Renewal
Do LPNs need to take continuing education courses?
Every state has specific requirements when it comes to continuing education for LPNs. Each state board of nursing decides how many continuing education credits are mandatory for license renewal. LPN license renewals must be completed twenty-four months after the last renewal. Check with your state board of nursing to find out which courses and topics are approved and therefore will count towards the continuing education requirement.
Practice
What is the practice of nursing?
The practice of nursing is a set of interactions that take place between the nurse and the client. The process starts with a detailed assessment of the client’s health care needs. The nurse interviews the client and sometimes the family to obtain the health history as well as the current health status. The nurse physically examines the patient and also reviews the client's medical record including important data such as the results of diagnostic tests. Nursing assessment is followed by developing a plan of care which address the client's ongoing health conditions. The goal of a nursing plan of care is to improve an individual's health status and to prevent future illness. The interventions outlined in a nursing plan of care may include support with activities of daily living as well as highly complex technological services such as ventilator support. It is the nurse's job to observe the effects of the services being provided to each client and to make necessary adjustments. The nurse should always be the patient's advocate and act in the client's best interest.
Licensure
What states participate in the Nurse Licensure Compact?
Twenty-four states are currently participating in the Nurse Licensure Compact: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Exam
What is the NCLEX-PN exam?
The NCLEX-PN is an exam administered to individuals qualified for and seeking a practical nurse license. Only those who have completed a state-approved LPN program and received authorization by a state board of nursing are allowed to sit for the exam. This test is a national licensing examination, administered using a computer, in the United States and its territories. Nursing graduates are tested on their knowledge, skills, and abilities to ensure they are ready to practice nursing at the entry level. Because the same exam is used throughout all states and territories of the United States, practical nurses are able to request endorsement or reciprocity of their license from one state to another without having to re-take the exam. The test results are reported as either pass or fail. Those who pass the exam obtain an LPN license in their particular state.
Education
What should I look for in selecting an LPN program?
Choosing an LPN program is the single most important step in becoming a nurse. The program you select, as well as how hard you work at learning, determines how well prepared you are when it comes time to take the NCLEX exam. If possible, it is a good idea to talk to graduates of the LPN program you are looking to enroll into. The following factors have been identified as important by many students when choosing an LPN program: state approval, NCLEX pass rate of graduates, the location and size of nursing school, program accreditation by reputable nursing organizations such as CCNE, tuition cost, financial aid opportunities offered by the school, the teacher to student ratio, the amount of hours spent in clinical practice, and the availability of online courses. You must decide which factors are most important to you and pick out a school based on those factors.
Career
Is this field for me?
Some of the main characteristics of a nurse are: a willingness to help others, being eager to learn how things work, and being a team player. A practical nursing program requires completing courses in anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology. These science courses give nurses the knowledge they need to practice and care for their clients. Practical nurses help others by caring for them when they are ill. Empathy, understanding, and knowledge are what patients need to maintain or improve their well-being and quality of life. Being a member of today's health care system requires that you work as a team player and get along well with other health care professionals. As a licensed practical nurse you may be in charge of certified nursing assistants and you will work under the supervision of registered nurses and physicians. In addition, you must effectively work and communicate with various other health professionals such as physical, occupational and respiratory therapists.
Organizations
National Association for Practical Nurse Education and Service
NAPNES is the oldest association that advocates the practice, education and regulation of practical and vocational nurses as well as the organization that is responsible for the legislation that provides for the licensure, and education of practical nursing in the United States.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) mission is to produce evidence to make health care safer, higher quality, more accessible, equitable, and affordable, and to work within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and with other partners to make sure that the evidence is understood and used.