Iowa helps provide much of the nation’s agricultural products, from corn to dairy to hogs to oats. Other sectors round out the economy, such as manufacturing and insurance. If you are an Iowan looking for information about becoming an LPN in Iowa, continue reading. You may find information that is helpful in several sections below. The first section talks about LPN schooling programs in Iowa, the second section describes typical job functions of LPNs in Iowa, the third section provides some of the requirements for a Practical Nursing license in Iowa, and lastly, the final section lists some LPN programs that may be available.

Studying to be an LPN – Basic Information

Iowa LPN programs follow a similar pattern to other state’s programs. Classes, labs, and clinicals may be combined in such a way as to maximize the students’ learning potential. Some classes may be gen-ed classes, like math and English, but most of them will be nursing classes, like pharmacology, nutrition, medical dosage, maternal-child nursing, and mental health nursing. Many of these classes might also have labs associated with them, where students can begin to work on practical skills they have learned in class. Teachers may oversee the students as they practice their skills during lab sessions. Clinicals are typically a big part of nursing courses. These are days when students go out and work in a medical setting, taking on LPN duties so that they can see what it is like actually being an LPN. Clinicals may occur once a week, or more or less often. With the combination of classes, labs, and clinicals, students usually get a comprehensive LPN education.

General Iowa LPN Job Duties

LPN jobs look much the same in Iowa as in other states, although the actual job duties of LPNs tends to vary among different employers. Licensed Practical Nurses generally work in wide range of medical environments. Depending on location of employment, LPNs might be tasked with different duties. For example, an LPN working at a nursing home may need to transfer an elderly patient from their bed into wheelchair, while an LPN employed in the NICU of a local hospital may bottle-feed some infants. Duties that LPNs tend to perform may fall into a few different categoties; direct monitoring of patients and their health status, bedside care duties, and specialized skills are examples of how some tasks may be categorized. For patient health status monitoring, an LPN may take blood pressure, blood sugar, height, weight, and temperature. The LPN may also communicate to the doctor about the patient’s healthcare concerns. For bedside care, the LPN may change the patient’s clothes, bathe the patient, assist the patient with personal hygiene, cleanse the patient’s wounds, and change the patient’s bandages. Some skills require specialized schooling beyond normal LPN schooling; if the LPN has had this type of schooling, they might able to work with catheters, work with IVs, and assist with dialysis. LPNs may perform other duties that might include tasks such as giving patients medication, supervising aides and assistants, and completing paperwork, like billing insurance.

Information on Iowa LPN Licensing Requirements

Iowa is a Compact state; in other words, it participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact, which allows nurses in participating states to practice in other participating states without needing to get an out-of-state license in the state they are working for, simply their own resident license. For LPN hopefuls in Iowa who are looking to get their LPN license for the first time, there is a set of requirements that they must fulfill in order to receive the license. For comprehensive information covering the application process and for information regarding unique licensing situations, visit the Iowa Board of Nursing (IBON) website.

First of all, the LPN hopeful must have gradated from a board-approved school. Second, the applicant must turn in an application along with appropriate fees and also an official fingerprint card in order to have a background check (for criminal history) completed. Having a record does not necessarily mean that the applicant is denied; there is an extra process that the applicant must go through to be approved, however. Also, the school that a person attended needs to send an official, sealed transcript to the IBON. Finally, the applicant must pass the NCLEX exam.

The NCLEX is the official nursing exam required for a license in Practical Nursing. This exam is completely computerized, and the next question is determined by the examinee’s previous response. Examinees are not measured against a specific amount of correct responses or a specific percentage of responses; rather, they must meet a preset standard.

Colleges in Iowa That May Offer LPN Schooling Programs

North Iowa Area Community College
500 College Dr, Mason City, IA 50401
(641) 423-1264

Des Moines Area Community College
1100 7th St, Des Moines, IA 50314
(515) 244-4226

Ellsworth Community College
1100 College Ave, Iowa Falls, IA 50126
(641) 648-4611

Hawkeye Community College
844 W 4th St, Waterloo, IA 50702
(319) 296-2320

Iowa Central Community College
1 Triton Cir, Fort Dodge, IA 50501
(515) 576-7201

Iowa Lakes Community College
3200 College Dr, Emmetsburg, IA 50536
(712) 852-3554

Iowa Valley Community College
3700 S Center St, Marshalltown, IA 50158
(641) 752-7106

Iowa Western Community College
2700 College Rd, Council Bluffs, IA 51503
(712) 325-3200

Kirkwood Community College
6301 Kirkwood Blvd SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
(319) 398-5411

Northeast Iowa Community College
951 N Linn Ave, New Hampton, IA 50659
(563) 562-3263

Southwestern Community College
1501 W Townline St, Creston, IA 50801
(641) 782-7081

Western Iowa Technical College
4647 Stone Ave, Sioux City, IA 51106
(712) 274-6400

Find LPN Programs Near Me
Select Your State for Local LPN Information