Licensed Practical Nurse Degree Hartley IA

How to Choose the Right LPN School near Hartley Iowa

Hartley IA LPN pediatric nurse holding infant There are essentially two scholastic credentials offered that provide education to become an LPN near Hartley IA. The one that can be concluded in the shortest time frame, typically about one year, 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 option and normally require 2 years to complete. The benefit of Associate Degrees, besides offering a higher credential and more extensive 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 warrants that the course of study 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?

Hartley IA Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensed Practical Nurses have many duties that they accomplish in the Hartley IA health facilities where they are employed. As their titles indicate, they are mandated to be licensed in all states, including Iowa. Even though they may be responsible for supervising 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 varied, for example hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Anywhere that you can encounter patients seeking medical assistance is their domain. Every state not only controls their licensing, but also what functions an LPN can and can’t perform. So based on the state, their routine job activities can include:

Measuring vital signs
Providing medications
Starting IV drips
Monitoring patients
Taking blood or urine samples
Taking care of patient records
Helping physicians or RNs with procedures

Along with their work duties being mandated by each state, the healthcare facilities or other Hartley IA healthcare providers where LPNs work can further limit their job roles within those parameters. Additionally, they can work in numerous specialties of nursing, for example long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

Online LPN Programs

female student attending LPN school online in Hartley IA Enrolling in LPN schools online is emerging as a more preferred way to receive training and earn a nursing certificate or degree in Hartley IA. Certain schools will require attending on campus for part of the training, and almost all programs require a specified 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 some students. Concerning tuition, many online degree programs are less costly than other on campus options. Even additional expenses such as for commuting and study materials can be lessened, helping to make education more economical. And many online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. And so if your job and family commitments have left you with limited time to pursue your academic goals, it could be that an online LPN training program will make it easier to fit a degree into your busy 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 Hartley IA 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 Hartley IA LPN programs Once 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 guidelines to begin narrowing down your options. As you no doubt realize, there are many nursing schools and colleges near Hartley IA as well as within Iowa and throughout the United States. So it is important to decrease the number of schools to select from so that you will have a manageable list. As we previously mentioned, the location of the school along with the cost of tuition are probably going to be the first two points that you will look at. But as we also emphasized, they should not be your sole qualifiers. So before making your final choice, 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 program along with the school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to helping ensure 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 Hartley IA.
Licensing Preparation. Licensing prerequisites for LPNs are different from state to state. In all states, a passing score is required 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 completed, as well as the passing of additional tests. It’s essential that the school you are attending not only provides an outstanding education, but also readies you to meet the minimum licensing standards for Iowa or the state where you will be practicing.
Reputation. Visit online rating companies to see what the evaluations are for each of the LPN schools you are looking into. Ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. In addition, get in touch with the Iowa school licensing authority to check out if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can contact some local Hartley IA 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 schools you are looking at 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 displeased with the program and dropped out. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. A high rate will not only confirm that the school has a favorable reputation within the Hartley IA healthcare community, but that it also has the network of contacts to help students obtain employment.
Internship Programs. The best way to acquire experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical setting. Essentially all nursing degree programs require a specified number of clinical hours be completed. Many states have minimum clinical hour requirements for licensing too. Ask if the schools have a working relationship with local Hartley IA community hospitals, clinics or labs and help with the positioning of students in internships.

Enrolling in an LPN Program near Hartley IA?

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

Hartley, Iowa

As of the census[8] of 2010, there were 1,672 people, 713 households, and 444 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,290/sq mi (497/km2). There were 789 housing units at an average density of 607 per square mile (239/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.8% White, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 1.7% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. The city has a 4.4% Hispanic or Latino background.

There were 713 households of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.7% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals living alone and 33.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.89.

26.0% were under the age of 20, 4.4% from 20 to 24, 20.2% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.3 males.

Enroll in the Right LPN School near Hartley IA

Hartley IA LPN geriatric nurse with patient Enrolling in the ideal Licensed Practical Nurse program is potentially the most important phase to starting a new career in the healthcare industry. There are numerous variables that you should take into account when deciding on a nursing school. These factors will be prioritized differently depending on your existing career goals, lifestyle, and financial status. As we have emphasized within this content, it is important that you enroll in an LPN college and a certificate or degree program that are each accredited and have outstanding reputations within the medical community. You originally decided to visit this website because of an interest in Licensed Practical Nurse Degree. However, by using our list of qualifying questions, you will be able to develop 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 hard work and desire to succeed, you can become an LPN in Hartley IA.