Online LPN Courses Steamboat Springs CO

How to Choose the Right LPN College near Steamboat Springs Colorado

Steamboat Springs CO LPN pediatric nurse holding infant There are generally two scholastic credentials offered that provide instruction to become an LPN near Steamboat Springs CO. The one that can be concluded in the shortest period of time, typically about twelve months, is the certificate or diploma course. The second choice is to obtain a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are broader in nature than the diploma alternative and normally require 2 years to complete. The advantage of Associate Degrees, in addition to offering a higher credential and more comprehensive training, are that they provide more transferable credit toward a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing. Regardless of the kind of credential you seek, it should be state approved and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or some other national accrediting organization. The NLNAC warrants that the course of study 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?

Steamboat Springs CO Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensed Practical Nurses have numerous tasks that they accomplish in the Steamboat Springs CO medical facilities where they are employed. As their titles indicate, they are required to be licensed in all states, including Colorado. While they may be responsible for supervising Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves normally work under the supervision of either an RN or a doctor. The health care facilities where they work are numerous and assorted, for instance hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Anywhere that you can encounter patients seeking medical treatment is their domain. Each state not only controls their licensing, but also what duties an LPN can and can’t perform. So depending on the state, their routine job activities can include:

Taking vital signs
Providing medications
Starting IV drips
Monitoring patients
Taking blood or urine samples
Managing patient records
Assisting doctors or Registered nurses with procedures

In addition to their job functions being governed by each state, the healthcare facilities or other Steamboat Springs CO healthcare providers where LPNs work can additionally limit their job duties within those parameters. Additionally, they can practice in various specialties of nursing, for instance long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

LPN Programs Online

female student attending LPN school online in Steamboat Springs CO Attending LPN programs online is becoming a more in demand way to receive instruction and acquire a nursing certificate or degree in Steamboat Springs CO. Some schools will require attendance on campus for part of the training, and virtually all programs require a certain number of clinical rotation hours completed in a local healthcare center. But since the rest of the training can be accessed online, this alternative may be a more convenient solution to finding the free time to attend college for some students. Pertaining to tuition, some online degree programs are cheaper than other on campus choices. Even additional expenses such as for commuting and study materials may be lessened, helping to make education more affordable. And a large number of online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. Therefore if your job and family commitments have left you with limited time to work toward your academic goals, it could be that an online LPN training program will make it more convenient 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 Steamboat Springs CO 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.

Things to Ask LPN Schools

Questions to ask Steamboat Springs CO LPN programs Now that you have decided on obtaining your LPN certificate, and if you will attend classes on campus or on the web, you can use the following checklist to start narrowing down your choices. As you probably realize, there are many nursing schools and colleges near Steamboat Springs CO as well as within Colorado and throughout the United States. So it is important to decrease the number of schools to choose from in order that you will have a workable list. As we earlier discussed, the site of the school as well as the expense of tuition are probably going to be the first two things that you will take into consideration. But as we also emphasized, they should not be your sole qualifiers. So prior to making your ultimate decision, use the following questions to evaluate how your selection measures up to the other schools.

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 recognized accrediting organization. Aside from helping make sure that you obtain a quality education, it may assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often not offered for non-accredited schools near Steamboat Springs CO.
Licensing Preparation. Licensing criteria for LPNs vary from state to state. In all states, a passing score is needed on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) in addition to graduation from an accredited school. Many states require a specified number of clinical hours be performed, as well as the passing of additional tests. It’s imperative that the school you are attending not only provides an exceptional education, but also prepares you to meet the minimum licensing standards for Colorado or the state where you will be working.
Reputation. Visit online rating companies to see what the evaluations are for each of the LPN schools you are considering. Ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews too. Also, contact the Colorado school licensing authority to check out if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can speak with some nearby Steamboat Springs CO 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 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 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 Steamboat Springs CO medical community, but that it also has the network of contacts to assist students attain employment.
Internship Programs. The best way to get experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical environment. Almost all nursing degree programs require a specific number of clinical hours be completed. Many states have minimum clinical hour prerequisites for licensing too. Find out if the schools have a working relationship with nearby Steamboat Springs CO community hospitals, clinics or labs and assist with the placing of students in internships.

Enrolling in an LPN Program near Steamboat Springs CO?

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

Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Steamboat Springs, often shortened to Steamboat, is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Routt County, Colorado, United States.[9] As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,088.[6]

The city is an internationally known winter ski resort destination. The Steamboat Springs tourism industry is highlighted by Steamboat Ski Resort, which is on Mount Werner in the Park Range just east of the town. It also contains the much smaller Howelsen Hill Ski Area.

The area surrounding Steamboat Springs was originally inhabited by the Yampatika band of the Ute Tribe Utes, who hunted in the valley during the summer. Trappers began to move through the area during the first decades of the 19th century. James Harvey Crawford, the founder of Steamboat Springs, first arrived in the spring of 1874. The Crawford family moved there in 1876, and for the first five years were the sole permanent Anglo-Saxon residents of the town. The native Utes were forcibly removed from the area to a reservation in Utah by the U.S. Army starting in 1879. Milestones in the development of the pioneer town included the first sawmill in 1873, incorporation of the town in 1900, and the arrival of the railroad in 1909. The economy of the region was originally based on ranching and mining, which still have a large presence in the county.[10][11][12]

Select the Right LPN Program near Steamboat Springs CO

Steamboat Springs CO LPN geriatric nurse with patient Enrolling in the right Licensed Practical Nurse school is arguably the most crucial step to starting a new career in the healthcare field. There are a number of factors that you need to think about when choosing a nursing school. These factors will be prioritized differently depending on your current career goals, lifestyle, and financial situation. As we have highlighted within this article, it is essential that you select an LPN college and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have exceptional reputations within the medical community. You originally decided to visit this website because of an interest in Online LPN Courses. However, by utilizing our list of qualifying questions, you will be able to produce a short list of schools to pick from so that you can make your ultimate selection. And with the proper degree and training, combined with your hard work and ambition to succeed, you can become an LPN in Steamboat Springs CO.