Reasons to Earn a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Diploma:
Individuals with a Licensed Practical Nurse diploma will be working on the front lines. You will be caring for the patients in hospitals or nursing homes as they get better. Duties include taking vital signs, attending to dressings on wounds, feeding patients and maintaining medical records. The position of licensed practical nurse is very demanding and responsible yet very rewarding. If you enjoy helping and caring for others in a hospital, nursing home, convalescent or acute or extended care setting, then consider getting your LPN diploma. Once you fulfill the requirements of the diploma, you have to meet the requirement of the State where you wish to work (www.ncsbn.org). Lastly, you have to pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX®)-PN. A good diploma course will prepare you for this exam.
Career Opportunities
LPNs work in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, or even in private homes.
Occupational Outlook
According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, licensed practical nurses will be in great demand over the next few years due to the rising number of elderly people who will need full-time medical care. Once a nurse has been licensed, they will be able to work in many different areas of nursing within the state where they live. If they move to another state, they will have to be licensed for that state.
Salary Information
Those who earn a licensed practical nurse diploma can expect to earn between $28,000 and $40,000 annually, according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to PayScale, www.payscale.com, LPNs earn between $15 and $17 per hour.
Coursework Requirements
The basic courses required for this diploma program include:
- CPR
- Anatomy
- Medical terminology
- Nursing basics
- Care of Elderly
- Patient care
- Communications
- Food and nutrition
- Pharmacology
- Mental health nursing
- Dosage Calculation
- Promotion of health
Skills that you will learn
Graduate with a LPN diploma may be skilled in the following areas:
- Observational skills
- Teaching skills
- First aid skills
- Assessment skills
- Decision making skills
- Team work skills
- Communications skills
- Know how to take orders
- Nursing skills
- Assessment, documentation and reporting skills
