LPN College Courses Goose Creek SC - LPN and LVN Schools Near You

How to Enroll In the Right LPN College near Goose Creek South Carolina

Goose Creek SC LPN pediatric nurse holding infant There are principally two academic credentials offered that provide training to become an LPN near Goose Creek SC. The one that may be finished in the shortest time period, normally about one year, is the certificate or diploma program. The second alternative is to obtain 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, besides providing a higher credential and more comprehensive instruction, are that they provide more transferable credit toward a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing. No matter the type of credential you seek, it should 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 effectively prepares students to become Practical Nurses, and that most graduates pass the 50 state required NCLEX-PN licensing exam.

What is an LPN?

Goose Creek SC Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensed Practical Nurses have many different duties that they perform in the Goose Creek SC health care facilities where they are employed. As their titles indicate, they are mandated to be licensed in all states, including South Carolina. While they may be accountable for supervising Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves usually work under the guidance of either an RN or a doctor. The medical care facilities where they work are numerous and assorted, for instance hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Virtually any place that you can find patients seeking medical assistance is their dominion. Each state not only regulates their licensing, but also what work activities an LPN can and can’t perform. So depending on the state, their day-to-day work activities might include:

Measuring vital signs
Providing medicines
Initiating IV drips
Overseeing patients
Collecting blood or urine samples
Keeping patient records
Helping physicians or RNs with procedures

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

Online LPN Programs

female student attending LPN school online in Goose Creek SC Attending LPN programs online is emerging as a more popular way to obtain instruction and earn a nursing certificate or degree in Goose Creek SC. Many schools will require attendance on campus for part of the training, and virtually all programs call for a specified amount of clinical rotation hours conducted in a local healthcare center. But since the rest of the training may be accessed online, this method may be a more accommodating approach to finding the time to attend college for some students. Regarding tuition, some online degree programs are cheaper than other on campus options. Even supplementary expenses such as for commuting and study materials may be lessened, helping to make education more economical. And numerous online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. And so if your job and household commitments have left you with very little time to pursue your academic goals, it could be that 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 Goose Creek SC 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.

What to Ask LPN Programs

Questions to ask Goose Creek SC 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 options. As you probably realize, there are many nursing schools and colleges near Goose Creek SC as well as within South Carolina and throughout the United States. So it is important to reduce the number of schools to select from so that you will have a manageable list. As we earlier discussed, the site of the school along with the cost of tuition are probably going to be the initial two things that you will take into consideration. But as we also stressed, they should not be your sole qualifiers. So prior to making your ultimate selection, use the following questions to see how your selection compares to the other programs.

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 verify that you get an excellent education, it may assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are oftentimes not available for non-accredited schools near Goose Creek SC.
Licensing Preparation. Licensing prerequisites 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 certain number of clinical hours be completed, 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 South Carolina or the state where you will be practicing.
Reputation. Visit internet rating companies to see what the assessments are for each of the LPN schools you are looking into. Ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews also. Additionally, get in touch with the South Carolina school licensing authority to find out if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can call some nearby Goose Creek SC 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 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 favorable reputation within the Goose Creek SC healthcare community, but that it also has the network of relationships to help students gain 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. A number of states have minimum clinical hour prerequisites for licensing too. Check if the schools have a working relationship with local Goose Creek SC community hospitals, clinics or labs and help with the placement of students in internships.

Enrolling in an LPN Program near Goose Creek SC?

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

Goose Creek, South Carolina

Goose Creek is a city in Berkeley County in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 35,938 at the 2010 census.[3] Most of the Naval Weapons Station Charleston is in Goose Creek. As defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and used only by the U.S. Census Bureau and other Federal agencies for statistical purposes, Goose Creek is included within the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville metropolitan area and the Charleston-North Charleston Urbanized Area.

Goose Creek is located in southern Berkeley County at 33°0′N 80°2′W / 33.000°N 80.033°W / 33.000; -80.033 (32.9955, -80.0289).[4] It is bordered to the east by the Cooper River and the Back River, to the southeast by an outer portion of the city of Charleston, to the southwest by the city of Hanahan and (farther to the west) the city of North Charleston in Charleston County, and to the west by the unincorporated community of Ladson.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 40.8 square miles (105.8 km2), of which 40.1 square miles (103.8 km2) is land and 0.77 square miles (2.0 km2), or 1.88%, is water.[3]

Enroll in the Right LPN School near Goose Creek SC

Goose Creek SC LPN geriatric nurse with patient Choosing the right Licensed Practical Nurse program is potentially the most important step to starting a new career in the healthcare industry. There are many aspects that you need to take into account when deciding on a nursing school. These factors will be prioritized differently contingent on your current career goals, obligations, and financial situation. As we have emphasized within this article, it is important that you enroll in an LPN school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the healthcare community. You originally decided to visit this website because of an interest in LPN College Courses. However, by using our checklist of qualifying questions, you will be able to produce a short list 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 ambition to succeed, you can become an LPN in Goose Creek SC.