Are You An LPN Looking For Work?
Young people interested in getting into the medical field but not have the money or the desire to become a doctor or registered nurse has the option of becoming a licensed practical nurse, or LPN. The do not have the same level of responsibility as a registered nurse, but their job in any health care facility, hospital, or nursing home is just as important.
Just like registered nurses, LPNs provide care to the sick, injured, disabled, and convalescent. They work under the guidance of both the doctor and registered nurse that is their supervisor and are the ones the patient is most likely to come into contact when their vital signs are checked. They apply and change dressings, collect laboratory samples, record food and fluid intake and output, help the patients bathe and dress and sometimes, if allowed in the state they are licensed in, administer medication. And experience licensed practical nurse may sometimes find his or herself as the supervisor of a nursing aide or assistant. If the nurse works in a doctor’s office, they may be the ones that schedule appointments. Those who work in private homes will find themselves adding cooking meals to the patient they are caring for. Other duties may be assigned to an LPN depending on their level of experience.
As with other medical personnel, a licensed practical nurse usually works a forty hour shift. This shift could be occur in the day, evening, or nighttime because patients need care at all times. This can be very strenuous work as nurses are required to be on their feet, helping patients move about, and even lifting patients into and from their beds. They face the same hazards as other personnel in a medical facility from chemicals to bodily-fluid contamination and are taught how to protect themselves in this environment. They are also taught how to deal with patients who may become irate and uncooperative.
LPN training lasts for approximately one year and includes both classroom and clinical training. Many high-schools and vocational schools offer these programs and at the end of their training they are ready to take their licensing exam. Many LPNs go on to receive their license as registered nurses.
Nowadays, LPNs are seen mostly in health-care facilities such as nursing homes and home health services, even doctor’s offices where the patient clientele is growing more and more each day as more services are offered there than in the hospital. As the populations around the world grow older, more home care is required and elderly patients who can be cared for at home usually need no more than what an LPN can offer.
Licensed practical nurses who are seeking employment should leave no stone unturned in their search. Earnings range from around $24,000.00 to $46,000.00 a year depending on the setting they choose. The need for these licensed care-givers is growing on a daily basis and anyone who is caring, patient, and able to work well under stress will find gainful employment in one the many areas of this field.
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