The Licensed Practical Nurse is the modern day Florence Nightingale and the LPN’s role in a hospital setting will be to provide hands-on, practical care for patients. During LPN training, students are taught precisely how to care and nurse patients and one of the most critical tasks of the LPN is to monitor any changes in the patient’s health and communicate these changes to the nursing staff or doctors. A LPN who holds an LPN degree will be responsible for monitoring the patient’s vital signs, administering medication, bathing patients, the changing of dressing of wounds, and administering medication.
The fact is that although many believe that becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse is not a real career, the bottom line is that LPNs provide first rate care for patients and they can work in every ward or sector of a hospital. A LPN in a paediatric facility or ward will certainly prove to be invaluable as LPNs can care for ill children, liaise with parents and help to ease a child’s concern or worry. Each US state allows LPNs to take on different duties or responsibilities and some states do not allow LPNs to administer medication, while others requires that LPNs work under close supervision of Registered Nurses.
Many hospitals require that the LPN be present during surgical procedures, or they are required to clean and set up medical equipment before a procedure. During LPN training, the LPN will work in care facilities or a hospital which means that before embarking on a career as an LPN, the LPN would have had direct practical experience and training in a medical environment. One of the most essential roles performed by the LPN is to keep and maintain the patient’s records. These records will include the patient’s vital signs, such as pulse and heart rate, blood pressure.