West Virginia Archives - Page 4 of 148 - LPN and LVN Schools Near You

How to Pick the Right LPN Program near Tunnelton West Virginia

Tunnelton WV LPN pediatric nurse holding infant There are essentially two scholastic credentials offered that provide instruction to become an LPN near Tunnelton WV. The one that can be concluded in the shortest period of time, usually about 1 year, is the certificate or diploma program. The other option is to attain a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are broader in nature than the diploma alternative and generally require 2 years to complete. The benefit of Associate Degrees, aside from 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 type of credential you seek, it needs to be state approved and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or another national accrediting organization. The NLNAC attests that the syllabus properly prepares students to become Practical Nurses, and that most graduates pass the 50 state required NCLEX-PN licensing exam.

What is an LPN?

Tunnelton WV Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensed Practical Nurses have many different tasks that they complete in the Tunnelton WV health facilities where they work. As their titles indicate, they are required to be licensed in all states, including West Virginia. Even though they may be accountable for supervising Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves generally work under the direction of either an RN or a doctor. The medical care facilities where they work are numerous and diverse, including hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Virtually any place that you can encounter patients in need of medical assistance is their dominion. Each state not only regulates their licensing, but also what functions an LPN can and can’t perform. So depending on the state, their routine job functions may include:

Checking vital signs
Administering medications
Initiating IV drips
Observing patients
Getting blood or urine samples
Maintaining patient records
Helping physicians or Registered nurses with procedures

In addition to their work duties being governed by each state, the healthcare facilities or other Tunnelton WV healthcare providers where LPNs work can further limit their job roles within those parameters. Also, they can work in different specialties of nursing, including long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

Online LPN Programs

female student attending LPN school online in Tunnelton WV Enrolling in LPN programs online is growing into a more popular way to obtain instruction and attain a nursing certificate or degree in Tunnelton WV. Certain schools will require attending on campus for a component of the training, and virtually all programs call for a certain number of clinical rotation hours carried out in a local healthcare facility. But since the rest of the training can be accessed online, this alternative may be a more convenient approach to finding the time to attend classes for some students. Pertaining to tuition, many online degree programs are less expensive than other on campus alternatives. Even supplementary expenses such as for commuting and study materials may be reduced, helping to make education more affordable. And many online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. And so if your job and household responsibilities have left you with very little time to work toward your academic goals, maybe an online LPN school 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 Tunnelton WV 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 Tunnelton WV LPN programs Once you have decided on obtaining your LPN certificate, as well as if you will attend classes on campus or on the web, you can use the following guidelines to begin narrowing down your options. As you probably realize, there are numerous nursing schools and colleges near Tunnelton WV as well as within West Virginia and throughout the United States. So it is important to lower the number of schools to select from to ensure that you will have a workable list. As we already discussed, the location of the school and the expense of tuition are undoubtedly going to be the primary two things that you will consider. But as we also emphasized, they should not be your sole qualifiers. So before making your ultimate choice, use the following questions to see 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 make sure that you obtain a quality education, it may help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools near Tunnelton WV.
Licensing Preparation. Licensing prerequisites for LPNs differ from state to state. In all states, a passing score is required on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) as well as graduation from an accredited school. Certain states require a certain 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 delivers a top-notch education, but also readies you to comply with the minimum licensing requirements for West Virginia 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 considering. Ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews too. Additionally, contact the West Virginia school licensing authority to determine if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can call some nearby Tunnelton WV 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 schools 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 important that the schools have high job placement rates. A high rate will not only substantiate that the school has a good reputation within the Tunnelton WV healthcare community, but that it also has the network of contacts to help students gain employment.
Internship Programs. The best way to obtain experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical environment. Virtually all nursing degree programs require a certain number of clinical hours be completed. Various states have minimum clinical hour mandates for licensing also. Ask if the schools have a working relationship with local Tunnelton WV community hospitals, clinics or labs and help with the placement of students in internships.

Enrolling in an LPN Program near Tunnelton WV?

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

Tunnelton, West Virginia

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 294 people, 110 households, and 74 families residing in the town. The population density was 864.7 inhabitants per square mile (333.9/km2). There were 117 housing units at an average density of 344.1 per square mile (132.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 99.0% White, 0.3% African American, and 0.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population.

There were 110 households of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.7% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.09.

The median age in the town was 38 years. 25.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.9% were from 25 to 44; 24.7% were from 45 to 64; and 12.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.0% male and 52.0% female.

Select the Right LPN Program near Tunnelton WV

Tunnelton WV LPN geriatric nurse with patient Picking the ideal Licensed Practical Nurse program is perhaps the most important step to beginning a new career in the health care field. There are a number of factors that you should take into account when picking a nursing school. These aspects will be prioritized differently contingent on your current career objectives, obligations, and financial situation. As we have emphasized in this article, it is essential that you pick an LPN school and a certificate or degree program that are each accredited and have exceptional reputations within the health care community. You originally decided to visit this website because of an interest in LVN Program Cost. However, by utilizing our checklist of qualifying questions, you will be able to create a short list of schools to select from so that you can make your final selection. And with the proper degree and training, combined with your hard work and drive to succeed, you can become a Licensed Practical Nurse in Tunnelton WV.