Getting Your Online LPN Degree
Becoming a licensed practical nurse (LPN) through a one-year online LPN nursing school, is an excellent way to get a working introduction to the wide and varied field of nursing without having to devote two to five years of study—not to mention a small fortune in tuition costs—toward an advanced degree. Becoming an LPN requires only a high school diploma or GED, so it's a quick and useful way to transition into a rewarding career for those who have not completed higher education.
LPNs, also referred to as licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), are health care professionals who have graduated from a state-approved, accredited LPN degree program and passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN).1 In 2006, there were over 1,500 state-approved training programs in practical nursing.2
What You'll Do With an Online LPN Degree
LPNs are often responsible for basic bedside care in hospitals and clinical settings. Their tasks can include monitoring and recording patients' vital signs, dressing wounds, giving injections, and bathing, dressing and feeding patients who cannot do these tasks themselves.
Some LPNs work in specialized areas such as maternity wards, where they help deliver and care for newborn infants, or nursing care facilities, where they meet the needs of geriatric patients in the later stages of life.
Regardless of where they work, LPNs are defined by their compassion and thoroughness. They are trained nurses who don't balk at the sight of blood or other bodily fluids and tissues, and who understand that, at some point, everyone needs—and deeply appreciates—the professional care they provide.
An Online LPN Degree Means Job Security
As an LPN, you'll have a rewarding career providing patients with vital, compassionate care, and with the need for quality health care increasing, you're practically guaranteed great job security. The overall demand for LPNs is expected to grow by 14 percent by 2016.
About 26 percent of LPNs work in elder health care, another 26 percent work in hospitals, and the rest are employed throughout the health care sector.3 With your online LPN degree, you can expect to start out earning an average of $33,535, with the potential to make more money with experience.4
Advantages of Enrolling in an LPN Nursing Program Online
Online LPN nursing programs are attractive to students who can't afford to relinquish their current job or sacrifice time with their family in order to go back to school. The only prerequisite to enrolling at an LPN nursing online school is a high school diploma or GED. Best of all, students graduate from LPN online nursing programs after about one year of study. Most online LPN nursing programs include a combination of classroom study and supervised clinical experience to give students a well-rounded educational base with which to begin their nursing career. Students study a wide array of subjects related to patient care, which can include the following:
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Pediatrics
- Psychiatric Nursing
- Nutrition
- Medical-Surgical Nursing
- First Aid
- Proper Drug Administration5
Many talented LPNs go on to complete their LPN-to-RN degree after several years of employment, often sponsored by employer-based financial assistance programs and further bolstered by federal tuition assistance programs.
Choosing an Online LPN Degree Program
After you've completed your online LPN degree program and passed your licensing exam, you're ready to enter the health care sector, the nation's largest and fastest-growing workforce. Earning your LPN degree from an online nursing program is a smart, fast way to begin your career in nursing. With so many reasons to say "yes" to becoming an LPN, why not start your search for LPN nursing degrees online today?
