How to Choose the Right LPN School near Green Spring West Virginia

There are basically two scholastic credentials offered that provide training to become an LPN near Green Spring WV. The one that may be finished in the shortest time period, generally about 12 months, is the certificate or diploma program. The 2nd choice is to attain a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma alternative and commonly require 2 years to complete. The benefit of Associate Degrees, along with providing a higher credential and more extensive training, are that they furnish more transferable credit toward a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing. No matter the kind 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 guarantees that the core curriculum adequately 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 many different tasks that they accomplish in the Green Spring WV healthcare facilities where they work. As their titles imply, they are required to be licensed in all states, including West Virginia. While they may be responsible for overseeing Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves typically work under the supervision of either an RN or a doctor. The health care facilities where they work are numerous and diverse, such as hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Anyplace that you can find patients in need of medical care is their domain. Every state not only controls their licensing, but also what duties an LPN can and can’t perform. So depending on the state, their daily job activities can include:

• Checking vital signs
• Administering medications
• Initiating IV drips
• Overseeing patients
• Getting blood or urine samples
• Taking care of patient records
• Supporting doctors or RNs with procedures

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

LPN Programs Online

Attending LPN schools online is growing into a more favored way to get training and acquire a nursing certificate or degree in Green Spring WV. Many schools will require attendance on campus for part of the training, and virtually all programs require a specified number of clinical rotation hours conducted in a local healthcare center. But since the remainder of the training can be accessed online, this method may be a more accommodating approach to finding the time to attend college for some students. Pertaining to tuition, a number of online degree programs are less expensive than other on campus options. Even additional expenses such as for commuting and study materials may be minimized, helping to make education more economical. And numerous online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. So if your job and household obligations have left you with little time to work toward your academic goals, perhaps an online LPN program will make it easier to fit a degree into your busy 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 Green Spring WV 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

Once you have decided on obtaining your LPN certificate, and if you will attend classes on campus or online, you can use the following checklist to begin narrowing down your choices. As you no doubt realize, there are a large number of nursing schools and colleges near Green Spring WV as well as within West Virginia and throughout the United States. So it is important to decrease the number of schools to choose from so that you will have a workable list. As we previously discussed, the site of the school and the expense of tuition are probably going to be the initial two things that you will look at. But as we also stressed, they should not be your sole qualifiers. So before making your ultimate decision, use the following questions to see how your selection compares to the field.

• Accreditation. It’s a good idea to make sure that the certificate program in addition to the school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Besides helping verify that you get a premium education, it may help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are oftentimes not provided for non-accredited schools near Green Spring WV.
• Licensing Preparation. Licensing requirements 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. Many states require a specified 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 preps you to comply with the minimum licensing requirements for West Virginia or the state where you will be working.
• Reputation. Look at online rating companies to see what the evaluations are for each of the LPN schools you are looking into. Ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews too. In addition, check with the West Virginia school licensing authority to determine if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can contact some local Green Spring WV 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 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 essential that the schools have high job placement rates. A high rate will not only substantiate that the school has a good reputation within the Green Spring WV healthcare community, but that it also has the network of contacts to help students obtain employment.
• Internship Programs. The most effective way to get experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical setting. Virtually all nursing degree programs require a certain number of clinical hours be completed. Many states have minimum clinical hour mandates for licensing as well. Ask if the schools have associations with nearby Green Spring WV community hospitals, clinics or labs and help with the placing of students in internships.

Enrolling in an LPN Program near Green Spring WV?

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

Choose the Right LPN School near Green Spring WV

Deciding on the right Licensed Practical Nurse school is potentially the most critical step to starting a new career in the medical care industry. There are various aspects that you must 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 in this post, it is essential that you select an LPN school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have outstanding reputations within the medical community. You originally decided to visit this website because of an interest in Online LPN Classes. However, by utilizing our checklist of qualifying questions, you will be able to develop a shortlist of schools to select from so that you can make your final selection. And with the right degree and training, combined with your dedication and ambition to succeed, you can become a Licensed Practical Nurse in Green Spring WV.

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