Health care reform means shifting career paths for LPNs as well as RNs. Whether you're an LPN or an RN, you need to understand where LPNs are required to go to stay within the demands for Vocational Nursing. Here are answers to some crucial questions.
One might ask: How have the LPN, LVN, RN and Vocational Nursing in general practices changed over the last few years?
LPN roles differs from state to state and from facility to facility, most LPNs are still employed as they always were-as health care team members working with the RN and physician. But some LPNs are now getting advanced preparation and taking positions in such areas as intravenous (I.V.) therapy, emergency medicine, and dialysis.
Traditionally some of these roles were fulfilled by more of the technical assistance for each area but since most continued education requires updating units every year some have expanded their vocation nursing expertise. This is notable in the Bay Area Nursing Programs at such schools as American College of Nursing and Bay Area Nursing College and others.
They're also practicing in such settings as the intensive care unit, coronary care unit, and operating room. In these settings, they have to understand electrocardiograms, emergency drugs, cardiac medications, advanced assessment, and so forth.
Because of reductions in hospital staff, more LPNs are working in home health care, neighborhood health clinics, and insurance firms, where they investigate injuries and arrange for care and coverage. In nursing homes, many LPNs are now in leadership or charge positions, with the certified nursing assistant as the primary caregiver. This will actually help expand the skill requirements and many options for those who are prepared to deal with the new paradigm shift of demands.
Nursing colleges and private vocational nursing programs have geared their education into these areas.
State boards of nursing are sometimes known for lagging in certifying schools and some of the regular committee bottlenecks and constant regulatory requirements but they are also re-evaluating the modern vocation nursing students course of study. LPNs' scope of practice, the LPN curriculum changes to keep pace. For example, in some regions, the education program for LPNs is still only 8 months. In others, it's a year, and in at least one, it's 2 years.
LVNs are very excited to join many of the Bay Area Nursing Programs. Nursing Colleges in general have waiting lists and now with the demands for Nursing Professionals ranging from RNs, LVNs, CNAs, and LPNs private Nursing Colleges are filling up fast since the salary for completing a 12 month program is very attractive.
For more information regarding LVN / RN, please visit http://www.Americancollegeofnursing.com