for LPNs 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. Certain states require a specific number of clinical hours be performed, as well as the passing of additional tests. It’s imperative that the school you are attending not only provides an exceptional education, but also readies you to satisfy the minimum licensing requirements for Maine or the state where you will be working.
Reputation. Visit internet rating services to see what the evaluations are for each of the LPN schools you are looking into. Ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews too. Also, get in touch with the Maine school licensing authority to determine if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can call some nearby Southwest Harbor ME 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 programs 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 essential that the schools have high job placement rates. A high rate will not only verify that the school has a superb reputation within the Southwest Harbor ME healthcare community, but that it also has the network of relationships to assist students obtain a position.
Internship Programs. The most effective way to get experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical environment. Virtually all nursing degree programs require a specified number of clinical hours be completed. Various states have minimum clinical hour requirements for licensing as well. Check if the schools have associations with nearby Southwest Harbor ME community hospitals, clinics or labs and assist with the positioning of students in internships.

Enrolling in an LPN Program near Southwest Harbor ME?

If you are considering enrolling in and attending an LPN school near Southwest Harbor ME, you may find the following information both interesting and useful when making your final decision.

Southwest Harbor, Maine

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 22.69 square miles (58.77 km2), of which 13.51 square miles (34.99 km2) is land and 9.18 square miles (23.78 km2) is water.[1]

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 1,764 people, 835 households, and 483 families residing in the town. The population density was 130.6 inhabitants per square mile (50.4/km2). There were 1,484 housing units at an average density of 109.8 per square mile (42.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.3% White, 0.2% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.

There were 835 households of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.2% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.69.

Select the Right LPN School near Southwest Harbor ME

Southwest Harbor ME LPN geriatric nurse with patient Picking the ideal Licensed Practical Nurse school is probably the most crucial step to beginning a new career in the health care field. There are many aspects that you should consider when selecting a nursing school. These factors will be prioritized differently contingent on your current career objectives, lifestyle, and financial status. As we have pointed out within this content, it is important that you choose an LPN school and a certificate or degree program that are each accredited and have exceptional reputations within the medical community. You originally decided to visit this website because of an interest in Practical Nursing Degree. However, by utilizing our checklist of qualifying questions, you will be able to create a shortlist of schools to select from so that you can make your ultimate selection. And with the right degree and training, combined with your hard work and desire to succeed, you can become an LPN in Southwest Harbor ME.