What Is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)?
Although the terms "licenced practical nurse" (LPN) and "registered nurse" (RN) are pronounced similarly, these two types of nurses do completely distinct types of work. In general, registered nurses have finished more schooling than licenced practical nurses (LPNs), and they are the ones who are in charge of dispensing medicine as well as performing tests and treatments. LPNs are responsible for providing fundamental patient care, which includes monitoring vital signs and blood pressure, as well as assisting patients with eating and dressing. Both jobs are essential to ensuring that patients are cared for and comfortable.
What is the role of a licensed practical nurse?
- Maintain an accurate record of a patient's medical history.
- Perform and make a note of several readings, such as blood pressure, temperature, and heart rate.
- Help sick individuals with the day-to-day tasks that are absolutely important, such as eating, bathing, and other things.
- Help with wound cleaning and dressing, as well as other fundamental aspects of patient care, such as giving injections, prescription drugs, enemas, and the like.
- Collect samples for lab testing according to the instructions given.
- When it is required, provide assistance on an emotional and psychological level.
- Maintain communication with the patient's relatives and friends in order to provide guidance, comfort, and instructions on the patient's discharge.
What Will I Study in an LPN Program?
- There is a general structure that you can anticipate adhering to, despite the fact that the classes you take will differ marginally from one program to the next.
- Courses in the fundamentals of nursing as well as nursing ethics: You will begin with these courses that cover the fundamentals. They will provide you with an overview of nursing as well as your function in the medical industry.
- In your science classes, you will learn the scientific concepts that are necessary for you to become an LPN or LVN. In general, this refers to topics like human anatomy and physiology, basic healthy food, as well as human growth and development.
- Nursing skills courses: Skills trainings will concentrate on thier job duties. You will acquire the skills necessary to evaluate patients, document information in charts, and dispense medication.
- Classes on patient care: If you take classes on patient care, you will learn how to ensure that your patients receive the highest possible level of care. You will gain an understanding of some of the most effective methods for communicating with patients, as well as methods for assisting patients with their hygiene, mobility, and other needs.
- Courses in population and specialisation: Both population and specialty courses will provide you with the foundational knowledge necessary to function effectively in a variety of environments. You will learn how to provide nursing care to patients of all ages, including paediatric and geriatric patients, as well as how to work in specialised settings such as neonatal units, addiction treatment units, and emergency rooms.
How Can You Become an LPN?
In only one year, you may complete the following steps to become a licenced practical nurse (LPN):
- Enroll in a training programme for practical nurses: In order to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), you are required to get a diploma in practical nursing from a school or training programme that is recognised. The completion of one of these programmes normally takes just a single calendar year and provides aspiring nurses with an education in fundamental nursing skills via a mix of classroom instruction and clinical practise.
- Participate in the NCLEX-PN examination: After obtaining your diploma in practical nursing, you will be qualified to take the National Council Licensing Examination for Practical Nurses test. This exam is required in order to become a licenced practical nurse (NCLEX-PN). In order to become a licenced practical nurse, you are need to pass this test.
- Begin your professional life and never stop learning: After earning a passing score on the LPN NCLEX-PN exam, you will be prepared to start your professional life as a licenced practical nurse. It is typical practise for nurses to obtain experience in the nursing field by working as a licenced practical nurse (LPN) while they continue their studies in an associate's or bachelor's degree nursing school.
What is the difference between an RN and an LPN?
Licensed Practical Nurse:
- Job responsibilities include administering fundamental medical and nursing care to patients, such as taking their blood pressure and inserting catheters; ensuring patients' comfort by assisting them with personal care tasks like bathing and dressing; and engaging patients in conversations about their medical conditions.
- Education: You are required to finish an authorised practical nursing program, which typically lasts about a year and a half from start to finish. The majority of students who enrol in these programmes do so in community or technical schools.
- Certification / licencing: You will be awarded a certification in practical nursing if you have successfully completed a practical nursing course via a school that has been recognised by the state. After you have finished all of those requirements, you will need to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) in order to get a licence and be authorised to work as a licenced practical nurse.
Registered Nurse:
- Patients must be given medicine and treatments, care plans must be coordinated, diagnostic tests must be carried out, and the findings must be analysed. These are the obligations of the job.
- Education: There are three different levels of education that may be obtained, including a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN), an associate's degree in nursing (ADN), or a certificate from a nursing school that has been recognised.
- Licensing and certification: In order to practise as a registered nurse, one must first get a nursing license, which may be done by graduating from a nursing school that has been granted accreditation and by scoring well on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). It's possible that some RNs may decide to pursue certification in their chosen specialty via professional groups. In most cases, certification is optional; nevertheless, it is required for certain higher-level employment.