My Nursing Education

Can you become an LPN

By Nancy Kimmel RN PhD

Licensed Practical Nurses are very much in demand in lieu of Americas nursing shortage. Becoming a LPN/LVN or Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse usually requires a one year course of study from a vocational school or junior college. Even the LPN/LDN or the LVN must take an entrance test prior to gaining entry into the nursing program. The NET Study Guide will help the student prepare for their test. The NET Study Guide, written by Nancy Kimmel RN, PhD incorporates that same type of critical thinking that is needed in the nursing field. The student who studies the online tests and tutorials will make great strides not only in their scores on the NURSING ENTRANCE TEST, but in nursing school as well. The online software contains over 1300 questions and answers in the form of online tests and tutorial pages. The student can study day or night, and has unlimited access to the software without any expiration date. Not only is it important to have a good understanding about the type of nursing program that the student wishes to attend, but the student must also have a thorough understanding of the preparation needed for the NURSING ENTRANCE TEST. The LPN/LVN usually work under the supervision of a physician or RN and usually has more advanced skills than the nursing assistant but can perform less tasks than a registered nurse can. Again, most people who become a LPN/LVN are gaining the experience and knowledge that is necessary to become a Registered Nurse and may use this during future studies. The program for becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse or Licensed Vocational Nurse is approximately one year or less. Financial aid is available for this training program as well as many other sources of funding. Licensed Vocational Nurses/LPN’s make only a few dollars less than Registered Nurses. This is perhaps due to their scope of practice is less inclusive than that of Registered Nurses. By 1994, LPNs earned over $14 per hour on average. There was a short decline in wages of not only LPNs but for RN’s as well during the years between 1994 and 1998.(1) In the year 2001 LPNs were making between $17.78 and $21.15. In 2007, a graduate RN who had passed their state boards made approximately $22.50 per hour. Licensed practical nurses held about 749,000 jobs in 2006. About 26 percent of LPNs worked in hospitals, 26 percent in nursing care facilities, and another 12 percent in offices of physicians. Others worked for home health care services; employment services; residential care facilities; community care facilities for the elderly; outpatient care centers; and Federal, State, and local government agencies. About 19 percent worked part time. (2)
The scope of practice for LPN’s vary from state to state as mandated by the State Board of Nursing. In general, the LPN is able to feed and bath the patient, empty Foleys, J-pegs, colostomy bags, take a patient’s blood pressure, temperature (orally or rectally), exercise patient via assisting patient with walking, pass medications, change dressings of 2 day post- operative wounds as well as dress bedsores at stage II decubitus ulcer, report patient changes to the nurse, transport patient, give some injections (though not I.V.Push), hang IV bags, give massages and administer enemas.
LPNs can monitor patients for untoward reactions to medications or treatments and report findings to the RN. The RN is then responsible for follow up and to re-assess the patient. The LPN works under the guidance and supervision of the RN. The RN’s license is jeopardized if the LPN does more than their job description if given instructions to do so by the RN. The LPN can help with regard to patient teaching, such as dietary suggestions for diabetics, and importance of tight glycemic control.
In most cases LPNs find employment in nursing homes, medical clinics, doctors offices and hospitals.
LPNs are required to pass a state licensing exam (NCLEX-PM) upon graduation from Licensed Practical Nursing Program.(2) A high school diploma as well as a nursing entrance test is required to gain admittance into the program. In 2006 there were over 1,500 State-approved LPN training programs in the U.S. In times past nursing programs were offered directly through hospitals. This type of practice has been replaced by individual nursing schools. LPN curriculum requires that the student review, learn, be tested upon and apply critical thinking in an actual heath care settings. Courses include anatomy and physiology, medication calculation, pediatric nursing, maternity nursing, medical surgical nursing, nutrition, psychiatric nursing and CPR.
Further education is encouraged for graduate LPNs/LVNs. Hospitals, nursing homes and sometimes medical clinics will often pay for furthering the education of an LPN/LVN to becoming an RN. In many cases, it is much easier for an LPN/LVN to obtain their Registered Nursing Degree. This is in part due to their prior patient care experience and the fact that many Registered Nursing Programs require that LPNs/LVNs attend a one year program to complete their R.N. Degree. This is the road that many LPN/LVNs take. They get their LVN/LPN and then go for their RN Degree while they are already working in the field.

Remember, to sit for your licensed degree entrance exam you need to be prepared. At The Nurses Learning Center, you can have unlimited access, 24/7, for a one time fee. Questions are added regularly to the data base. The computerized testing online program is the best thing to actual taking the test.