LVN Courses Gladewater TX - LPN and LVN Schools Near You

How to Select the Right LPN School near Gladewater Texas

Gladewater TX LPN pediatric nurse holding infant There are basically two scholastic credentials offered that provide education to become an LPN near Gladewater TX. The one that can be finished in the shortest time frame, commonly about one year, is the certificate or diploma course. The next choice is to attain a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma alternative and typically require 2 years to complete. The benefit of Associate Degrees, in addition to offering a higher credential and more in-depth instruction, are that they provide more transferable credit toward a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing. No matter 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 effectively 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?

Gladewater TX Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensed Practical Nurses have a number of duties that they carry out in the Gladewater TX health facilities where they work. As their titles signify, they are mandated to be licensed in all states, including Texas. While they may be accountable for monitoring Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves typically work under the oversight of either an RN or a doctor. The health care facilities where they work are numerous and assorted, including hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Virtually any place that you can find patients seeking medical care is their domain. Every state not only oversees their licensing, but also what functions an LPN can and can’t perform. So based on the state, their day-to-day work activities may include:

Checking vital signs
Providing medicines
Setting up IV drips
Monitoring patients
Taking blood or urine samples
Taking care of patient records
Assisting doctors or RNs with procedures

Along with their occupational responsibilities being governed by each state, the health care facilities or other Gladewater TX healthcare providers where LPNs work can additionally limit their job duties within those parameters. Also, they can work in various specialties of nursing, such as long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

Online LPN Programs

female student attending LPN school online in Gladewater TX Enrolling in LPN programs online is becoming a more in demand way to obtain training and acquire a nursing certificate or degree in Gladewater TX. Certain schools will require attending on campus for a component of the training, and almost all programs require a specified amount of clinical rotation hours conducted in a local healthcare facility. But since the remainder of the training may be accessed online, this method may be a more practical approach to finding the time to attend classes for many students. Pertaining to tuition, some online degree programs are less expensive than other on campus alternatives. Even additional expenses such as for commuting and study materials may be reduced, helping to make education more economical. And a large number of online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. Therefore if your job and household obligations have left you with limited time to pursue your academic goals, maybe an online LPN school will make it easier to fit a degree into your hectic 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 Gladewater TX 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 Gladewater TX 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 internet, you can use the following checklist to begin narrowing down your choices. As you no doubt realize, there are many nursing schools and colleges near Gladewater TX as well as within Texas and throughout the United States. So it is necessary to reduce the number of schools to choose from in order that you will have a manageable list. As we already discussed, the location of the school and the expense of tuition are most likely going to be the primary two factors that you will look at. But as we also emphasized, they should not be your sole qualifiers. So prior to making your final decision, use the following questions to evaluate how your pick compares to the field.

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. Aside from helping make sure that you receive a quality education, it may help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are oftentimes not available for non-accredited schools near Gladewater TX.
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) 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 essential that the school you are attending not only delivers an outstanding education, but also prepares you to meet the minimum licensing standards for Texas or the state where you will be working.
Reputation. Visit internet rating services to see what the evaluations are for all of the LPN schools you are considering. Ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Also, check with the Texas school licensing authority to determine if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can contact some nearby Gladewater TX 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 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 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 confirm that the school has a superb reputation within the Gladewater TX healthcare community, but that it also has the network of contacts to help students attain employment.
Internship Programs. The best way to get experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical setting. Essentially all nursing degree programs require a specific number of clinical hours be completed. Various states have minimum clinical hour mandates for licensing also. Check if the schools have a working relationship with local Gladewater TX community hospitals, clinics or labs and assist with the placement of students in internships.

Enrolling in an LPN Program near Gladewater TX?

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

Gladewater, Texas

The town is probably most famous as a base during Elvis Presley's early career,[5] and also as the town in which Johnny Cash wrote "I Walk the Line". In the early 20th century, Gladewater was an oil boom town. Gladewater is known as the "Antique Capital of East Texas" with its Main Street downtown antique district.

It is located in western Gregg County and southern Upshur County at 32°32′34″N 94°56′49″W / 32.54278°N 94.94694°W / 32.54278; -94.94694 (32.542666, -94.946950),[6] primarily within Gregg County. U.S. Route 80 leads east 12 miles (19 km) to Longview and west 10 miles (16 km) to Big Sandy. U.S. Route 271 crosses US 80 in the center of Gladewater, leading north 14 miles (23 km) to Gilmer and southwest 25 miles (40 km) to Tyler.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Gladewater has a total area of 12.2 square miles (31.5 km2), of which 11.6 square miles (30.0 km2) are land and 0.54 square miles (1.4 km2), or 4.61%, are water.[4] The Sabine River forms the southwest border of the city.

Enroll in the Right LPN School near Gladewater TX

Gladewater TX LPN geriatric nurse with patient Deciding on the ideal Licensed Practical Nurse program is arguably the most important first step to starting a new career in the health care industry. There are a number of factors that you should consider when selecting a nursing school. These variables will be prioritized differently contingent on your current career objectives, lifestyle, and economic status. As we have emphasized in this post, it is critical that you enroll in an LPN school and a certificate or degree program that are each accredited and have outstanding reputations within the medical community. You originally decided to visit this website because of an interest in LVN Courses. However, by utilizing our list of qualifying questions, you will be able to produce a shortlist of schools to pick from so that you can make your final selection. And with the appropriate degree and training, combined with your hard work and desire to succeed, you can become an LPN in Gladewater TX.