Becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse

Introduction

LPN is the short form of licensed practical nurse, and the term is commonly used in the United States. In the US and the provinces in Canada LPN refers to the nurse who takes care of the people who are sick or injured. Moreover, it also includes people who are disabled. Outside the US, the qualifications that are equivalent to the LPN in the US are known as RPN which stands for registered practical nurse in Canada (LPN, pp. 1).

Required Education

Before gaining employment, smaller amount of education is required for an LPN. An associate degree is required at a community college or a professional school. At these educational institutions, the students are trained and developed to work at the hospitals. Minimum requirement, for an individual to register himself in an LPN program is a high school diploma. During this, focus is laid on practical training that includes routine patient exams and emergency response procedures. These are more importantly for conditions such as heart attack and stroke. Moreover, the LPN's also have to hold the license by the state in which they work for which they have to take National Council Licensure Examination-Practical Nursing exam to obtain their license.

Types of Employment

There are various types of employment for the licensed practical nurses. Therefore, they can opt for the types of employment mentioned below.

1.Hospital nurses - These are the ones who work at the hospitals and serve the patients.

2.Office nurses - They take care of the outpatients in the offices of physicians.

3.Nursing care facility nurses - They manage care for residents who face conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

4.Home health nurses - Patients call nurses at home to take care of them

5.Public health nurses - They work in government and private organizations such as schools and other community settings.

6.Occupational health nurses ...