At Otero Junior College in La Junta, Colorado, the practical nursing certificate is offered as an option for students. It encompasses the first two semesters of the registered nurse program and is fully approved by the Colorado Board of Nursing. OJC requires that all nursing students take two anatomy and physiology courses, a microbiology class, a psychology class in human growth and development and an English composition class prior to admission into the nursing program. The LPN certificate can be acquired after taking fundamentals of nursing, basic pharmacology, a course in diet and nutrition as well as math for clinical calculations, concepts in surgical and medical nursing, obstetric and pediatric nursing and pathophysiology (which deals with changes in normal bodily functions).
There are LPN nursing degree programs available such as the one that River Valley Community College in Claremont, New Hampshire, offers. Based on Self-Care Theories of Nursing, the program requires students to earn a B- or 80 percent passing grade in all courses. Additionally, all candidates must be licensed nursing assistants (LNA), which is earned after an eight-week course. The LPN degree requires three courses in self-care nursing, anatomy and physiology; an introductory course in psychology; a course in managing a professional practice; as well as elective courses. The program also requires clinical experiences that may be scheduled days or evenings.
Course work for certification or a degree as an LPN prepares you for a wide range of duties within the nursing environment. Typically, an LPN monitors patient vital signs, medications and intravenous drips as well as such fundamental needs as patient hygiene and prepping patients for exams. Often LPNs work in emergency rooms handling minor wounds and injuries and provide massages to bedridden patients. Many LPNs work in home health care organizations, checking on patients in their homes and monitoring their medications and vital signs and performing other necessary tasks.
Before registering for an LPN program, make certain that the school's nursing program is accredited by a recognized accreditation agency and, more important, make certain that the state nursing board or a similar body has certified the program. Virtually every state requires nursing education programs be recognized and sanctioned by a state nursing board or a similar body.