How to Select the Right LPN School near Exeter Missouri
There are principally two scholastic credentials offered that provide training to become an LPN near Exeter MO. The one that may be completed in the shortest time period, normally about 1 year, is the certificate or diploma program. The other alternative is to obtain a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma option and typically require 2 years to complete. The advantage of Associate Degrees, besides offering a higher credential and more extensive training, are that they provide more transferable credit toward a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing. No matter the type of credential you seek, it should be state approved and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or some other national accrediting organization. The NLNAC attests that the core curriculum properly 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?
Licensed Practical Nurses have a number of functions that they accomplish in the Exeter MO health facilities where they practice. As their titles signify, they are required to be licensed in all states, including Missouri. While 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 health care facilities where they work are numerous and assorted, such as hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Anyplace that you can encounter patients seeking medical treatment is their dominion. Every state not only oversees their licensing, but also what duties an LPN can and can’t perform. So based on the state, their daily work activities may include:
- Measuring vital signs
- Providing medications
- Setting up IV drips
- Overseeing patients
- Taking blood or urine samples
- Taking care of patient records
- Supporting doctors or RNs with procedures
Along with their work responsibilities being regulated by each state, the health facilities or other Exeter MO healthcare providers where LPNs work can further limit their job roles within those parameters. Also, they can practice in various specialties of nursing, for instance long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.
Online LPN Programs
Enrolling in LPN schools online is becoming a more preferred way to obtain training and earn a nursing certificate or degree in Exeter MO. Many schools will require attendance on campus for part of the training, and almost all programs call for a specific amount of clinical rotation hours conducted in a local healthcare facility. But since the remainder of the training can be accessed online, this option may be a more practical approach to finding the free time to attend college for some students. Regarding tuition, some online degree programs are cheaper 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 a large number of online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. So if your work and family commitments have left you with little time to work toward your academic goals, it could be that 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 Exeter MO 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.
What to Ask LPN Schools
Now that you have decided on obtaining your LPN certificate, and if you will attend classes on campus or on the web, you can utilize the following pointers to begin narrowing down your choices. As you no doubt realize, there are numerous nursing schools and colleges near Exeter MO as well as within Missouri and throughout the United States. So it is important to reduce the number of schools to select from in order that you will have a workable list. As we already mentioned, the location of the school as well as the expense of tuition are probably going to be the primary two points that you will consider. But as we also emphasized, they should not be your only qualifiers. So prior to making your ultimate decision, use the following questions to see how your selection measures up to the other schools.
- 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. In addition to helping confirm that you get a quality education, it may help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are oftentimes not available for non-accredited schools near Exeter MO.
- 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) in addition to 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 important that the school you are enrolled in not only delivers a top-notch education, but also prepares you to comply with the minimum licensing standards for Missouri or the state where you will be working.
- Reputation. Look at online rating services to see what the assessments are for each of the LPN schools you are looking into. Ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. In addition, check with the Missouri school licensing authority to find out if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can speak with some nearby Exeter MO 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 considering 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 Exeter MO healthcare community, but that it also has the network of contacts to help students obtain employment.
- Internship Programs. The best way to get experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical environment. Almost 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. Find out if the schools have associations with local Exeter MO community hospitals, clinics or labs and help with the positioning of students in internships.
Enrolling in an LPN Program near Exeter MO?
If you are considering enrolling in and attending an LPN school near Exeter MO, you may find the following information both interesting and useful when making your final decision.
Exeter, Missouri
Exeter was platted in 1880.[7] The city was named after Exeter in Devon, England.[8] A post office has been in operation at Exeter since 1880.[9] Exeter is the birthplace of former Major League baseball player, Edward Hawk.
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 772 people, 293 households, and 213 families residing in the city. The population density was 977.2 inhabitants per square mile (377.3/km2). There were 344 housing units at an average density of 435.4 per square mile (168.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.7% White, 0.4% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 1.7% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.1% of the population.
There were 293 households of which 41.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.3% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.05.
Select the Right LPN School near Exeter MO
Selecting the ideal Licensed Practical Nurse school is perhaps the most crucial phase to launching a new career in the medical care industry. There are a number of factors that you need to think about when choosing a nursing school. These factors will be prioritized differently depending on your current career goals, lifestyle, and economic situation. As we have emphasized within this article, it is critical that you enroll in an LPN college 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 LPN Weekend Program. However, by using our checklist 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 proper degree and training, combined with your hard work and drive to succeed, you can become an LPN in Exeter MO.
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