How to Pick an LPN School near Bensenville Illinois
Now that you have chosen a rewarding career in the field of nursing, it’s important that you choose a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program near Bensenville IL that will furnish the proper instruction. If you reside in Texas or California, then you will be looking for a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) school instead. There is no distinction, except for the names, between an LPN and an LVN. They both undertake the same job functions and work in medical facilities under the guidance of Registered Nurses (RN) or Doctors. However their responsibilities do vary depending on the state they practice in, which we will talk about in the next segment. When initiating their search for LPN schools, many prospective nursing students start with the ones that are the closest to their homes or that are the least costly. While cost and location are relevant points to consider, they are not the only criteria that you should base your selection on. Other factors, for example if the schools are accredited or have high pass rates on the licensing exam are very important too. There are various other questions that you should ask potential schools before enrolling in an LPN program that we will talk about later in this article. But to start with, let’s have a look at the role of an LPN and what is involved in the instruction and licensing process.
What is an LPN in Bensenville IL?
Licensed Practical Nurses have many different duties that they complete in the Bensenville IL health facilities where they are employed. As their titles imply, they are required to be licensed in all states, including Illinois. While they may be accountable for supervising Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), they themselves normally work under the oversight of either an RN or a doctor. The health care facilities where they work are numerous and diverse, for instance hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and long-term care facilities. Anyplace that you can encounter patients seeking medical assistance is their domain. Every state not only regulates their licensing, but also what work activities an LPN can and can’t perform. So based on the state, their daily work functions might include:
- Checking vital signs
- Giving medicines
- Starting IV drips
- Overseeing patients
- Collecting blood or urine samples
- Maintaining patient records
- Assisting physicians or RNs with procedures
Along with their job duties being controlled by each state, the health facilities or other Bensenville IL healthcare providers where LPNs work can further limit their job roles within those parameters. Additionally, they can work in numerous specialties of nursing, including long-term care, critical care, oncology and cardiology.
LPN Programs in Illinois
There are principally two academic accreditations offered that provide training to become an LPN. The one that may be completed in the shortest period of time, typically about 1 year, is the certificate or diploma course. The next choice is to earn a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These programs are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma option and commonly require 2 years to complete. The benefit of Associate Degrees, in addition to offering a higher credential and more comprehensive instruction, are that they provide more transferrable credit toward a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing. Regardless of the type of credential you seek, it needs to be state approved and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or another national accrediting organization. The NLNAC guarantees that the course of study effectively prepares students to become Practical Nurses, and that most graduates pass the 50 state required NCLEX-PN licensing exam.
Online LPN Programs
Attending LPN programs online is emerging as a more popular way to obtain instruction and earn a nursing certificate or degree in Bensenville IL. Certain schools will require attendance on campus for part of the training, and virtually all programs call for a specified number of clinical rotation hours completed in a local healthcare facility. But since the balance of the training can be accessed online, this alternative may be a more practical approach to finding the free time to attend school for many students. Pertaining to tuition, a number of online degree programs are less costly than other on campus choices. Even supplementary expenses such as for commuting and study materials can be lessened, helping to make education more affordable. And many online programs are accredited by U.S. Department of Education recognized organizations. And so if your job and family responsibilities have left you with limited time to work toward your academic goals, it could be that an online LPN program will make it easier to fit a degree into your busy schedule.
What to Ask LPN Schools
Now that you have decided on obtaining your LPN certificate, as well as if you will attend classes on campus or on the web, you can utilize the following guidelines to start narrowing down your choices. As you probably realize, there are numerous nursing schools and colleges near Bensenville IL as well as within Illinois and throughout the United States. So it is important to lower the number of schools to select from so that you will have a manageable list. As we already pointed out, the location of the school as well as the price of tuition are most likely going to be the first two points that you will consider. But as we also emphasized, they should not be your sole qualifiers. So before making your ultimate choice, use the following questions to evaluate how your selection measures up to the other programs.
- Accreditation. It’s a good idea to make sure that the certificate program along with the school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. In addition to helping confirm that you get an excellent education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are oftentimes not available for non-accredited schools near Bensenville IL.
- Licensing Preparation. Licensing criteria for LPNs differ from state to state. In all states, a passing score is required on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) in addition to graduation from an accredited school. Many states require a specific number of clinical hours be performed, as well as the passing of additional tests. It’s essential that the school you are attending not only delivers an excellent education, but also preps you to comply with the minimum licensing requirements for Illinois or the state where you will be working.
- Reputation. Visit internet rating companies to see what the evaluations are for each of the LPN schools you are considering. Ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. In addition, check with the Illinois school licensing authority to determine if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can call some local Bensenville IL healthcare organizations you’re interested in working for after graduation and ask what their opinions are of the schools as well.
- Graduation and Job Placement Rates. Find out from the LPN programs you are considering what their graduation rates are as well as how long on average it takes students to complete their programs. A low graduation rate may be an indication that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. A high rate will not only substantiate that the school has a superb reputation within the Bensenville IL healthcare community, but that it also has the network of relationships to help students attain a position.
- Internship Programs. The most ideal way to acquire experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse is to work in a clinical environment. Virtually all nursing degree programs require a certain number of clinical hours be completed. Many states have minimum clinical hour requirements for licensing as well. Ask if the schools have a working relationship with nearby Bensenville IL community hospitals, clinics or labs and assist with the placement of students in internships.
Considering LPN School in Bensenville Illinois?
Bensenville, Illinois
First known as Tioga, it was formally established as Bensenville in 1873 along the Milwaukee Road railway. The community is named after Benzen, Germany.[3][4] A post office was established in 1873, but because there was an existing "Benson", the suffix "ville" was added.[3]
According to the 2010 census, Bensenville has a total area of 5.618 square miles (14.55 km2), of which 5.57 square miles (14.43 km2) (or 99.15%) is land and 0.048 square miles (0.12 km2) (or 0.85%) is water.[5]
As of the census [7] of 2010, there were 18,352 people residing in the village. The population density was 3,296.6 people per square mile (5,305.3/km²). There were 6,743 housing units. The racial makeup of the village was 67.3% White, 3.5% African American, 1.0% Native American, 4.8% Asian, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 47.8% of the population.
There were 6,312 households out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together, 11% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.50.
Choose the Right LPN Program near Bensenville IL
Picking the right Licensed Practical Nurse school is probably the most crucial phase to launching a new career in the health care industry. There are a number of variables that you need to consider when choosing a nursing school. These factors will be prioritized differently depending on your current career objectives, obligations, and economic situation. As we have stressed within this article, it is important that you select an RN school and a degree program that are each accredited and have outstanding reputations within the medical community. By using our checklist of qualifying questions, you will be able to develop a shortlist of schools to select from so that you can make your ultimate selection. And with the appropriate degree and training, combined with your dedication and desire to succeed, you can become an LPN in Bensenville IL.
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