Tag: CNA to LPN Transition

LPN to RN Bridge Course

License Practical Nurses experience certain challenges in their career. As much as they would want to do more for a patient, their skills are limited. LPN’s are trained and educated to be bedside nurses in the hospitals. They assist the registered nurses and physicians on taking care of the patient. LPNs are mostly limited to  basic patient care, administering medications, wound care and some basic nursing assessment with the intervention of RNs and physicians.

Today, the work of an LPN involves more than bedside care and paper work. While the role of LPNs gives them limitation in performing patient care, there are opportunities for LPN to advance in their field.

LPN RN bridge is a course designed to assist Licensed Practical Nurses in the transition of their role into Registered Nurses. LPNs who get into this course will get the opportunity to further their skills and knowledge. This serves as a stepladder for them to be trained and learn more. They can advance in their field with more understanding of the human body. LPN RN bridge programs vary from one school to another. They will be trained to conduct patient assessment and  care planning. as well as advance pharmacology, pathology and physiology.

LPN to RN bridge programs are structured on LPNs’ knowledge which they have gained from their experience. They will be offered credit for LPN education or working experience. LPNs take test on certain subjects. If they obtained a high score in that particular subject, they will be given credit even without them taking the class. As stated earlier, LPN to RN bridge courses vary from one school to another. There are also  online schools that offer LPN to RN programs. This provides a flexible option for LPNs. Be  sure to look at the educational requirements or if there are any prerequisites for the program.

Major Responsibilities of LPNs

Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) monitor the patient, seriously injured, convalescent and handicapped in many different health care settings like hospitals. In some states they are known as Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs).

LPNs/LVNs provide hands-on care to patients under the direction of RNs or medical doctors. LPN prep programs include a year of education at a healthcare facility, vocational-tech school or community college. Once they meet the education, students are then qualified for licensure as an LPN or LVN. Once certified, they are allowed to work at a hospital.

LPNs’ duties are restricted and they also have to work under the direction and supervision of a registered nurse or doctor. Most LPNs deliver standard bedside care. They get vital signs like temperature, blood pressure level, heartbeat and respiration. They also prepare and provide injections, apply dressings, provide alcohol rubs and massage therapy, use ice packs and keep track of catheters.

LPNs monitor patients and document complications or adverse reactions to medicines or treatments. They gather samples for assessment. They also execute routine laboratory tests; give food to patients and fluid intake. They assist patients with bathing, dressing and individual hygiene, they help keep them secure and care for their psychological needs. In states in which the law permits, they may provide prescribed medicines or commence intravenous fluids.

The majority of LPNs in hospitals and nursing homes work for 40-hour week, but due to the fact patients need around-the-clock care, some work nights, holidays and weekends. They frequently stand for very long periods and assist patients to move in bed, stand or stroll. Their job is physically and mentally demanding but may open doors for career development and satisfaction.

Transition from CNA to LPN

It is good to start your profession in the healthcare field as a CNA, but to advance in your profession and to take up higher patient care obligations, a CNA to LPN (licensed practical nurse) program will be of excellent help. Although both the CNAs and the LPNs work under the guidance of a nurse (RN) or a doctor, the obligations managed by them are different. Typically, an LPN must finish one year of training before getting hired. However, a CNA can find work after attending a course for 6-24 weeks, based on the schedule of classes chosen, that includes 75 hours of approved training.

lpnIn a CNA to LPN program, you get trained to work as a licensed practical nurse through classes and clinical experience in medical centers. You learn to take vital signs such as blood pressure and help doctors with various surgical procedures. You can enroll for a CNA to LPN bridge course at a college or a vocational training school. Online CNA to LPN bridge programs are also available. In order to get registered into a CNA to Licensed Practical Nurse program, you must have a secondary school degree or GED. You should also have excellent scores in college placement exams and must complete background checks. It is not essential that you have training as a CNA to seek admittance to a CNA to LPN training course, but you stand a better chance of getting selected if you have experience as the entrance process for an LPN program is very competitive. Some institutions may require you to clear the ACT test.

The CNA to LPN education and training specifications vary from state to state. For example, you need to have 51 months of experience in an acute care hospital in the state of California. Clinical specialty requirements consist of 200 hours in pediatric medicine, 200 hours in genitourinary or maternity and 64 hours in Pharmacology. 64 additional hours in one of these specialized areas is also needed. After finishing the CNA to LPN program, you need to take the NCLEX-PN to get qualified as an LPN. To be able to get employed in any wellness care facility in any state, it is important that you get licensed as an LPN. As an LPN, you will find perform in nursing care features, residential care features, physician’s offices, out-patient care centers, medical centers and also with home nursing services.