LPNs
are an essential and valuable part of the medical profession. They care for patients and generally work
under the guidance of an RN. Many people
working as LPNs are very happy with their jobs, and would not consider anything
else, while a few may have a desire to further their education and become an
RN. So, what steps do you take next?
Consider
whether or not it is financially reasonable to attend school at this particular
time in your life. Consider how finances
may change. You may need to cut working hours, to allow for study time. Next, check with your current employer, many
places offer tuition reimbursement, providing you stay at that facility for a
designated time after completing school.
This is often a great option if finances are limited, and the amount of
time required to remain at your current work facility usually comes with a
bonus upon completing school.
If
you do not have access to employer tuition reimbursement, there are government
grants that may be helpful. Many times,
if you agree to go practice as an RN in a designated area when school is
completed, you may get tuition paid for, your schooling. The area you, would be required, to work in
would most likely be, rural, and underserved medically, so, you would be doing
a good deed as well.
Related: 5 Questions to ask your Interviewer
LPN to RN Programs
LPN-to-RN
programs are designed for licensed practical nurses looking to further their
education and career. Using your LPN education and experience as a starting
point, LPN-to-RN programs offer a more in-depth curriculum at an accelerated
pace. Upon completion of this program, a licensed practical nurse has the
qualifications to sit for the NCLEX-RN, the national RN licensing exam.
Earning an associate’s degree will allow you
to work as an entry-level RN. You may also have opportunities to manage
LPNs. Program Length is generally one to
two years. If you’re interested in an LPN to RN program, check local community
colleges, vocational, or trade schools.
RN Facts
There
are some considerations before making a determination on which degree to
pursue. RNs with a bachelor degree are more likely to receive higher pay,
promotions management positions.
A
bachelor’s degree in RN will also allow
you to specialize in a particular area such as pediatrics or obstetrics. The
time it takes to earn a bachelor’s degree would be 2 to 4 years after practical
nursing courses.
LPN to RN Bridge Programs
The
purpose of an LPN to RN Bridge program is to help you transition to
professional nursing your education will include some non nursing courses. This
will consist of a collection of classes that will fill the LPN to RN
prerequisites. The number of
prerequisites you’ll be required to take will depend on your educational
background, and the length of your program will be, determined by how many
prerequisites you need to complete. Prerequisites generally fall in the
category of English composition, anatomy and physiology biology and general
chemistry. If you have previously taking this course, check local school before
enrolling some may not recognize them as legitimate prerequisite courses if
they were more than five and some 10 years ago. An example of some of the
classes you will take for our health assessment, are pharmacology, nursing
research, adult health nursing, community-based nursing, and women’s health. In
many cases you’ll be offered the chance to practice in a clinical setting with
some courses such as women's health, women’s health and adult health, this
enables you to apply your experience while focusing on learning hands-on.
Community-based nursing will focus on public health and how they can best help
a diverse population. It will also focus on disease management and communicable
diseases. Women’s health will focus on reproductive difficulties, pregnancies
and newborn. You may request clinicals based on your area of interest, however,
when attending most schools you’re not guaranteed your preference. In many
cases, a clinical experience often follows classes such as women’s health and
adult health so students can apply their classroom learning in a real world
setting.
Related:
My Most Memorable Patient
LPN-to-RN Entrance Exams
Nursing
schools want to ensure you’re competent in a variety of subjects before
enrolling you in a program. If the nursing program does not have a certain
number of successful graduates, funding issues may be questioned, so they want
to have a good idea that if you’re enrolled you’ll do well, and this is the
purpose of the entrance exams.
LPN to RN online programs
LPN
to RN online programs are available, and offer schedule flexibility, along with
regular coursework in programs. They are especially beneficial for people
with families or busy work schedules. Many online courses also charge quite a
bit lower tuition than the brick-and-mortar counterparts. Of course you’ll
still be required to complete clinics and attend some physical classes.
Furthering
your education regardless of what fieldwork you’re in is almost always a good
idea, and nursing is no exception. If you’ve worked as an LPN and know that you
love the field of nursing, and know you plan to move forward, pursuing an RN
degree is probably in your best interest.
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