A licensed practical nurse (LPN) provides direct care to sick and injured patients. This type of nurse usually takes his or her direction from a doctor or registered nurse (RN). In order to become a LPN, an individual must complete a nursing program. To do this, he or she will need to enroll in a nursing program at a respectable LPN school. Many factors may be considered when deciding upon the best school.
To choose the best LPN school, an individual will need to determine the type of nursing program he or she is interested in. Most LPNs seek an associate's degree. In general, degrees of this nature can be completed within two years. Although an associate's degree is the most common type of education licensed practical nurses seek, some do opt to enroll in certificate and bachelor's degree programs. The best licensed practical nurse school may offer more than one degree track to become an LPN.
Accreditation should also be considered when choosing the best school. All schools that offer a licensed practical nurse program are not accredited. Many employers will only accept nursing candidates who complete programs at accredited nursing institutions. For this reason, knowing this information can be very important for future employment. To find out if an LPN school is accredited, an individual should contact the head of the nursing program and ask.
The size of the LPN school may also be important when trying to choose the most ideal institution. Larger campuses may be appealing to some, while a smaller and more intimate environment may be desired by others. Other than campus size, classroom size is generally of equal importance. Smaller class sizes will typically mean a smaller student to teacher ratio. This number can be important as it may play into the amount of time a teach can devote to each nursing student on an individual basis.
For many students, the location of the school may make it appealing. Having to travel a great distance to get to the school can become problematic, especially as the seasons change. The location of the clinical coursework will also be important. Most licensed practical nurses have to complete a set amount of clinical hours, in which he or she get hands-on experience. Commonly, this type of work is completed in hospitals and having a location near the LPN school can make that school preferable.
One of the most certain ways a person can choose the best LPN school is to research. Spending an adequate amount of time conducting research can present a broad view of what several different nursing schools have to offer. In addition, the person can make a list and compare the advantages and disadvantages of attending different schools.