Practical Nursing School Orwigsburg PA - LPN and LVN Schools Near You

How to Pick the Right LPN Training near Orwigsburg Pennsylvania

Orwigsburg PA LPN pediatric nurse holding infant There are principally two scholastic credentials offered that provide education to become an LPN near Orwigsburg PA. The one that may be finished in the shortest period of time, usually about twelve months, is the certificate or diploma program. The 2nd option is to earn a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma alternative and commonly require 2 years to finish. The benefit of Associate Degrees, aside from providing a higher credential and more in-depth training, are that they provide more transferable credit toward a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing. Regardless of the type of credential you seek, it should 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 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?

Orwigsburg PA Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensed Practical Nurses have numerous tasks that they accomplish in the Orwigsburg PA health facilities where they practice. As their titles imply, they are mandated to be licensed in all states, including Pennsylvania. Even though they may be responsible for supervising Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves typically work under the supervision of either an RN or a doctor. The medical facilities where they work are numerous and diverse, for example hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Virtually any place that you can find patients seeking medical assistance 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 everyday job activities may include:

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

In addition to their occupational duties being controlled by each state, the health care facilities or other Orwigsburg PA healthcare providers where LPNs work can additionally limit their job roles within those parameters. In addition, they can practice in different specialties of nursing, for instance long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

LPN Programs Online

female student attending LPN school online in Orwigsburg PA Enrolling in LPN programs online is emerging as a more preferred way to obtain training and earn a nursing certificate or degree in Orwigsburg PA. Certain schools will require attending on campus for part of the training, and almost all programs require a specific number of clinical rotation hours completed in a local healthcare facility. But since the balance of the training may be accessed online, this method may be a more accommodating solution to finding the time to attend school for many students. Pertaining to tuition, some online degree programs are less costly than other on campus alternatives. Even other expenses such as for commuting and study materials may be minimized, helping to make education more affordable. And many online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. So if your job and family responsibilities have left you with little time to work toward your academic goals, it could be that an online LPN school 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 Orwigsburg PA 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 Schools

Questions to ask Orwigsburg PA LPN programs Once you have decided on obtaining your LPN certificate, and if you will attend classes on campus or on the internet, you can utilize the following pointers to start narrowing down your options. As you probably realize, there are a large number of nursing schools and colleges near Orwigsburg PA as well as within Pennsylvania and throughout the United States. So it is essential to decrease the number of schools to choose from to ensure that you will have a workable list. As we already discussed, the location of the school along with the expense of tuition are most likely going to be the primary two points that you will take into consideration. But as we also stressed, they should not be your only qualifiers. So before making your final choice, use the following questions to evaluate how your selection compares to the other programs.

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 agency. In addition to 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 Orwigsburg PA.
Licensing Preparation. Licensing requirements for LPNs are different from state to state. In all states, a passing score is needed on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) as well as graduation from an accredited school. Some states require a certain number of clinical hours be completed, as well as the passing of additional tests. It’s essential that the school you are enrolled in not only provides an outstanding education, but also preps you to comply with the minimum licensing standards for Pennsylvania or the state where you will be practicing.
Reputation. Visit internet rating services to see what the reviews are for all of the LPN schools you are looking into. Ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Additionally, contact the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to find out if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can contact some local Orwigsburg PA 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 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 substantiate that the school has a favorable reputation within the Orwigsburg PA healthcare community, but that it also has the network of contacts to help students obtain a position.
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 certain number of clinical hours be completed. A number of states have minimum clinical hour mandates for licensing too. Check if the schools have a working relationship with local Orwigsburg PA community hospitals, clinics or labs and help with the placing of students in internships.

Enrolling in an LPN Program near Orwigsburg PA?

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

Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania

Orwigsburg is a borough in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. Named for its founder, Peter Orwig, from West Brunswick Township in 1823. The population was 3,061 at the 2013 census. Orwigsburg was the original county seat until the seat was moved to Pottsville in 1851.

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 3,106 people, 1,158 households, and 795 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,419.3 people per square mile (547.6/km²). There were 1,217 housing units at an average density of 556.1 per square mile (214.6/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.71% White, 0.32% African American, 0.03% Native American, 1.09% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.55% of the population.

There were 1,158 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.98.

Choose the Right LPN School near Orwigsburg PA

Orwigsburg PA LPN geriatric nurse with patient Choosing the ideal Licensed Practical Nurse program is perhaps the most important step to launching a new career in the health care industry. There are numerous aspects that you must think about when deciding on a nursing school. These variables will be prioritized differently depending on your current career goals, obligations, and economic situation. As we have stressed within this post, it is critical that you enroll in 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 Practical Nursing School. However, by using our checklist of qualifying questions, you will be able to create a shortlist of schools to select from so that you can make your ultimate selection. And with the right degree and training, combined with your hard work and drive to succeed, you can become a Licensed Practical Nurse in Orwigsburg PA.