Choosing a LVN program may be a difficult process because some schools are not accredited. Accreditation means the school has met the requirements of the state, and the coursework offered allows the student to practice as a LVN once she completes the program. A LVN student should research her state's guidelines to make sure the school she's choosing is state approved. Most LVN programs are offered at a trade school, vocational or community college. Students also have the benefit of taking many LVN programs online.
The coursework a LVN student takes depends on the school he is attending. LVN programs generally consists of courses in emergency care, nutrition, pediatric nursing, anatomy and physiology, medical-surgical nursing and obstetric nursing. Of course basic nursing skills courses are offered in a LVN program. Good nursing programs allow the nursing students to complete hands-on activities in the classroom, as well as at off-site hospitals and clinics.
LVN programs generally take a year to complete. Students generally need a high school diploma to be accepted into a LVN program. After completing the LVN program, a nurse may not become certified work as LVN until he passes the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN), which is a computer-based exam that varies in length. The coursework study in the LVN program prepares students for the NCLEX-PN that consists of four parts, safe and effective care environment, health promotion and maintenance, psychosocial integrity and physiological integrity.
The course work that a LVN completes prepares her for different job functions under the supervision of a registered nurse (RN) or a physician. After completing the LVN program a nurse is able to take patient vital signs, prepare and deliver injections, collect laboratory samples and perform routine laboratory tests, teach a patient and his family members about good health habit and assists patients in personal hygiene tasks. A LVN may be able to supervise nursing aides and assistants, depending on the nature of her work.
As of May 2008, the median annual wage of a LVN was $39,030 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The salary potential of a LVN is dependant on what type of health facility she works at, the location and her years of experience. In 2008 the median annual wage for LVN's working in a physician's office was $35,020, $39,510 for those working for home health care services, $40,580 for those working in a nursing home facility and $38,080 for those working in general medical and surgical hospitals.