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.
In 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.