© a la corey
The availability of jobs, the opportunity to help others, and the great earning potential make the nursing profession a very attractive and competitive major. Licensed practical nurses, or LPNs, work with patients in a variety of settings including hospitals, doctor's offices, and nursing homes. Read on to find out more about this profession and how you can become part of it.
Instructions
1. In order to be accepted to an LPN program you will probably have to take the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) Test. You will be tested on your knowledgle of english, math, science, metric conversions, and comprehension skills.
2. Most LPN programs require atleast one year of full time school and are available at many community colleges. Upon successful completion of all coursework, you are awarded a certificate and given the opportunity to take the test for LPN licenture.
3. Typical coursework that you can expect to take is 2 classes of Anatomy and Physiology, a few phychology and sociology classes, and the remainder will be intensive nursing classes.
4. In order to be accepted to an LPN program you will probably have to take the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) Test. You will be tested on your knowledgle of english, math, science, metric conversions, and comprehension skills. You should take as many prerequisit courses as you can before taking the TEAS test. Your TEAS test grade can make or break you when it comes to applying to nursing school.
5. If you don't have a solid base in science from previous college credits or high school work, you should consider taking an intro to biology. You may need to take a science placement test that states whether or not additional science course work is necessarey for the LPN program.
6. If you want financial aid to pay for your LPN program, you should do the paperwork as early as possible. This ensures you have time to make corrections to your FAFSA if necessary and to look for alternative funding through scholarships and grants. Your school may have scholarships specifically for nursing majors or other scholarships that you may qualify for. Speak to your financial aid office to find out what your options are. If you attend a community college, you will probably be able to afford your education through grants and a stafford loan alone.
7. To be a Licensed Practical Nurse, you must have compassion for the sick and disabled and work well under pressure. There is a shortage of nurses in the field todya. This can work to your advantage when getting a job and negotiating salary. The drawback is you will have to shoulder a large ammount of responsibility over a number of patients.
8. You may want to consider working as a certified nurse assistant to gain experience and test the waters to see if nursing is for you. Be sure that you don't want to become a registered nurse. Returning to nursing school after working for several years as an LPN can be challenging. You may want to consider taing the time to complete an RN degree now rather than later.
9. You need to be prepared to work with a variety of patients from different backgrounds, tempermants, and cultures. Some of your patients may have speech disorders. You will need to be patient and attentive to what your patient needs. you may need to use creativity in communicating with them.
10. Remember that every patient is someones grandmother, sister, brother, father, friend. Every patient deserves your attention and respect. Some patients won't know cope with their illness or pain. Some will be anxious about being in a hospital. Some will try to avoid unpleasant things like taking medicine or therapy. It's your job to ensure that they get the medical care that they need and communicate any of your problems or concerens with other nurses and doctors on staff.
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