Weekend LPN Programs Wakefield VA

How to Find the Right LPN Program near Wakefield Virginia

Wakefield VA LPN pediatric nurse holding infant There are basically two scholastic credentials offered that provide education to become an LPN near Wakefield VA. The one that may be concluded in the shortest time frame, generally about one year, is the certificate or diploma program. The other alternative is to attain a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are broader in nature than the diploma option and normally require 2 years to complete. The benefit of Associate Degrees, aside from offering a higher credential and more comprehensive training, are that they furnish more transferable credit toward a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing. Regardless of the kind of credential you pursue, it needs to 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 course of study 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?

Wakefield VA Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensed Practical Nurses have a number of duties that they complete in the Wakefield VA medical facilities where they practice. As their titles imply, they are mandated to be licensed in all states, including Virginia. Although they may be responsible for overseeing Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves usually work under the supervision 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. Virtually any place that you can find patients requiring medical attention is their domain. Each state not only oversees their licensing, but also what work activities an LPN can and can’t perform. So based on the state, their everyday work functions can include:

Measuring vital signs
Providing medicines
Setting up IV drips
Monitoring patients
Collecting blood or urine samples
Keeping patient records
Supporting doctors or RNs with procedures

Along with their work responsibilities being mandated by each state, the health care facilities or other Wakefield VA healthcare providers where LPNs work can additionally limit their job duties within those parameters. Also, they can work in numerous specialties of nursing, including long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

Online LPN Programs

female student attending LPN school online in Wakefield VA Enrolling in LPN programs online is growing into a more popular way to get instruction and attain a nursing certificate or degree in Wakefield VA. Some schools will require attendance on campus for part of the training, and nearly all programs call for a certain number of clinical rotation hours completed in a local healthcare facility. But since the remainder of the training can be accessed online, this method may be a more practical answer to finding the free time to attend college for many students. Concerning tuition, many online degree programs are cheaper than other on campus alternatives. Even supplementary expenses such as for commuting and study materials can be lessened, helping to make education more affordable. And numerous online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. Therefore if your work and family commitments have left you with limited time to work toward your academic goals, perhaps 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 Wakefield VA 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 Wakefield VA LPN programs Once 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 start narrowing down your choices. As you undoubtedly are aware, there are a large number of nursing schools and colleges near Wakefield VA as well as within Virginia and throughout the United States. So it is important to decrease the number of schools to select from to ensure that you will have a workable list. As we already pointed out, the site of the school and the cost of tuition are most likely going to be the first two factors that you will take into consideration. But as we also stressed, they should not be your sole qualifiers. So before making your ultimate choice, use the following questions to evaluate how your pick measures up to the field.

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 obtain an excellent education, it may assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools near Wakefield VA.
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) along with graduation from an accredited school. Some states require a specific 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 delivers a top-notch education, but also prepares you to comply with the minimum licensing requirements for Virginia or the state where you will be working.
Reputation. Look at online rating companies to see what the assessments are for all of the LPN schools you are considering. Ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Also, check with the Virginia school licensing authority to determine if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can speak with some nearby Wakefield VA 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 schools you are looking at 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 substantiate that the school has a good reputation within the Wakefield VA medical community, but that it also has the network of relationships to assist students obtain employment.
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 specific number of clinical hours be completed. A number of states have minimum clinical hour prerequisites for licensing also. Check if the schools have a working relationship with local Wakefield VA community hospitals, clinics or labs and assist with the positioning of students in internships.

Enrolling in an LPN Program near Wakefield VA?

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

Wakefield, Virginia

Wakefield is widely known for the Virginia Diner, the Airfield Conference and 4-H Educational Center and the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office for Eastern Virginia, which issues weather alerts for the region.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.3 km2), of which, 1.2 square miles (3.2 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2) of it (3.10%) is water.

Wakefield, one of several stops along the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad in pre-civil war Virginia, is thought to have been named by William Mahone(1826-1895), then president of the N&P, and his wife Otelia Butler Mahone as they traveled the newly completed railroad in 1858. According to local lore, the name came from the Sir Walter Scott novel Ivanhoe, which Mrs. Mahone was reading at the time. The towns of Windsor and Waverly are said to have received their names the same way.

Enroll in the Right LPN Program near Wakefield VA

Wakefield VA LPN geriatric nurse with patient Choosing the right Licensed Practical Nurse school is probably the most crucial phase to beginning a new career in the medical care field. There are many aspects that you should take into account when choosing a nursing school. These variables will be prioritized differently depending on your existing career objectives, obligations, and economic situation. As we have stressed in this content, it is essential that you choose an LPN college and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the health care community. You originally decided to visit this website because of an interest in Weekend LPN Programs. However, by using our list of qualifying questions, you will be able to produce a shortlist of schools to select from so that you can make your ultimate 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 Wakefield VA.