What Does LPN Stand For?
LPN stands for Licensed Practical Nurse. LPNs are nurses who are licensed by the state they live in and they work with patients just like many other types of nurses. However, LPNs are different from RNs or Registered Nurses. They are licensed to work with patients, but don’t have the same depth of education that RNs have, so they usually don’t perform the same range of duties. LPNs also don’t work in all the places that RNs work, although there is some overlap between the two. LPNs often help patients with daily living tasks and provide supportive care under the supervision of an RN, doctor, or another member of the medical staff.An LPN is just a step under a Registered Nurse. Training and course work is less than it is for Registered Nurses, but more extensive than CNA training. Starting on the path to becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse is as easy as being accepted into a course program for LPN classes. Unlike becoming a full RN, there are no prerequisite college courses needed before applying for an LPN program. Prospective LPN students need to have completed high school, need to be US citizens, and if English is not your first language, need to take and provide passing scores for the TOEFL (Test of English as a foreign language). Some programs also require background checks. Competitive pay and short training time are huge draws to people looking into LPN training.
Some LPNs go on to become fully Registered Nurses, which takes quite a bit more schooling and time, but also comes with more responsibility and higher pay. However, many stay at the LPN level since there is less responsibility and therefore less stress. LPNs perform duties such as administering medication, checking vital signs of patients, cleaning and managing equipment and instruments, as well as giving out meals. All of the duties an LPN performs are done under the supervision of RNs and other medical professionals. The training an LPN receives can be applied towards other medical training (such as full nursing school), so the time in the program is worthwhile even for those with goals to go further in their medical training.
LPN programs typically take around a year to complete. Many are offered at community or technical colleges, though some programs are also offered online. The first place to look would be at schools which are in close proximity to you. Once a person completes the course work to become an LPN, they must then complete and pass the National Council Licensure exam (this is the test which all LPNs must take no matter what the state requirements are for course work). Once the course work and exam are passed, a person is licensed to work; however, there are also clinical hours which are required as part of the LPN program. Those wanting to become LPNs must complete an internship or hours of training on site, having to put in unpaid hours in order to acquire the necessary experience to be hired on as a full-time employee. LPN jobs are available in hospitals, private practices, in-home care situation, and other medical facilities. There is a lot more supervision in hospital or clinic settings, whereas working in home care LPNs are often on their own.
Where do LPNs Work?
LPNs often work in nursing homes, hospitals, private care facilities, in home care settings, and in residential care facilities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these settings make up about 80% of the settings where LPNs work. The other 20% could be a variety of things such as correctional facilities, treatment centers, and other places where people need medical care.
Registered Nurses may work in a variety of places where LPNs can’t work such as surgical rooms, and other places that require a higher level of education. This doesn’t mean that LPNs aren’t extremely valuable to a medical team, because they definitely are—it just means that among nurses, there are different levels of schooling and different specialties that people may choose to pursue based on their interests. Some people may be drawn more to one path in nursing, while others may prefer another path.
Common LPN Tasks
LPNs have a wide range of tasks that they perform from things that are more closely focused on patient care, to things that are more focused on administrative duties. Let’s look closer at some of the different things that LPNs do while working with patients, and also some of the administrative tasks that they may do.
LPNs may work with a variety of patients, and what they do in the setting where they work may depend heavily on the needs of their patients. Take for instance an LPN who works in a hospital; they may be doing a lot more tasks related to wound care because so many people are in the hospital because they need surgery or because they are injured. LPNs who work in a nursing home may do more tasks related to helping patients with daily living skills because many patients in a nursing home are there because they are unable to care for themselves, and not necessarily because they are injured, so the setting where an LPN works in important to consider when thinking about the tasks or job duties that they may have.
LPNs may commonly be found caring for wounds, helping patients who can’t move on their own get from one place to another, taking medical measurements and recording patient data (blood pressure, body temperature, etc.), and other supportive tasks such as changing bed sheets, helping dress patients, giving them medication (in some states), helping patients with meal preparation or eating, and guiding patients to treatment rooms. LPNs may also perform administrative tasks such as working with computers, ordering supplies, and working with other members of the medical staff to coordinate care.