Licensed practical nurses can get their start in the healthcare field by attending a nursing school. A large number of universities and colleges across the US offer online courses for aspiring nurses to take towards becoming a licensed nurse. These programs range from associate’s degrees to bachelor’s degrees and may even include internship training as part of the course. There are some hospitals and health care facilities that do not hire LPNs, instead opting for registered nurses or other professionals to fill the nursing job.
Once licensed, LPNs can begin pursuing jobs as a licensed practical nurse in a variety of settings. They could work at a doctor’s office, a rehabilitation center, a hospital, or even a nursing home. The starting salaries for these jobs are usually very low, but they do provide a high starting salary for someone who has gone through the training to become an LPN.
As an RN, you will be responsible for performing many of the same duties as a licensed nurse. The main difference between the two is that you have more responsibilities than just seeing patients. Unlike a registered nurse, an LPN has much more responsibility and authority. RN responsibilities include planning and executing a healthcare organization, overseeing a staff of nurses, implementing policies and procedures regarding patient care, and much more.
One of the major responsibilities of an LPN is that of being responsible for their own education. To do this, they must pass the NCLEX-RN licensing exam and complete all the necessary courses to obtain their license as an LPN. All nurses must pass this licensing exam before working in any state.
Nurses must complete a minimum number of hours of course work, during which time they must complete either the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN licensing exams. Once they pass the licensing exam, they will be required to take part in continuing education credits each year. In order to renew their license, they must complete a specific amount of time away from their job in order to be able to apply for re-licensing. If they complete the required continuing education credits, they will be allowed to re-licence upon their completion of their RN degree.