What Is A LPN Nurse
The LPN Nurse is known as a Licensed Practical Nurse that cares for patients in a large variety of healthcare and medical settings. This nurse is also known as a Licensed Vocational Nurse or LVN the states of Texas and California. This type of nurse works in personal care facilities as well as hospitals. The main tasks of an LPN Nurse includes bathing, dressing and cleaning the patients, measuring and documenting the vital signs of the patient like blood pressure, height weight, respiration, temperature and pulse, supervising the nursing assistants or aides, feeding patients and assisting them to walk etc.
LPN Nursing Programs
LPN nursing programs teach the nursing aspirant the basics of caring for patients in a health care and medical setting. As an LPN Nurse the professional should know how to take vital signs and know about the normal healthcare ranges for people that tend to vary with age. This will help the nurse be aware of something that is not ordinary and the matter can be reported to the concerned doctor. The tasks of bathing and ambulating patients are also taught in the LPN nursing programs. The LPN Nurse is also taught on doing specific things like changing the bandage of wounds on the patient and putting on/removing catheters on the patients. The LPN Nurse must be taught on how to do the above things effectively in order to avoid infections from taking place in the patient.
The LPN Nursing Programs will also teach the student about the different types of medications that are available. Since the LPN Nurse is the professional that is responsible for administering them it is essential for the nurse to know why the patient needs to have the medicine, how the medicine works for the patient, what does it do and what are the potential side effects that can happen for that specific medicine. It is not mandatory for the nurse to be aware of all the above for each medicines however it is wise for him/her to memorize it for the common ones.
The LPN Nurse also needs to be aware of how to administer the medicines orally or through needles. The nurse has to know the difference between intramuscular, subcutaneous and intradermal methods. This is generally taught to the students in class. The student is also taught about the different sizes of needles and their types to use. There are also specific medications that require to be administered orally however they cannot be crushed. The LPN Nursing Program teaches the student the differences in the above with the reasoning about them as well.
Online LPN Nursing Programs
Online LPN Nursing Programs allow a nursing student to complete their course in nursing in a very short time. Once they finish their course they can begin working as soon as possible. It has been seen in the USA that most of the students of these online programs are exceptional students who desire to expand their nursing education by earning a Bachelor’s Degree.
When it comes to online LPN nursing programs you have to take into consideration certain factors. One is the accreditation. Before choosing an online program ensures that it is accredited by one of the professional nursing bodies like The National League Of Nursing Accreditation Commission. There is also another nursing body –The Commission On Collegiate Nursing Education CCNE that also provides accreditation to online LPN nursing programs.
Check the accreditation and enroll thereafter. Most schools have the accreditation information on their websites and you should check this out as there are many states that will not accept a LPN degree if you have done it from an institute that is a non-accredited one. If you wish you also have the option of approaching the accreditation organizations directly and have a talk with them to find out the program that would be appropriate for you. Before you enroll for a program you have to be sure that your state accepts the program. This prepares you to take the NCLEX licensing examination.
You should also check into the rankings and the reports of the LPN nursing schools that are online. You can check the US News and the World Report Ranks in order to ascertain the credibility of the online nursing programs on the website. The ratings are based on the worth of the school however you must also check into the number of students who pass the NCLEX Examination from the school before you decide to enroll in it.
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