Licensed Practical Nurse Education South Elgin IL

How to Pick the Right LPN School near South Elgin Illinois

South Elgin IL LPN pediatric nurse holding infant There are basically two academic credentials offered that provide instruction to become an LPN near South Elgin IL. The one that can be concluded in the shortest amount of time, commonly about one year, is the certificate or diploma program. The 2nd choice is to earn 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 advantage of Associate Degrees, along with supplying a higher credential and more extensive training, 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 any other 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.

What is an LPN?

South Elgin IL Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensed Practical Nurses have a number of tasks that they perform in the South Elgin IL healthcare facilities where they work. As their titles imply, they are required to be licensed in all states, including Illinois. Although they may be accountable for monitoring 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 example hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Virtually any place that you can encounter patients seeking medical care is their domain. Every state not only regulates their licensing, but also what duties an LPN can and can’t perform. So depending on the state, their daily job functions might include:

Taking vital signs
Providing medicines
Initiating IV drips
Overseeing patients
Taking blood or urine samples
Keeping patient records
Assisting doctors or RNs with procedures

In addition to their job duties being mandated by each state, the medical facilities or other South Elgin IL healthcare providers where LPNs work can additionally limit their job roles within those parameters. In addition, they can practice in numerous specialties of nursing, including long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

Online LPN Programs

female student attending LPN school online in South Elgin IL Enrolling in LPN schools online is emerging as a more preferred way to get training and acquire a nursing certificate or degree in South Elgin IL. Many schools will require attendance on campus for part of the training, and almost all programs require a certain number of clinical rotation hours performed in a local healthcare facility. But since the remainder of the training can be accessed online, this alternative may be a more accommodating approach to finding the free time to attend college for many students. Pertaining to tuition, a number of online degree programs are less expensive than other on campus choices. Even other expenses such as for commuting and study materials can be lessened, helping to make education more easily affordable. And many online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. So if your work and household commitments have left you with very little time to pursue your academic goals, maybe an online LPN training program will make it more convenient to fit a degree into your active 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 South Elgin 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 South Elgin IL LPN programs Now that you have decided on obtaining your LPN certificate, as well as if you will attend classes on campus or online, you can use the following pointers to start narrowing down your choices. As you undoubtedly are aware, there are a large number of nursing schools and colleges near South Elgin IL as well as within Illinois and throughout the United States. So it is necessary to lower the number of schools to choose from to ensure that you will have a manageable list. As we previously discussed, the site of the school and the price of tuition are probably going to be the initial 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 choice, use the following questions to see how your selection measures up to the other programs.

Accreditation. It’s a good idea to make sure that the certificate program as well as 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 acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools near South Elgin IL.
Licensing Preparation. Licensing requirements for LPNs differ from state to state. In all states, a passing score is needed on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) as well as graduation from an accredited school. Some states require a certain number of clinical hours be performed, as well as the passing of additional tests. It’s important that the school you are attending not only delivers an outstanding 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 services to see what the assessments are for each of the LPN schools you are looking into. Ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Also, get in touch with the Illinois school licensing authority to determine if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can call some nearby South Elgin IL healthcare organizations you’re interested in working for after graduation and ask what their opinions 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 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 substantiate that the school has a favorable reputation within the South Elgin IL healthcare community, but that it also has the network of contacts to help students obtain a position.
Internship Programs. The most ideal way to acquire 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. A number of states have minimum clinical hour requirements for licensing too. Find out if the schools have associations with nearby South Elgin IL community hospitals, clinics or labs and assist with the placing of students in internships.

Enrolling in an LPN Program near South Elgin IL?

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

South Elgin, Illinois

South Elgin is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. The population was 21,985 at the 2010 census, and estimated to be 23,000 as of 2017. In 2007, Money magazine named South Elgin as 82nd of 100 entries in its "America's Best Places To Live" edition and again in 2011 as 98th of 100 entries.

South Elgin is located at 41°59′32″N 88°18′28″W / 41.99222°N 88.30778°W / 41.99222; -88.30778 (41.992283, -88.307858),[4] in the pleasant Fox River Valley. Once populated by Native Indians, South Elgin has done well in preserving this land's history. According to the 2010 census, South Elgin has a total area of 7.157 square miles (18.54 km2), of which 6.99 square miles (18.10 km2) (or 97.67%) is land and 0.167 square miles (0.43 km2) (or 2.33%) is water.[5]

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 16,100 people, 5,565 households, and 4,307 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,560.5 people per square mile (988.3/km²). There were 5,657 housing units at an average density of 899.7 per square mile (347.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 86.02% White, 2.58% African American, 0.17% Native American, 5.47% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 3.88% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.34% of the population.

Choose the Right LPN Program near South Elgin IL

South Elgin IL LPN geriatric nurse with patient Selecting the right Licensed Practical Nurse school is potentially the most important first step to starting a new career in the medical care field. There are a number of factors that you need to think about when deciding on a nursing school. These aspects will be prioritized differently depending on your current career objectives, obligations, and financial situation. As we have emphasized within this article, it is critical that you enroll in 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 Licensed Practical Nurse Education. However, 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 appropriate degree and training, combined with your hard work and desire to succeed, you can become a Licensed Practical Nurse in South Elgin IL.