Prerequisites for LPN Program North Richland Hills TX

How to Find the Right LPN College near North Richland Hills Texas

North Richland Hills TX LPN pediatric nurse holding infant There are principally two academic credentials available that provide training to become an LPN near North Richland Hills TX. The one that may be concluded in the shortest time frame, normally about 12 months, is the certificate or diploma course. The other alternative is to earn a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma option and normally require 2 years to finish. The benefit of Associate Degrees, in addition to offering a higher credential and more in-depth instruction, are that they furnish more transferable credit toward a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing. Regardless of the kind of credential you pursue, it should be state approved and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or any other national accrediting organization. The NLNAC guarantees that the course of study effectively 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?

North Richland Hills TX Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensed Practical Nurses have numerous duties that they carry out in the North Richland Hills TX health care facilities where they work. As their titles signify, they are mandated to be licensed in all states, including Texas. While 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 medical facilities where they work are numerous and diverse, for instance hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Anyplace that you can find patients seeking medical attention is their dominion. Each state not only oversees their licensing, but also what duties an LPN can and can’t perform. So depending on the state, their everyday job functions can include:

Taking vital signs
Giving medicines
Setting up IV drips
Overseeing patients
Getting blood or urine samples
Taking care of patient records
Helping doctors or RNs with procedures

In addition to their work duties being regulated by each state, the medical facilities or other North Richland Hills TX healthcare providers where LPNs work can additionally limit their job duties within those parameters. Also, they can practice in numerous specialties of nursing, such as long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.

LPN Programs Online

female student attending LPN school online in North Richland Hills TX Attending LPN schools online is growing into a more preferred way to receive training and acquire a nursing certificate or degree in North Richland Hills TX. Some schools will require attendance on campus for a component of the training, and almost all programs require a certain amount of clinical rotation hours performed in a local healthcare facility. But since the rest of the training can be accessed online, this option may be a more practical answer to finding the time to attend college for some students. Concerning tuition, some online degree programs are cheaper than other on campus alternatives. Even additional expenses such as for commuting and study materials can be lessened, helping to make education more affordable. And many online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. And so if your work and household responsibilities have left you with very little time to work toward your academic goals, maybe an online LPN school 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 North Richland Hills TX 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 North Richland Hills TX 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 checklist to start narrowing down your choices. As you no doubt are aware, there are many nursing schools and colleges near North Richland Hills TX as well as within Texas and throughout the United States. So it is important to reduce the number of schools to select from to ensure that you will have a workable list. As we previously mentioned, the location of the school as well as the expense of tuition are most likely going to be the first two points that you will consider. But as we also stressed, they should not be your sole qualifiers. So before making your ultimate choice, use the following questions to see how your pick compares to the field.

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. Besides helping confirm that you obtain a premium education, it may assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools near North Richland Hills TX.
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. Some 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 attending not only provides a top-notch education, but also prepares you to comply with the minimum licensing requirements for Texas or the state where you will be practicing.
Reputation. Look at online rating companies to see what the reviews are for each of the LPN schools you are looking into. Ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews too. In addition, get in touch with the Texas school licensing authority to find out if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can call some local North Richland Hills TX 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 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 verify that the school has a superb reputation within the North Richland Hills TX healthcare community, but that it also has the network of contacts to assist students obtain employment.
Internship Programs. The best way to obtain experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical environment. 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. Find out if the schools have a working relationship with local North Richland Hills TX community hospitals, clinics or labs and help with the placing of students in internships.

Enrolling in an LPN Program near North Richland Hills TX?

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

North Richland Hills, Texas

North Richland Hills is a city inside Tarrant County, Texas, United States, and a mid-to-high end suburb of Dallas and Fort Worth. The population was 63,343 at the 2010 census,[5] making it the third largest city in Tarrant County. In 2006, North Richland Hills was selected as one of the "Top 100 Best Places to live in America" according to Money magazine [6] and in 2016, the Dallas Morning News ranked North Richland Hills #9 on its list of best Dallas-Fort Worth neighborhoods[7]. Major streets and highways include FM 1938 (Davis Boulevard), Mid Cities Boulevard, Bedford-Euless Road, Interstate Highway 820, North Tarrant Parkway, FM 3029 (Precinct Line Road) and TX SH 26. It is home to the Birdville Independent School District and the northern portion is served by Keller ISD.

NRH notably houses the headquarters of HealthMarkets. North Richland Hills features popular businesses and locations including the NRH20 Water Park, Medical City North Hills, its own state of the art public library and is surrounded by communities including Haltom City, Keller, Hurst, and Southlake. It also housed the now-demolished North Hills Mall (now the new location of the NRH City Hall as of 2015) which ceased operations in 2004, due to its higher-end competitor North East Mall in Hurst (approximately 5 mi) expanding with a cost of $200 million in 1999, with openings of upscale stores Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue in 2001. Respectively in 2012, North Richland Hills was ranked at #44 as one of the Best Dallas Suburbs according to D Magazine.[8]

The community began when W.S. Peters agreed to bring 600 families into the area within a three-year period as part of a land grant. Families began arriving in the summer of 1848. In 1849, Tarrant County was established and named for General Edward H. Tarrant. The community of Birdville (adjacent to what is now North Richland Hills' southwest boundary) was named the first county seat. The area remained a rural farming and ranching community for more than 100 years.

Enroll in the Right LPN Program near North Richland Hills TX

North Richland Hills TX LPN geriatric nurse with patient Enrolling in the ideal Licensed Practical Nurse program is arguably the most important phase to beginning a new career in the health care field. There are many factors that you need to think about when selecting a nursing school. These factors will be prioritized differently contingent on your current career objectives, lifestyle, and financial situation. As we have highlighted within this content, it is important that you select an LPN college 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 Prerequisites for LPN Program. However, by utilizing our list of qualifying questions, you will be able to develop a shortlist of schools to choose from so that you can make your final selection. And with the appropriate degree and training, combined with your hard work and drive to succeed, you can become a Licensed Practical Nurse in North Richland Hills TX.