How Many Years to Become an LPN Guilford ME

How to Find the Right LPN School near Guilford Maine

Guilford ME LPN pediatric nurse holding infant There are principally two academic credentials offered that provide instruction to become an LPN near Guilford ME. The one that may be completed in the shortest time frame, typically about twelve months, is the certificate or diploma course. The other alternative is to obtain a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma alternative and generally require 2 years to finish. The advantage of Associate Degrees, in addition to providing a higher credential and more comprehensive instruction, are that they provide 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 guarantees that the core curriculum properly prepares students to become Practical Nurses, and that most graduates pass the 50 state required NCLEX-PN licensing exam.

What is an LPN?

Guilford ME Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensed Practical Nurses have many tasks that they complete in the Guilford ME health facilities where they practice. As their titles indicate, they are required to be licensed in all states, including Maine. While they may be accountable for monitoring Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves normally work under the direction of either an RN or a doctor. The medical facilities where they work are numerous and diverse, including hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Anywhere that you can encounter patients in need of medical attention is their domain. Every state not only regulates their licensing, but also what work activities an LPN can and can’t perform. So depending on the state, their day-to-day work activities may include:

Checking vital signs
Giving medications
Starting IV drips
Observing patients
Collecting blood or urine samples
Maintaining patient records
Supporting doctors or RNs with procedures

Along with their occupational functions being mandated by each state, the health care facilities or other Guilford 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 example long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

LPN Programs Online

female student attending LPN school online in Guilford ME Attending LPN schools online is emerging as a more popular way to obtain instruction and attain a nursing certificate or degree in Guilford ME. Many schools will require attending on campus for part of the training, and nearly all programs call for a specific amount of clinical rotation hours completed in a local healthcare facility. 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 school for many students. Regarding tuition, many online degree programs are less costly than other on campus alternatives. Even supplemental expenses such as for commuting and study materials can be minimized, helping to make education more easily affordable. And many online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. And so if your work and family obligations have left you with very little time to work toward your academic goals, perhaps 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 Guilford 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.

Questions to Ask LPN Programs

Questions to ask Guilford ME 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 start narrowing down your options. As you undoubtedly are aware, there are a large number of nursing schools and colleges near Guilford ME as well as within Maine and throughout the United States. So it is necessary to lower the number of schools to select from to ensure that you will have a workable list. As we previously mentioned, the location of the school as well as the price of tuition are most likely going to be the primary two factors that you will consider. But as we also stressed, they should not be your sole qualifiers. So prior to making your final choice, use the following questions to evaluate 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. Aside from helping ensure that you receive an excellent education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are oftentimes not offered for non-accredited schools near Guilford ME.
Licensing Preparation. Licensing criteria for LPNs vary 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. Certain states require a specific 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 provides an outstanding education, but also readies you to satisfy the minimum licensing standards for Maine or the state where you will be practicing.
Reputation. Look at internet rating companies to see what the reviews are for all of the LPN schools you are considering. Ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Additionally, get in touch with the Maine school licensing authority to find out if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can call some local Guilford ME 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 complete their programs. A low graduation rate may be an indication that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. A high rate will not only verify that the school has a favorable reputation within the Guilford ME healthcare community, but that it also has the network of relationships to assist students attain a position.
Internship Programs. The best way to get experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical setting. Virtually all nursing degree programs require a specific number of clinical hours be completed. A number of states have minimum clinical hour requirements for licensing too. Ask if the schools have associations with nearby Guilford ME community hospitals, clinics or labs and help with the placing of students in internships.

Enrolling in an LPN Program near Guilford ME?

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

Guilford, Maine

In 1803, Rev. Robert Low and Deacon Robert Herring of New Gloucester purchased several thousand acres in the area from Bowdoin College. The town itself was first settled on February 18, 1806. On October 8, 1812, a warrant was issued for the tract to be designated a "plantation," which became effective on November 11, 1806. The town was officially incorporated by the governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on February 8, 1816. It was named after Moses Guilford Low, the first white child born here.[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 35.71 square miles (92.49 km2), of which, 34.88 square miles (90.34 km2) of it is land and 0.83 square miles (2.15 km2) is water.[1]

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 1,521 people, 693 households, and 426 families residing in the town. The population density was 43.6 inhabitants per square mile (16.8/km2). There were 882 housing units at an average density of 25.3 per square mile (9.8/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.9% White, 0.1% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population.

Pick the Right LPN School near Guilford ME

Guilford ME LPN geriatric nurse with patient Selecting the right Licensed Practical Nurse school is probably the most important step to launching a new career in the healthcare field. There are various aspects that you should consider when selecting a nursing school. These variables will be prioritized differently contingent on your current career objectives, obligations, and financial situation. 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 excellent reputations within the healthcare community. You originally decided to visit this website because of an interest in How Many Years to Become an LPN. However, by utilizing our checklist of qualifying questions, you will be able to create a short list of schools to pick from so that you can make your final selection. And with the proper degree and training, combined with your dedication and desire to succeed, you can become a Licensed Practical Nurse in Guilford ME.