Kris Koonar asked:


When you are looking at working as a nurse outside the U.S, then it is necessary to have proper information about the countries and the rules and regulations and their educational requirements. You need to collect as much information as far as possible about the experience required, the nursing license for the country of residence, valid passport and other requirements in the case of an international nursing job. There are many websites which provide information about the information on jobs by region, position, and whether the vacancy is for a room nurse, licensed practical nurse, nurse practitioner, intensive care nurse, critical care, maternal child services nurse or any other. The different positions require different qualifications i different countries.

Let us take a brief overview of nursing requirements of some of the popular countries destinations like UK, Canada, Australia and South Africa. UK nurses of the WWII have made the nursing jobs in UK popular as ‘lifesavers’. There are two options in UK; you may work as First-Level nurse or a Second-level nurse. For the first level nurse, a schooling of three to four years is required. For second-level nursing, you need to complete two years of education. The criterion for Scotland and Ireland is the same. The nursing profession in UK is good and the first-level nurses earn very well.

In Canada, a Bachelors Degree is required. With the same requirements for the Registered Nurses (RN) and the Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) in the US, you can work as RN and LPN in Canada also. To research and aid patients with mental afflictions, such nurses need to be Registered Psychiatric nurses.

Another good location for great careers is Australia. You have the option of being a Nurse Practitioner, a Registered Nurse or an Enrolled Nurse. An enrolled nurse is one who has the basic nurse training and also has training in a specialized field for 6 to 12 months. This additional qualification helps to get a better job. South Africa is also becoming a target destination. Becoming a nurse here is easier than in other countries, as there is only one kind of training of 2 years which is required. The training includes 2000 hours of clinical practice. Some of the best packages are often offered in Arab countries like Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. In some places, there are better benefits than salaries.

When you decide on the reasons why you want to work abroad, access the nursing recruiters who may be of help in your search. Many of them also provide you with advice on banking, accommodation and other matters that are relevant from the point of view of moving abroad. When you plan for such a job it is important for you to have a basic knowledge of the language and the social systems of the place You should be aware of common terms in conversations and the medical term used. Experience is also valued to a very large extent.

You may consider all these factors and access detailed information on the options available. When you are considering an international nursing job, motivation to work abroad is of high relevance.



Programs

Jeff Morrow asked:


It is no big secret that the upcoming retirement of the Baby Boomers will put enormous strain on the health care industry. While this may not be great times for hospital management, qualified nurses are in high demand and enjoy many job benefits including sign on bonuses, tuition reimbursement, and retention bonuses.

There are hundreds of career avenues for nurses, but here are five career paths that show an especially high social need and can offer nurses both financial and career satisfaction.

When you work as a home health care nurse in private homes, you prepare meals, offer basic bedside care, and emotional comfort. You track vital signs such as blood pressure, respiration, and pulse. You can help family members learn basic nursing tasks.

The average income for a home health nurse is about $35,000 for this nursing position. To work as as a home health care nurse, you need to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN). You can attend a community college or vocational schools for about a year. The need for geriatric care is projected to drive up the demand for LPNs and should offer you good job prospects.

Staff nurses work in all the places you normally think of when you think of nurses like hospitals, clinics, and doctor’s offices. As a staff nurse, you generally work alongside physicians in all specializations. You record medical conditions, treat patient symptoms, perform tests and analyze their results. You also administer treatments and medications. The median salary for a hospital staff nurse is about $53,500 per year.

To open the door to a staff nursing career, you need a registered nurse (RN) certification. To get there you need to earn bachelor of science in nursing degree (BSN) , an associates’ degree in nursing (ADN), or graduate from a certificate programs. With a more advance degree, you have more job options and you are more likely to get a job at a higher caliber facility.

Much has changed since 1902 when school nursing began in the United States. A school nurses’ duties have greatly expanded since then. Today’s school nurse provides health assessment, intervention, and follow-up with students. You ensure the health and safety of the schools staff and students by helping to maintain the school’s compliance with health care policies. School nurses can also refer students for more medical help when hearing, vision, and other issues become inhibitors to successful learning.

Generally, you should already be a Registered Nurse (RN), and ideally, you should also hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Furthering a career in this field, a master’s degree in nursing or a MBA in health care will provide you career mobility and offers of policy-level positions. Many school nurses hold not only a Nurse Practitioner (NP) certification, but an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) certification.

Help solve crimes by becoming a forensic nurse. If you hold your your RN certification you can begin a career in forensic nursing.. Forensic nurses assist in criminal investigations of accidental death, sexual assault, homicide, and other criminal cases. Then, forensic nurses testify about their findings in court. When specializing in this field, you will spend the least amount of your time in patient contact.

You must hold a current RN certification, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Further course work or a degree in law enforcement or criminal justice will offer you an added edge for forensic nurse job openings. Specialized forensic nursing certifications are available online.

If you have an interest in law and if you are a registered nurse you can enter the lucrative field of legal nurse consulting A legal nurse consultant acts as a health care liaison with attorneys, physicians, and other clients. Legal nurse consultants are needed in law firms, government offices, hospital risk management departments, and other health care or legal-related business.

Probably the quickest path into this profession is to earn a legal nurse consulting certificate. Otherwise an RN certification, or ideally a bachelor of science degree in nursing, and a solid educational background in the legal system is necessary to become a legal nurse consultant. Earning a criminal justice degree combined with a degree in nursing will open the doors to employment in the nurse consulting field. If you haven’t already gotten a bachelor’s in nursing, there are accelerated RN-to-BSN program.

The rapid growth in the health care system is opening up many new nursing professions and opportunities. The educational system is adapting by creating courses and degrees to meet the challenges. To help meet the social needs and take part new and advanced career opportunities, continuing your education is a necessity.

There are many avenues from accelerated programs, to online degrees, to vocational schools to help you meet your career goals.

These five nursing career paths are just a few of the hundreds of new nursing specialties that you can explore. With a solid nursing education, you can help meet the social need for more nurses while enjoying great career prospects for a long time to come.



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Jeff Morrow asked:


Nursing students are sometimes confused about what kind of nursing degree to obtain. The two choices nurses most often consider are between an Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN) , which usually takes two years to complete, or the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, which takes four years. Both of these nursing degrees lead to the Registered Nurse (RN) designation, but there are crucial differences between them. Choosing one over the other depends on financial factors, the length of time to be spent in an educational program, and long-term career goals.

The major differences between the two nursing degrees involve the length of time required to complete each program and the number of academic credits required. A typical ADN degree will take two years, compared to four years for the BSN – plus the time it takes to finish the prerequisites necessary to enroll in a BSN program. (This may not be a factor for individuals who already have Bachelor’s degrees (BAs) from accredited institutions, since accelerated BSN programs allow them to complete all requirements in 18 to 21 months.)

While nursing instructors had previously believed that the ADN degree was likely to be phased out, the fact is that some 66 percent of current nursing graduates complete training programs resulting in the ADN or Associate of Science (AS) degrees. These Associate degrees continue to provide health care facilities with capable nurses who can manage patient care. As insufficient numbers of nurses are graduated from four-year BSN programs each year to meet the needs of the health care industry, two-year Associate degrees are expected to remain important for some time to come.

However, BSN programs prepare graduates more effectively to make critical patient care decisions and to question doctors when orders appear inappropriate. The education provided in a BSN program is more focused on critical thinking, exposing students to more people and cultures, and enhancing the skills required for nursing management. They also offer more opportunities to improve skills in patient assessment and provide a greater examination of disease pathophysiology. Nurses who have the BSN degree will also have an easier time winning faculty teaching positions and high-level administrative jobs.

In summary, ADN programs usually cost less and take less time to complete, so graduates can begin working in the field more quickly. BSN graduates have more chances to advance to higher positions in the health care industry, and they are better prepared to take an advanced nursing degree – to become a nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, or nurse anesthetist, for example – if they decide to do so. There are many innovative choices for online nursing degrees in today’s digital world. Many traditional and prestigious schools now offer their nursing degrees online.

My-nursing-career offers listings of online nursing degrees with no admissions waiting list. You can graduate in less time at about half the cost of traditional nursing schools. You can also find a complete list of nursing degrees offered throughout the United States.



Programs

Susan Slobac asked:


The Internet has changed the way people take college courses. There are now courses available to meet any career interest, with convenient scheduling. If you are interested in online college courses for nursing, the first thing to do is to look at the many online nursing schools thatare available. Offered through accredited colleges and universities around the United States, they offer the training your need for the career transition or start you wish to make. An online nursing school should also offer you complete information to get you started in learning how to become a registered nurse.

College nursing courses online offer you as a student the convenience of working toward a new career while you still work at an old one, so you do not have to bring your life to a screeching halt in order to attend college. Internet access makes taking classes much easier to fit into your busy schedule as well, because you can go online when you have the time.

Online nursing courses will vary a bit depending on the degree you are pursuing. If you wish to become an RN, or registered nurse, you can do so by participating in a two-year associate degree program at a community college, a four-year university program, or a diploma program that takes three years to complete. If you wish to pursue a shorter college experience, you might want to consider becoming and LPN, or licensed practical nurse. This training can be completed in twelve to twenty-four months, and allows you to work with patients providing health care under the supervision of a doctor or a registered nurse. Nurses take courses covering anatomy and physiology, biology, organic chemistry, psychology, maternal and child health and pediatrics, mental health nursing, community health nursing, bioethics, management, pharmacology, and health assessment; these are just a sampling of the wide variety of classes that nursing students experience on their way to becoming registered nurses.

Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses must also, in addition to taking online college courses for nursing, pass the nurses’ licensing exam. This is called the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses, or NCLEX-RN. LPNs must also be licensed to work in any state, and the exam they take is the NCLEX-PN, PN referring to practical nurse. Each license must be periodically renewed, and in some instances continuing education classes are needed for license renewal. Online nursing courses make it easy for you to fit education into your busy nursing career so that you can keep up to date with continuing education requirements in your state.

Those wishing to advance to graduate degrees in nursing will find ample opportunity online. Nurses with Master’s degrees in the field can pursue work in the exciting areas of nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, clinical nurse specialist, and certified registered nurse anesthetist. Online college courses for nursing can make all of this possible for you to attain.



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Cathy Somers asked:


All around the Internet there are websites that advertise online nursing schools, but for the student who has sat down to find a nursing school online the options may not seem as wide as the ads will have you to believe. This leaves many people to question whether online nursing courses are effective in providing an education and a nursing degree online. The answer is yes there are online nursing schools that are effective in training you to be both an LPN or an RN but you have to know where to look and focus on schools you recognize.

For example, Kaplan and Phoenix online schools both offer online nursing courses to those who are interested in upgrading their nursing status from LPN to RN and for those who are just starting out as a LPN.

The trick is to start early building your resume because the one disadvantage that online nursing schools have is that you spend less time in clinical situations then you would if you actually attended a physical university. Thus, if you can get a position as a STNA or even as a volunteer and get early exposure you can start with a leg up on other students who are studying to be nurses.

Every bit of experience helps and everything you can do from within your current job will aid you. For example, as a volunteer or STNA you may be offered disease control training, or infectious protocol, or other small classes you may consider worthless.

However, any certification you can add to the degree earned from online nursing schools will benefit you even if you fail to see the connection so if offered the opportunity to participate in training always take it. It is possible to get an education through online nursing schools but the key is experience on top of experience to make yourself stand out!



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Milos asked:


New York school of practical nursing graduates face competition ever since the number of hospital jobs for LPN’s (licensed practical nurses) declines. Yet, jobs may still be available for LPN’s as rapid employment growth is projected in other health care industries, with the best job opportunities in nursing care facilities and in home health care services.

There are a lot of LPN’s in the US since training in a New York school of practical nursing only lasts about 1-year and the state-approved programs in New York school of practical nursing institutions (mostly in vocational or technical schools) reach to over 1-thousand. It is therefore a good thing that replacement needs will be a major source of job openings as many workers leave the practical nursing occupation permanently. Only about 27% of New York school of practical nursing LPN’s work in hospitals, while 25% in nursing care facilities, 12% in offices of physicians, as the other 36% work for home health care services, employment services, elderly community care facilities, public/private educational services, outpatient care centers, and Federal, State, and local government agencies, with about 1 in 5 LPN’s working part-time.

Although employment of LPNs in the traditional hospital setting is expected to continue to decline, conversely, employment of New York LPNs in home health care facilities is expected to grow at least averagely because of the growing number of aged and disabled persons in need of long-term care, also because of consumer preference for care in the home, and technological advances that make it possible to bring increasingly complex treatments into the home. In addition, New York LPNs in nursing care facilities will be needed to care for the increasing number of patients who have been discharged from the hospital but who have not recovered enough. LPN’s are heavily needed for their workloads at 40-hours/week, round-the-clock care on week nights, weekends, and holidays for the patients’ needs.

Here is a list of some New York School of Practical Nursing institutions: ADELPHI UNIVERSITY-Garden City, COLLEGE OF MOUNT ST.VINCENT-Riverdale, COLLEGE OF NEW ROCHELLE-New Rochelle, COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND-Staten, WAGNER COLLEGE-Staten Island, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY-NY, HUNTER COLLEGE OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK-NY, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY-NY, STATE-UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK-Buffalo, D’YOUVILLE COLLEGE-Buffalo, DAEMEN COLLEGE-Amherst, DOMINICAN COLLEGE-Orangeburg, LEHMAN COLLEGE OF CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK-Bronx, MERCY COLLEGE-Bronx, LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY-C.W. POST CAMPUS-Brookville, MOLLOY COLLEGE-Rockville Center, MOUNT SAINT MARY COLLEGE-Newburgh, NAZARETH COLLEGE OF ROCHESTER-Rochester, ST.JOHN FISHER COLLEGE-Rochester, UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER-Rochester, PACE UNIVERSITY-Pleasantville, SAGE GRADUATE SCHOOL-Troy, STATE-UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK-Binghamton, STATE-UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK-Stonybrook, STATE-UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT BROOKLYN-Brooklyn, STATE-UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY-Utica/Rome, STATE-UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK UPSTATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY-Syracuse,

Aspiring LPN’s should also find out about accredited NP/Nurse Practitioner Program lists, NP Primary Care Competencies in Specialty Areas (Adult, Family, Gerontological, Pediatric, and Women’s Health), NP Exam/Review Courses, Practice Doctorate (DNP) Resources, HRSA Bureau of Health Professions Nursing Grants, and information and educational resources on nurse practitioners, or search the AANP-American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.



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R Govindan asked:


Licensed Vocational Nurse

The title “nurse” can refer to individuals with varying degrees of education and licensure. Job titles to which individuals may refer to themselves as “nurses” include the following: Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) / Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Registered Nurse (RN) of Nurse Practitioner (NP). LVN’s and LPN’s have the same training, licensure and scope of practice. The title Licensed Vocational Nurse is used only in California and Texas, while the title Licensed Practical Nurse is used throughout the rest of the United States. The job title used in Australia and New Zealand is Enrolled Nurse, while in the United Kingdom the job title is State Enrolled Nurse. In the United States, it is compulsory for a prospective LVN/LPN to have completed high school. Internationally, the scope of practice and title of the LVN/LPN may vary, depending upon country-specific criteria.

LVN’s/LPN’s work in hospitals, clinics (pediatric, geriatric, women’s health, psychiatric) as well as skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, correctional facilities and dental offices. LVN’s/LPN’s may perform specific nursing skills and procedures under the supervision of an RN, NP, Physician Assistant (PA), Physician (MD), or Dentist (DDS). They also may work collaboratively with RN’s, and are licensed to delegate to CNA’s or other non-licensed assistants. The LVN/LPN scope of practice includes performance and documentation of the following duties: basic patient care; vital signs; data collection on all body systems; carrying out wound care orders; preparing patients for diagnostic testing, including collection of urine, sputum, and fecal specimens; insertion and care of urinary catheters; insertion and care of naso-gastric tubes; and administration of medications, except intravenous medication (IV). In order to draw blood, or to initiate or administer IV medications, LVN’s/LPN’s must pass an additional post-licensure IV certification course. Even with successful passage of an IV certification course, LVN’s/LPN’s may not administer IV push medications. IV push medications are under the scope of practice of the RN.



Psychiatric Technician

Psychiatric Technicians (PT’s) are trained and licensed to work in psychiatric facilities under the supervision of RN’s or physicians. In preparation for licensure, there is some didactic coursework in common for PT’s and LVN’s/LPN’s. These courses include Anatomy and Physiology, Nursing Fundamentals, Nutrition and Pharmacology. However, because their client base specifically includes individuals with developmental disabilities or those with psychiatric diagnoses such as (but not limited to) schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, or depression, PT’s require additional study in the area of psychotropic medications. Also, their clinical training is focused solely in psychiatric facilities.



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M. Jackson asked:


Online nursing schools offers students some flexibility regarding course completion time. Nurses can work in many environments, such as hospitals, clinics, private practices, schools and health facilities, to name just a few. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that the average income for a registered nurse as of 2005 was nearly $57,000. Online nursing programs offer students the opportunity to study for one of the most rapidly growing professions in the United States of America today.

More and more young people are becoming attracted to the idea of online courses. Many believe that signing up with accredited institutions for perfectly legitimate diplomas will give them the time and space they need to do other things.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Health Professions, the United States will need more than 1.7 million nurses by the year 2020 and just 635,000 are expected to be available. The National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses found that there is currently a shortage of registered nurses. Nursing is a growing career and online nursing programs make it easier than ever to get the necessary training.

Early Show contributor Rachel Lewis found that more than seventy-five percent of colleges now offer online degree programs. Nursing programs requires students to learn from educational materials as well as through training in the field. The non-clinical part of the nursing course is taken online. Since it would be impossible to complete the clinical requirements over the Internet, clinical training is generally held at a medical facility close to the student’s residence.

Nurses are licensed through the Board of Nursing in the state where they live. Each state determines the requirements for nurses to practice within that state. The criteria the boards use is based on the Model Nursing Practice Act, the Uniform Core Licensure Requirements and the Model Nursing Administrative Rules created by the NCSNB (National Council of State Nursing Boards). Nurses must renew their licenses periodically and continuing education is required in some states for renewal. Nursing schools online make it easier for busy, working nurses to fulfill continuing education requirements.

There are a few different types of nursing degrees to choose from including Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Registered Nurse (RN) and Advanced Practice Nurse (APN). An APN can specialize as a nurse practitioner (NP), certified nurse specialist (CNS), certified registered nurse anesthesiologist (CRNA) or certified nurse midwife. Students attending traditional schools would take eighteen to twenty-four months study to complete the LPN program, two to four years study to complete the RN program and a doctorate degree with additional certifications (possible six to eight years of study) to complete the APN program.

Online nursing schools offer students some flexibility regarding course completion time. Some schools require students to follow a traditional calendar, while others allow students to accelerate or slow their pace according to their personal preference.

Nurses can work in many environments, such as hospitals, clinics, private practices, schools and health facilities, to name just a few. The United States of America Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that the average income for a registered nurse as of 2005 was nearly $57,000. Online nursing programs offer students the opportunity to study for one of the most rapidly growing professions in the United States of America today.



Programs

Marina Smiley asked:


A career in the medical field is a good choice nowadays. Due to increased demand for healthcare professionals, a career in nursing is especially popular. Nursing educational programs vary a great deal, and sometimes it is difficult to choose which program better fits one’s ambition, age, or financial situation. Basically, there are three different nursing programs available: a licensed vocational nurse (LVN), an associate degree in nursing, and a bachelor degree in nursing.

The simplest route to becoming a nurse is to enroll in a vocational nurse program. In Texas and California, the basic nursing career is called a licensed vocational nurse (LVN), but in other states it is called a licensed practical nurse (LPN).

Most vocational nursing programs can be finished in one year which is a great choice for people interested in a fast track to a nursing career. LVN programs have different entrance requirements. Some programs require prerequisites courses such as math, English, and medical terminology; others require only a high school diploma and a passing grade in the LVN pre – entrance exam.

After completing the LVN program, graduates receive a certificate or diploma in vocational (practical) nursing. Finally, they are required to take the National Council Licensure Exam. Passing this exam ensures that a LVN is ready to enter the nursing field at an entry level.

Licensed vocational nurses can also advance their careers by applying their LVN certificate toward the Registered Nurse bridge program. It is important to keep in mind that most vocational schools do not offer college credits. Therefore, if a graduate of a vocational school wants to become a Registered Nurse, he or she will need to take additional college courses in English, psychology and anatomy.

So, when looking for a vocational nurse program, it is important to choose only those schools where students have transferable credits.

The next path into nursing is to obtain an Associates Degree in Nursing. This program has to be approved by the state’s Board of Nursing and usually takes 2 years to complete. There is such a demand to attend this program at community colleges that in some cases there is a two to three year waiting list before one can enter the program.

Requirements for entrance includes chemistry, psychology, anatomy, microbiology, college level English and math courses. There are many private schools for those who do not want to lose time. However, the cost of such nursing programs could be about five times higher than in the community colleges.

In order to earn an RN license, one must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX). Although an Associate Degree allows a student to become a Registered Nurse, the Bachelor of Science Nursing program has the best advancement opportunities in the job market.

For example, a graduate with a BSN degree can get more prestigious positions such as nursing administration, management, or even work at an insurance company. BSN programs are usually taken at four year colleges or universities.

The prerequisites are the same as for a nursing associate program plus a few additional classes, such as sociology, speech and statistics. Students who already have their Associate degree in nursing can get their Bachelor of Science degree through a bridge program.

A good schooling alternative is through online programs. There are no waiting lists, and online courses are not complicated. It is very convenient to do homework from a home computer whenever one has time. The flexibility of studying online doesn’t interfere with a student’s current job and gives him or her the opportunity to work, make money, and at the same time earn a Bachelor degree.

There are online accelerated programs offering Registered Nurse to a Master of Science in Nursing degree bridge programs without having first obtained a Bachelor of Science degree Some students complete the RN to MSN program in as little as two years! A Masters degree in Nursing gives one unlimited opportunities in the medical field including starting a private practice as Nurse Practitioner.

All in all, the health care market has experienced a nursing shortage, and one cannot go wrong by entering the respected medical professional regardless of which path to nursing is chosen.



Programs

Kris Koonar asked:


There a few significant points to be kept in mind if you have chosen to be a Licensed Practical Nurse. To begin with, the training period is only a year. Secondly, with a growth in the health care industry some of the best job opportunities are with the home health care services and nurse care facilities. Thirdly, with a large number of nurses leaving the occupation permanently there will be major job openings as replacements.

Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) are supposed to care for the sick, disabled, injured, and convalescent under the direction of a physician or registered nurse. Basic bedside care like monitoring temperature, measuring blood pressure, pulse and respiration are part of a LPNs job. An LPN also prepares and gives injections and enemas, applies dressings, monitors catheters, treats bedsores and gives alcoholic massages and rubs. Samples for testing are collected by the LPN. They also perform routine laboratory tests.

Feeding the patients and keeping a record of the regular intake and output by a patient is also a part of a LPN’s job. In order to keep a patient comfortable and hygienic LPNs also bathe and dress up a patient to keep up personal hygiene. In some states, LPNs are allowed to administer medicines prescribed by the physician or start intravenous fluids. Some LPNs also help in the delivery process and also provide care for as well as feed an infant. With experience a LPN may get the opportunity to supervise nursing aides and assistants.

Apart from providing basic bedside care, LPNs working in nursing care facilities also help to evaluate needs of a resident, develop plans for care of a resident, and supervise the nursing aides and care being provided by them. LPNs who work in clinics and offices of doctors also perform clerical duties like documenting appointments and maintaining records. LPNs working in private home may teach the family members simple tasks of nursing or how to prepare a meal.

All those who aspire to be a LPN are required to complete a practical nursing program approved by the state and then pass a licensing examination known as NCLEX-PN. Usually a high school diploma is mandatory at entry. However, there are a few programs that accept a candidate without a diploma as well. Also there are a few programs that are designed as a part of high school curriculum.

Most of the programs provided for Practical nursing last for around a year and are inclusive of classroom study and clinical practice (patient care). Basic concepts of nursing and subjects related to patient care such as physiology, anatomy, medical-surgical nursing, obstetrics, pediatrics, psychiatric nursing, nutrition, administration of drugs and first aid are covered during classroom study. Clinical practice is usually provided in a hospital or in similar settings.

In places of employment like nursing homes a LPN can advance to become responsible to oversee the work of nursing aides and other LPNs. LPNs can choose to become registered nurses by attending LPN-to-RN training programs. A LPN is required to have a caring and sympathetic attitude. Emotional stability is also a pre-requisite for a LPN, as she might have to work with irate, agitated, uncooperative, and irrational patients, which can be stressful. Keen observation, good communication skills and decision-making ability are also desired in a LPN. When in a health care team, a LPN should have the ability to follow orders and work while being closely supervised.



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