There are many medical professionals on a health care team and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) are one of the most important. That’s because their duties mainly entail giving disabled, injured or sick patients bedside care. They continuously monitor the vital signs and medical conditions of their patients, being sure to note any irregularities or considerable changes. This documented information is then reported to both the registered nurses (RNs) and the doctors. Thus, LPNs work in close conjunction with and talk with other health care team members so that patient care is delivered in a reliable and incessant manner.
Not only do they document need to know information regarding to the health of a patient but they are required to carry out some essential medical procedures. These include:
- Specimen collection
- Enema administration
- Lab testing
LPNs must also assist the patients in doing their everyday activities such as ambulating and bathing; this is especially important if they’re not capable to doing these activities themselves, no matter what the reason may be. There are some stipulations on what an LPN can and cannot do when talking about medications and administering based on what their state guidelines have laid out. Now, the majority of states will not give permission to LPNs to give IV push and chemotherapeutic drugs. LPNs do, however, promote wellness and health management by making sure their patients and families are educated on how to take responsibility for their health. LPNs must also supervise the nursing assistants.
As you see, LPNs have a wide array of jobs they must do to ensure that patient health care does not lack. This makes them quite important to a health care team. Being an LPN is very demanding both emotionally and physically. A LPN’s job has numerous hazards and stressors. However, it’s offset by the difference they make in a patient’s life as well as their family’s life.
Thanks to the recent medical science advances and the latest developments in computers and information technology, online LPN programs are being offered by many technical and vocational LPN colleges and universities. A person should always be sure the school is accredited by the National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) before signing up for classes. That’s important because they cannot take the National Council of the State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) licensing exam otherwise and they can’t work without NCSBN licensing.
When a person completes an accredited Internet LPN course, it’s recognized as a continuing of their education. LPN curriculums used online are modeled after those in the regular classroom setting. That means that the standard of education is preserved. The Internet courses are made up of modules; each module stipulates the number of credit hours received for taking the course. There are some courses that can be taken online entirely, which means no traveling for students.
Some sections require hands-on and supervised clinic practice in a health care facility. These life skills will help in developing as well as evaluate their technical skills, in the hopes that they apply what they have learned about practical nursing (in the classroom or online) to real patient care. Experienced LPNs are responsible in supervising their prospective counterparts. Internet modules can be accessed whenever it’s needed and/or free time is available.
The Internet enables students more time to ponder over certain topics. Despite the self-paced setting, students do need to complete the program within a certain time frame. LPN programs have a variety of courses focusing on the basics of medical-surgical nursing, nutrition and dietetics, obstetrics, pediatrics, psychiatric and mental health nursing and practical nursing.