LVN School Northwood NH - LPN and LVN Schools Near You

How to Find the Right LPN School near Northwood New Hampshire

Northwood NH LPN pediatric nurse holding infant There are essentially two scholastic credentials available that provide instruction to become an LPN near Northwood NH. The one that may be completed in the shortest time period, usually about twelve months, is the certificate or diploma course. The other alternative is to attain a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma option and usually require 2 years to finish. The advantage of Associate Degrees, along with offering a higher credential and more comprehensive instruction, are that they furnish more transferable credit toward a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing. No matter the type of credential you pursue, it should be state approved and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or any other national accrediting organization. The NLNAC attests 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?

Northwood NH Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensed Practical Nurses have numerous duties that they carry out in the Northwood NH health facilities where they are employed. As their titles signify, they are required to be licensed in all states, including New Hampshire. Although they may be responsible for managing Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves generally 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 work activities an LPN can and can’t perform. So based on the state, their routine work functions might include:

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

In addition to their job functions being mandated by each state, the medical facilities or other Northwood NH healthcare providers where LPNs work can additionally limit their job roles within those parameters. In addition, they can practice in various specialties of nursing, such as long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

LPN Programs Online

female student attending LPN school online in Northwood NH Enrolling in LPN schools online is becoming a more favored way to get training and earn a nursing certificate or degree in Northwood NH. Certain schools will require attendance on campus for part of the training, and almost all programs call for a certain amount of clinical rotation hours completed in a local healthcare facility. But since the rest of the training can be accessed online, this alternative may be a more practical approach to finding the time to attend school for some students. Regarding tuition, some online degree programs are cheaper than other on campus options. Even additional expenses such as for commuting and study materials can be reduced, helping to make education more easily affordable. And numerous online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. And so if your job and family commitments have left you with very little time to work toward your academic goals, it could be that an online LPN program will make it easier 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 Northwood NH 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 Northwood NH LPN programs Now that 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 pointers to begin narrowing down your choices. As you no doubt are aware, there are a large number of nursing schools and colleges near Northwood NH as well as within New Hampshire and throughout the United States. So it is necessary to decrease the number of schools to choose from to ensure that you will have a manageable list. As we earlier mentioned, the location of the school and the price of tuition are probably going to be the primary two factors that you will consider. But as we also stressed, they should not be your sole qualifiers. So before making your final decision, use the following questions to see how your pick 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 agency. In addition to helping verify that you obtain a quality education, it may assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are oftentimes not provided for non-accredited schools near Northwood NH.
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. 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 enrolled in not only provides an exceptional education, but also preps you to meet the minimum licensing requirements for New Hampshire or the state where you will be working.
Reputation. Visit online rating companies to see what the reviews are for all of the LPN schools you are looking into. Ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews too. In addition, contact the New Hampshire school licensing authority to find out if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can call some nearby Northwood NH 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 schools you are considering 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 dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It’s also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. A high rate will not only verify that the school has a good reputation within the Northwood NH medical community, but that it also has the network of contacts to help students gain a position.
Internship Programs. The most effective way to obtain experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical setting. Almost all nursing degree programs require a specific number of clinical hours be completed. Various states have minimum clinical hour mandates for licensing too. Ask if the schools have a working relationship with local Northwood NH community hospitals, clinics or labs and assist with the positioning of students in internships.

Enrolling in an LPN Program near Northwood NH?

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

Northwood, New Hampshire

First settled in 1763, Northwood was incorporated on February 6, 1773 by Colonial Governor John Wentworth, when a large tract of land called "North Woods" was separated from Nottingham. Around 1800, the Portsmouth to Concord Turnpike was built, and the town began to prosper. Numerous taverns accommodated sledge and stage passengers. At one time,[when?] there were some twelve sawmills in the town, five of which were replaced by shoe factories during the latter half of the 19th century.[citation needed] By 1920, however, the last shoe factory had closed. More recently,[when?] the town has been a popular vacation spot, being home to nine lakes and many antique shops.[citation needed]

Four Northwood districts along Route 4 are considered historic sections of town.[citation needed] They are, from east to west, East Northwood, Northwood Ridge, Northwood Center and Northwood Narrows. The town is home to Coe-Brown Northwood Academy, founded in 1867.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 30.0 square miles (78 km2), of which 28.0 sq mi (73 km2) is land and 2.1 sq mi (5.4 km2) is water, comprising 6.89% of the town. Northwood is well known for its lakes, with both seasonal and year-round residences. The larger lakes and ponds include Bow Lake, which is part of the Piscataqua River drainage basin, and Northwood Lake, Pleasant Lake, Jenness Pond, Harvey Lake, and Long Pond, all of which drain to the Suncook River, a tributary of the Merrimack River. The highest point in Northwood is Saddleback Mountain, at 1,150 feet (350 m) above sea level.

Choose the Right LPN Program near Northwood NH

Northwood NH LPN geriatric nurse with patient Selecting the ideal Licensed Practical Nurse program is probably the most critical first step to starting a new career in the healthcare field. There are a number of factors that you should take into account when deciding on a nursing school. These variables will be prioritized differently depending on your current career goals, obligations, and financial situation. As we have pointed out within this content, it is essential that you enroll in an LPN college 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 School. However, by utilizing our list of qualifying questions, you will be able to develop 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 ambition to succeed, you can become a Licensed Practical Nurse in Northwood NH.