So You Want To Become a LPN
Becoming a licensed practical nurse or LPN is the fast track to getting in to the nursing field and making decent money doing it. In fact most states only require you to study for a year before you can sit for the NCLEX-LPN exam.
Making the decision to become and LPN is definitely the right move no matter how you look at it. It gives you the option to either continue your lifelong career as an LPN or you can use this training to enter into to an LPN to RN bridge programs. The good thing about this is you will already be making money as a LPN nurse while you are continuing your education.
Licensed Practical Nurse or Licensed Vocational nurse (as they are called in some areas) have a variety when it comes to where they those to work. Normally when we think nurse the first thing that comes to mind is a hospital, however LPNs don’t just work in hospitals. You will have your choice of working at outpatient care facilities, nursing homes, prisons, schools, long term care facilities, to name a few.
Licensed Practical Nurses are in demand and it won’t take long to complete the training and get started, but what do LPN’s do?
As with any job we have supervisors and managers and so forth and the medical field is no different. LPN nurses handling their daily duties under the direct supervision of Doctors and Registered Nurses. These daily duties include taking the vital signs of patients, treating patients for bedsores, gathering patient medical info, preparing and administering injections, applying bandages, dressing wounds, monitoring catheters, and this is just a small sampling of what is done on a day to day as a Licensed Practical Nurse.
Your next question may be what income can I make as an LPN?
How much a Licensed Practical Nurse makes depends on several different factors however the basic range will be between about $31,020 to above $52,000. One of the factors that will affect your LPN salary is where you live or where your choose to practice. For example and LPN in Los Angeles, California will probably make more than one in smaller less densely populated city. What type of facility an LPN works in is also and income factor, whether they work in hospitals, long term care facilities, nursing homes or employment services. Another factor that can further boost your salary is your experience and willingness to gain additional specialized training.
There couldn’t be a better time than now to consider a career as a Licensed Practical Nurse. The nursing field will continue to grow in leaps and bounds amongst other careers even during the rough economic times that we are currently experiencing.
To get more info on lpn careers check out lpn training programs where you will find tons of tips and information on lpn training and becoming a LPN.