Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN): Growing Nursing Career Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

By: Erik John


With the life expectancy of the elderly increasing, the number of senior citizens unable to care for themselves, or families not being able to provide the essential care at home, nursing homes and assisted living facilities are rapidly popping up all over. Hospitals and doctors offices are seeing an increase of patients due to the new studies, infections, and diseases being discovered every day. Nursing is one of the most demanded positions in the 21st century. Nurses will always be needed.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

LPNs work in all areas of the healthcare field: nursing homes, sub acute rehabilitations, hospitals and doctor’s offices. In long and short term nursing facilities LPNs pass medications, evaluate residents upon admission. During routine follow-ups, LPNs determine the patient’s needs and develop care plans. They also oversee nurse’s aides. LPNs in a doctor’s office duties include making appointments, taking vital signs when a patient arrives for an appointment, being responsible for keeping medical records up to date, and additional office duties. Some LPNs work as visiting nurses for those families who chose to keep their family member at home but cannot provide necessary care that a trained medical professional can. They visit patients at their home to take vital signs and look for any changes that would need to be reported to a doctor. LPNs also teach family members how to administer medicines, prepare foods if there is a specialty diet required, and perform care on the patient when there is not a caregiver a the home.

Education for an LPN would include a one-year program with a state approved training program. This would include classroom study and clinical education. After finishing the program, students would be required to pass a licensing exam known as the NCLEX-PN.

LPN Salary for LPNs range from $28,000 to $50,000 and is determined by factors such as setting, region, and experience. Prior experience as a Certified Nurse’s Assistant (CNA) or patient care associate in a hospital and/or skilled nursing facility can increase the starting salary and provide experience in the field giving that extra foot in the door when searching for an LPN position.

Job Outlook for LPNs is high as in all phases of nursing. Over the next ten years it is predicted that job opportunities will increase by at least 15%. The majority of these will be in home healthcare settings and skilled nursing facilities. Due to the growing elderly population and hospitals discharging patients before they can thrive at home, the population of people entering a skilled nursing facility, whether for short term or long term care, continues to grow. This requires the need for more licensed professionals to care for them.

Nursing Careers: Becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse

If you're interested in the Nursing profession, you might be aware that there is more than one type of nurse and designation. One is the Licensed Practical Nurse, or LPN. Training to become an LPN is a one year program in most instances, involving classroom education and supervised clinical practice. Training must be acquired at a state-approved school, and graduates must pass a licensing examination, the NCLEX-PIN, to become qualified to practice. LPNs are qualified to perform a range of services in hospitals, doctor's offices, skilled nursing home facilities, and in a number of other healthcare settings.

The duties of a Licensed Practical Nurse are performed under the supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN), and encompass a variety of patient bedside care tasks, such as checking vital signs, preparing and administering injections and enemas, applying bandages and dressings, monitoring catheters, and treating pressure sores. In some states, Licensed Practical Nurses are allowed to administer medications prescribed by a physician and to start intravenous fluids. Collecting samples and performing routine laboratory tests are also among the duties of an LPN, as are monitoring and recording patient food and fluid intake. In a nursing home setting, experienced Licensed Practical Nurses can be responsible for supervising care given by Nursing Assistants, and aid in developing resident care plans.

There is a demand for Licensed Practical Nurses in a variety of settings throughout the healthcare industry. Demand for LPNs in hospital settings has declined in recent years, but has increased in many other segments of the health care industry. Among the fastest growing areas is the home health care field, due to an increase in older patients with disabling conditions that choose to be treated at home, and advanced technology that makes home care more feasible, even for more complex medical conditions. Nursing homes are next in line as far as job growth for Licensed Practical Nurses, due to a growing number of elderly and disabled persons requiring long-term care. Nursing home facilities are also seeing a significant increase in rehabilitation patients, released from the hospital before they are able to function sufficiently for self-care - another area in which LPNs are used.

Licensed Practical Nursing can be a very rewarding choice for many, as well as the fast track to job security in a profession that is increasingly in demand. Nursing care is required worldwide, ensuring that the nursing professional can practice in nearly any location of their choice. With the broad range of settings and specializations to choose from, Licensed Practical Nurses can easily find their perfect health care niche, ensuring long-term career growth and satisfaction.

Associate Nursing Degree- A Great Way to Start Your Nursing Career

By Kris Koonar

To make a career in the medical field is very challenging. Many young girls are taking up the profession of nursing. Doctors and nurses will never get 'out of demand'. Nursing as a profession does have a brighter side. One has to be genuinely interested in becoming a nurse and as a nurse has to take care of patients with lot of patience and dedication. An associate nursing degree is the first step towards the nursing career. It trains a person to be a certified nurse without obtaining the bachelor's degree. The associate nursing degree leaves you with a good chance to stand out once you approach your bachelor's degree in nursing.

You can choose to take an associate nursing degree through a campus-based college or with the help of an online college. An online nursing degree is very convenient especially if you are working. You can complete the course without disturbing your daily schedule. If you are self-motivated and hard working you can manage to complete your degree in the shortest period. An online degree proves very beneficial as it gives you a lot of flexibility. You can finish the nursing course without disturbing your daily routine. You can continue working and giving more time for the family, you can plan your time accordingly and study for the course.

The online associate nursing degree gives you a benefit of attending the online classes any time and from any place with an Internet connection. During these online classes you can ask your questions and get your quires sorted out. Due to this advantage, online nursing degree is gaining a lot of popularity. An associate nursing degree acts as a foundation for a brighter future in the medical field.

An associate nursing degree will enable you to work in any hospital, any other nursing facility or under any doctor. When you get your higher degree, your chances of getting a better job increase due to the nursing degree. This degree will make your base strong and you have a clear and a better idea of nursing once you finish the degree.

The associate nursing degree acts like a ladder for your career graph and prepares you for the National Council of Licensure Examination for registered nurses. The associate degree has two different programs. One program is designed for those who do not have any knowledge of the medical or nursing background and the other program is for the licensed practicing nurses. The licensed practicing nurses are the ones who have a prior nursing experience.

Hundreds of nurses obtain associate nursing degree every year, due to the rise in the demand for nurses. Nurses enjoy a good salary and are able to help those in pain. A nursing degree will fetch you a job at an entry level with the salary ranging from $40,000 to $45,000 annually. Many hospitals and companies offer tuition reimbursement benefits once you become a registered nurse with the associate nursing degree. You can use this benefit when you plan to do your BSN Bachelor of Science in Nursing by completing the RN-to-BSN program. BSN will boost your nursing career and help you earn more.

Nursing Scholarship Sources

There are many scholarships available to any and all people that are going into the nursing profession. Some people don't want to take the time to find out about scholarships for nursing school. Many believe that the monies that they receive from financial aid will be sufficient. Indeed, sometimes it is, that is if you also take the student loans that eventually have to be paid back.

The payback period usually begins approximately six months following graduation from nursing school. But be careful, if you drop out of nursing school for any reason, and do not apply for a hardship extension, you will be liable to begin paying back the student loan, in spite of your circumstances. With scholarships, you do not have to pay them back, period! This is true even if you have to drop out of nursing school for a short period of time. There is another false hood that is widely accepted. That is, that one has to have a 3.0 grade point average or greater to be eligible to apply for a nursing school scholarship. Not true.

There are many factors that allow an individual to apply for a nursing school scholarship. Maybe your are a single mother living on government aid, there is a scholarship for you. Maybe you are of a low income bracket and have a particular ethnicity, there is a nursing school scholarship for you, maybe you just live in an area that is considered economically challenged, there is a nursing school scholarship for you. The list goes on and on.

Where do you begin to find out if there is a nursing scholarship available for you. Other than the internet, the best other place to begin is in your home town, at your place of worship, your place of employment and the schools that offer a nursing program. You will be surprised to find that there are scholarships out there just for being you! Many places of employment or large companies have foundations and wealthy founders that put monies into funds for scholarships. Maybe your parents worked at a company for most of their lives that now makes you eligible to obtain a scholarship. Automotive company founders offer scholarships. Even large supermarket chains offer scholarships for nursing school.

The main idea behind scholarships is to promote education in the community. So don't ever feel that you are left out in the cold. It might be that you may run into a counselor that may not seem to have the time to do any research for you, but don't let that discourage you. Sometimes when you are going after something that you really want, like a career in the nursing field, you have to take the reigns and be assertive. That means finding someone to help you, if someone else won't.

The point is, that there are people that are hired to help you find the scholarships for nursing school that best fit your needs. That does not mean that you shouldn't do your own research as well. The chances of you finding some other scholarships for nursing school in addition to those found for you can only help not hurt.

New Year’s Resolution: Education

The road ahead always appears long and difficult; the terrain unmanageable. Looking back at the road traveled helps to assess our needs, wants and what is right; often we struggle to make the necessary changes. A new year triggers a time of renewal for our hearts and minds and brings us to that proverbial clean slate that makes us more energetic for making those changes.

There is so much to be done – where do we start?

We can not accomplish everything overnight. The question for each of us is what can we do now? Keep it simple. Simply put, once begun is half done. It is that simple! The thing that we can be sure of is that we need to do something. A few mouse clicks on the internet can take us anywhere.

Everything in our profession revolves around education. We can not stand still. Assess the knowledge and credentials in which you are in need and recommit to education. Are you in need of a degree or just simply some refresher courses? How about ReLicensure?! Please see October 31 article from Villanova University concerning ReLicensure.

As this blog continues to evolve, research the opportunities that are provided. Explore the schools of nursing that participate (and the many that are forthcoming) for the program and specialty they offer and take that first step.

Many of you maybe ready for your next step, a new beginning. Please examine the postings on CareerBuilder.com at left for the latest job openings and click on “Nursing Positions in Pennsylvania” and “Nurse Educator Postings in Pennsylvania” for a complete list.

Thank you for visiting this site in 2008. Your comments are not only welcomed here but encouraged. Your contributions will help make each one of us better, and in turn, better the healthcare industry. I look forward to hearing from you in 2009.


By Jenn Foster