Benefits of a Licensed Practical Nurse Degree

There are a lot of different kinds of degrees out there, but a lot of times, they are just referred to as letters. One such degree would be the LPN degree, but the only problem is that a lot of people do not know what LPN stands for! Well, LPN stands for licensed practical nurse, or sometimes even talked about as a LVN, but that stands for a licensed vocational nurse. Pretty much, these are people who have degrees in caring for sick people who may be injured or maybe even disabled. Normally, a LPN will work under the direction of a RN (registered nurse) or a physician. Whenever you have a LPN degree, there are certain tasks that you are able to perform and some that you are not. They are able to do all basic medical tasks, which includes things like blood pressure checking, injections, bathing, and so on, and in some states they are even allowed to do things like administer medications or even start people on IV's. The role that a LPN would play at a physician's office may vary a little.

To get your LPN degree, you will have to do a few different things. First of all, you are going to have to graduate out of a LPN degree program, and it has to be from an accredited school. Of course, that only starts you on the road to getting your license. Before you can get your license, you do have to pass an exam that all LPN's have to take. This is called the NCLEX-PN. If you do not pass this exam, then you are not allowed to obtain your license at all. As you can see, this is a very important exam. Of course, there are some prerequisites you may have to have before you can enroll in one of the LPN degree programs. Normally, you will have to have a high school diploma, or at least the equivalent to it, which would be your GED).

There are a few more things that you have to take in order to get your LPN degree. Most of the accredited programs are going to have you take some of the following classes that we are going to talk about. Some of the basic things you are going to have to take are things like psychology and anatomy. You will also more than likely find yourself taking classes like first aid or maybe even nutrition. Most vocational schools are going to ask that you take classes like administration of drugs and medical surgical nursing before you are able to get your degree.

Of course, that is not it. Most of the time, you are asked to take a lot more complex courses before getting your LPN degree. For example, you will have to take nursing concepts and pediatrics. The last thing that you will have to do is, of course, your clinical practice. This allows you to get some hands on time in the health care setting before actually getting your license. This is something that a lot of LPN degree programs are starting to offer.