LPN School Online Gauley Bridge WV

How to Select the Right LPN School near Gauley Bridge West Virginia

Gauley Bridge WV LPN pediatric nurse holding infant There are basically two scholastic credentials available that provide education to become an LPN near Gauley Bridge WV. The one that may be finished in the shortest time period, generally about 12 months, is the certificate or diploma course. The 2nd option is to obtain a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These LPN programs are broader in nature than the diploma option and generally require 2 years to finish. The benefit of Associate Degrees, aside from providing a higher credential and more extensive training, are that they provide more transferable credit toward a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing. No matter the type of credential you pursue, it needs to 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 core curriculum properly 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?

Gauley Bridge WV Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensed Practical Nurses have many different duties that they complete in the Gauley Bridge WV healthcare facilities where they practice. As their titles indicate, they are required to be licensed in all states, including West Virginia. Even though they may be accountable for supervising Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves generally work under the supervision of either an RN or a doctor. The medical 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 encounter patients requiring medical care is their dominion. Each state not only oversees their licensing, but also what functions an LPN can and can’t perform. So depending on the state, their everyday work activities can include:

Measuring vital signs
Providing medications
Starting IV drips
Observing patients
Getting blood or urine samples
Taking care of patient records
Supporting doctors or RNs with procedures

In addition to their occupational duties being regulated by each state, the medical facilities or other Gauley Bridge WV 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.

Online LPN Programs

female student attending LPN school online in Gauley Bridge WV Attending LPN schools online is becoming a more popular way to obtain instruction and attain a nursing certificate or degree in Gauley Bridge WV. Many schools will require attendance on campus for a component of the training, and almost all programs require a certain number of clinical rotation hours completed in a local healthcare facility. But since the balance of the training can be accessed online, this option may be a more accommodating approach to finding the time to attend college for many students. Concerning tuition, a number of online degree programs are less expensive than other on campus alternatives. Even other expenses such as for commuting and study materials can be lessened, helping to make education more economical. And many online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. So if your work and household commitments have left you with limited time to pursue your academic goals, perhaps an online LPN school will make it easier 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 Gauley Bridge 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 Schools

Questions to ask Gauley Bridge WV 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 guidelines to begin narrowing down your options. As you probably are aware, there are numerous nursing schools and colleges near Gauley Bridge WV as well as within West Virginia and throughout the United States. So it is essential to decrease the number of schools to select from to ensure that you will have a manageable list. As we previously pointed out, the location of the school along with the expense of tuition are undoubtedly going to be the first two factors that you will look at. But as we also stressed, they should not be your only qualifiers. So prior to making your ultimate selection, use the following questions to evaluate 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. Besides helping make sure that you get a premium education, it may assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are oftentimes not available for non-accredited schools near Gauley Bridge WV.
Licensing Preparation. Licensing requirements for LPNs are different from state to state. In all states, a passing score is needed on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) as well as graduation from an accredited school. Certain states require a specific number of clinical hours be performed, as well as the passing of additional tests. It’s important 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 West Virginia or the state where you will be working.
Reputation. Visit online rating services to see what the reviews are for all of the LPN schools you are looking into. Ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews too. Also, check with the West Virginia school licensing authority to check out if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can contact some nearby Gauley Bridge 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 complete 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 confirm that the school has a good reputation within the Gauley Bridge WV medical 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 environment. Essentially all nursing degree programs require a specified number of clinical hours be completed. Many states have minimum clinical hour mandates for licensing also. Ask if the schools have a working relationship with local Gauley Bridge WV community hospitals, clinics or labs and help with the placement of students in internships.

Enrolling in an LPN Program near Gauley Bridge WV?

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

Gauley Bridge, West Virginia

Gauley Bridge is a town in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 614 at the 2010 census. The Kanawha River is formed at Gauley Bridge by the confluence of the New and Gauley Rivers. Two miles to the southeast of Gauley Bridge, in Glen Ferris, West Virginia, is Kanawha Falls, a popular stopping point on Midland Trail Scenic Highway.

The community was named after a bridge over the Gauley River near the original town site.[6] Gauley Bridge was close to the site of the Hawk's Nest incident, in which hundreds of lives were lost in the 1920s and 1930s.

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 614 people, 279 households, and 159 families residing in the town. The population density was 388.6 inhabitants per square mile (150.0/km2). There were 361 housing units at an average density of 228.5 per square mile (88.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.9% White, 0.3% Native American, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population.

Pick the Right LPN Program near Gauley Bridge WV

Gauley Bridge WV LPN geriatric nurse with patient Enrolling in the right Licensed Practical Nurse program is probably the most important step to launching a new career in the medical care industry. There are various factors that you must take into account when selecting a nursing school. These factors 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 pick an LPN college and a certificate or degree program that are each accredited and have exceptional reputations within the medical community. You originally decided to visit this website because of an interest in LPN School Online. However, by utilizing 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 ultimate selection. And with the appropriate degree and training, combined with your hard work and drive to succeed, you can become an LPN in Gauley Bridge WV.