LPN Classes Online Laurel IA

How to Choose the Right LPN Program near Laurel Iowa

Laurel IA LPN pediatric nurse holding infant There are generally two academic credentials available that provide instruction to become an LPN near Laurel IA. The one that can be finished in the shortest time period, usually about 1 year, is the certificate or diploma course. The next alternative is to earn a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are broader in nature than the diploma alternative and generally require 2 years to finish. The benefit of Associate Degrees, along with providing a higher credential and more comprehensive instruction, are that they provide 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 warrants that the core curriculum properly prepares students to become Practical Nurses, and that most graduates pass the 50 state required NCLEX-PN licensing exam.

What is an LPN?

Laurel IA Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensed Practical Nurses have many different duties that they complete in the Laurel IA medical facilities where they practice. As their titles signify, they are required to be licensed in all states, including Iowa. Even though they may be accountable for monitoring Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves usually work under the guidance of either an RN or a doctor. The health care 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 encounter patients in need of medical care is their domain. Every state not only regulates their licensing, but also what duties an LPN can and can’t perform. So depending on the state, their day-to-day job functions might include:

Checking vital signs
Providing medicines
Starting IV drips
Overseeing patients
Getting blood or urine samples
Keeping patient records
Supporting physicians or Registered nurses with procedures

Along with their occupational duties being governed by each state, the health care facilities or other Laurel IA healthcare providers where LPNs work can additionally limit their job roles within those parameters. In addition, they can work in different specialties of nursing, which include long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

Online LPN Programs

female student attending LPN school online in Laurel IA Attending LPN programs online is becoming a more popular way to get training and earn a nursing certificate or degree in Laurel IA. Some schools will require attending on campus for part of the training, and almost all programs require a certain amount of clinical rotation hours conducted in a local healthcare facility. But since the rest of the training may be accessed online, this alternative may be a more practical solution to finding the free time to attend school for some students. Pertaining to tuition, some online degree programs are less expensive than other on campus options. Even additional expenses such as for commuting and study materials can be minimized, helping to make education more economical. And a large number of online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. And so if your work and household responsibilities have left you with limited time to work toward your academic goals, maybe an online LPN 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 Laurel IA 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 Laurel IA 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 use the following pointers to start narrowing down your choices. As you undoubtedly realize, there are numerous nursing schools and colleges near Laurel IA as well as within Iowa and throughout the United States. So it is essential to lower the number of schools to choose from to ensure that you will have a workable list. As we previously discussed, the location of the school as well as the expense of tuition are most likely 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 final decision, use the following questions to evaluate how your pick 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 acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to helping confirm that you get a quality education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are oftentimes not provided for non-accredited schools near Laurel IA.
Licensing Preparation. Licensing prerequisites for LPNs differ 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 specified number of clinical hours be performed, as well as the passing of additional tests. It’s imperative that the school you are enrolled in not only delivers an outstanding education, but also prepares you to meet the minimum licensing requirements for Iowa or the state where you will be practicing.
Reputation. Check online rating services to see what the evaluations are for each of the LPN schools you are considering. Ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews too. In addition, get in touch with the Iowa school licensing authority to check out if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can call some local Laurel IA 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 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 displeased 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 Laurel IA healthcare community, but that it also has the network of contacts to assist students attain a position.
Internship Programs. The most effective way to obtain experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical setting. Almost all nursing degree programs require a specific number of clinical hours be completed. Many states have minimum clinical hour prerequisites for licensing also. Check if the schools have associations with local Laurel IA community hospitals, clinics or labs and help with the placing of students in internships.

Enrolling in an LPN Program near Laurel IA?

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

Laurel, Iowa

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 239 people, 109 households, and 64 families residing in the city. The population density was 956.0 inhabitants per square mile (369.1/km2). There were 122 housing units at an average density of 488.0 per square mile (188.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.7% White, 0.4% African American, 0.4% Asian, and 0.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population.

There were 109 households of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.3% were non-families. 38.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.89.

The median age in the city was 43.8 years. 25.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.9% were from 25 to 44; 30.1% were from 45 to 64; and 18% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.8% male and 50.2% female.

Choose the Right LPN School near Laurel IA

Laurel IA LPN geriatric nurse with patient Picking the ideal Licensed Practical Nurse program is arguably the most crucial step to launching a new career in the healthcare field. There are various aspects that you should think about when choosing a nursing school. These aspects will be prioritized differently contingent on your current career goals, lifestyle, and economic status. As we have emphasized within this content, it is important that you enroll in an LPN college and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have exceptional reputations within the healthcare community. You originally decided to visit this website because of an interest in LPN Classes Online. However, by using our list of qualifying questions, you will be able to produce a shortlist of schools to choose from so that you can make your ultimate selection. And with the proper degree and training, combined with your hard work and drive to succeed, you can become a Licensed Practical Nurse in Laurel IA.