LPN Education and Training Oakwood IL

How to Find the Right LPN School near Oakwood Illinois

Oakwood IL LPN pediatric nurse holding infant There are generally two scholastic credentials available that provide education to become an LPN near Oakwood IL. The one that can be concluded in the shortest time period, normally about one year, is the certificate or diploma course. The other option is to attain a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma option and normally require 2 years to finish. The benefit of Associate Degrees, in addition to providing a higher credential and more extensive instruction, are that they furnish more transferable credit toward a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing. Regardless of the type 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 guarantees that the course of study adequately prepares students to become Practical Nurses, and that most graduates pass the 50 state required NCLEX-PN licensing exam.

What is an LPN?

Oakwood IL Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensed Practical Nurses have many different tasks that they accomplish in the Oakwood IL medical facilities where they are employed. As their titles signify, they are required to be licensed in all states, including Illinois. Although they may be accountable for overseeing Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves generally 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 find patients in need of medical assistance is their dominion. Every state not only controls their licensing, but also what duties an LPN can and can’t perform. So based on the state, their routine work activities may include:

Taking vital signs
Giving medicines
Starting IV drips
Observing patients
Getting blood or urine samples
Managing patient records
Helping doctors or Registered nurses with procedures

Along with their job functions being controlled by each state, the health facilities or other Oakwood IL healthcare providers where LPNs work can further limit their job duties within those parameters. In addition, they can practice in different specialties of nursing, for example long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

LPN Programs Online

female student attending LPN school online in Oakwood IL Enrolling in LPN programs online is growing into a more preferred way to obtain training and earn a nursing certificate or degree in Oakwood IL. Some schools will require attending on campus for part of the training, and almost all programs require a certain amount of clinical rotation hours completed in a local healthcare facility. But since the rest of the training may be accessed online, this alternative may be a more practical approach to finding the time to attend classes for some students. Regarding tuition, some online degree programs are less costly than other on campus options. Even additional expenses such as for commuting and study materials can be reduced, helping to make education more affordable. And many online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. So if your job and household responsibilities have left you with little time to pursue your academic goals, maybe an online LPN program 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 Oakwood IL 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.

Things to Ask LPN Schools

Questions to ask Oakwood IL 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 start narrowing down your options. As you no doubt realize, there are many nursing schools and colleges near Oakwood IL as well as within Illinois and throughout the United States. So it is necessary to lower the number of schools to select from in order that you will have a manageable list. As we previously pointed out, the location of the school and the price of tuition are probably going to be the initial two things 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 see how your selection measures up to the field.

Accreditation. It’s a good idea to make sure that the certificate program in addition to the school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides helping confirm that you get a quality education, it may help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not provided for non-accredited schools near Oakwood IL.
Licensing Preparation. Licensing prerequisites for LPNs differ from state to state. In all states, a passing score is needed on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) along with graduation from an accredited school. Some 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 preps you to comply with the minimum licensing requirements for Illinois or the state where you will be working.
Reputation. Look at internet rating companies to see what the assessments are for all of the LPN schools you are looking into. Ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews too. Additionally, get in touch with the Illinois school licensing authority to check out if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can call some local Oakwood IL 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 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 dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It’s also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. A high rate will not only substantiate that the school has a favorable reputation within the Oakwood IL medical community, but that it also has the network of relationships to assist students gain a position.
Internship Programs. The best way to obtain experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical setting. Virtually all nursing degree programs require a certain number of clinical hours be completed. Many states have minimum clinical hour mandates for licensing too. Check if the schools have a working relationship with nearby Oakwood IL community hospitals, clinics or labs and assist with the placing of students in internships.

Enrolling in an LPN Program near Oakwood IL?

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

Oakwood, Illinois

Oakwood is a village in Oakwood Township, Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,502 at the 2000 census, and 1,427 in 2009.

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 1,502 people, 621 households, and 435 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,669.8 people per square mile (644.4/km²). There were 639 housing units at an average density of 710.4 per square mile (274.1/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 99.33% White, 0.13% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.07% Asian, and 0.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.53% of the population.

There were 621 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.87.

Select the Right LPN School near Oakwood IL

Oakwood IL LPN geriatric nurse with patient Enrolling in the right Licensed Practical Nurse program is probably the most important phase to launching a new career in the healthcare industry. There are a number of aspects that you should take into account when deciding on a nursing school. These aspects will be prioritized differently contingent on your current career goals, lifestyle, and economic situation. As we have stressed within this post, it is important that you choose an LPN college and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have exceptional reputations within the medical community. You originally decided to visit this website because of an interest in LPN Education and Training. However, by utilizing our checklist of qualifying questions, you will be able to produce a shortlist 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 desire to succeed, you can become an LPN in Oakwood IL.