Major: Practical Nursing
Remember that person who took your blood pressure when you visited the doctor? Or the nurse who gave your mom a bath when she was in the hospital? In both cases, it’s likely you were in the caring hands of a licensed practical nurse (LPN). LPNs (also called LVNs) play a big supporting role in patient care.
In this major, you’ll learn all the skills needed to do the job. Typically a year-long certificate program, practical nursing majors learn everything from taking vital signs to giving injections, applying dressings, and other basic kinds of patient care.
Students of practical nursing learn the basic skills they need to assist registered nurses (RNs), doctors, or dentists.
Did You Know?
- Most LPNs work in hospitals and nursing-care facilities.
Are You Ready To...?
- Log a lot of lab time
- Learn to take vital signs
- Practice first aid and CPR
- Memorize medications and their functions
- Learn to give injections
- Study for the licensing exam
It Helps to Be...
Genuinely interested in helping the sick, with a head for science: nursing course work can be tough.
College Checklist
- Is the program accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission?
- When is the application deadline? Most nursing programs have limited enrollment, so don’t miss the boat.
- How well have recent grads fared on the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical/Vocational Nurses (NCLEX-PN)?
- Check out the clinical component. Will you practice in a nursing home, hospital, or some other kind of facility? Will you have options?
- With which local hospitals does the school have affiliations? Will the school help you find work after graduation?
Did You Know?
- Little Women author Louisa May Alcott was a volunteer nurse during the Civil War.
Course Spotlight
No, you can’t prescribe drugs as an LPN. But you will administer them, which is why pharmacology will likely be one of your required courses. While you may not have to memorize the prescription drug manual from A to Z, you will learn about the basic drug groups, their side effects, and their possible interactions.
This is a lecture class with lots of reading, so you can expect a high dose of tests and quizzes. By the time you’re finished, you’ll know the answers to many drug-related questions, such as, Why can’t a flu shot be given to someone allergic to eggs?
