10 Characteristics of a Good LPN

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A medical team in a hospital or any healthcare facility works best with a licensed practical nurse. Licensed practical nurses can provide a variety of nurse care services depending on the healthcare facility they are working for. Most of the time, LPNs are the first in the medical team to be working with a patient since they have to record the patient’s medical history.

The work of an LPN does not end there. Here are some of the tasks an LPN performs:

• Medical administration under the supervision of the attending physician
• Taking and recording of vital signs (temperature, height, weight, and blood pressure)
• Supervising tasks of certified nurse assistants
• Assessing patient’s reactions to dosages of their medications
• Provide counseling and emotional support

Being a licensed practical nurse covers a lot of responsibility in providing care for their patients. To become a good and efficient LPN, here are 10 characteristics one should have.

• Interpersonal or good communicator  

It is an important part of the job to be in constant communication to both members of the medical team and the patient. As an LPN, one must be able to update the team with the progress of the patient. Also, the patient has to know every single detail of their care management.

• Emotionally stable

The job can be very stressful and losing a patient is inevitable. As an LPN, one must be strong enough to deal with these matters and continue the care management for other patients.

• Compassionate

Being caring and empathetic is an advantage in this profession. Patients are suffering physically, mentally, and emotionally. LPNs are considered advocates; hence, it is important to comfort them in times of distress.

• Flexibility

Working long hours is a part of the job. With different tasks under a LPNs scope, it is their flexibility that makes them efficient with their responsibilities.

• Detail oriented

Being keen to a patient’s need is very important. To ensure that patients are getting the right care, being focused on every detail is necessary. It is important to make sure that every step in care administration is followed so as not to compromise both the patient and the medical team. Changes should be made when no progress is recorded.

• Trustworthy

Patients should always feel secured and taken care of. Most importantly, they should give their full trust to the LPNs. Trust is a good foundation for both the patient and LPN for a smooth flow of medical administration.

• Fast thinker

LPNs should come up with immediate responses on or before a problem arises. As an LPN, one should think of solutions right away to a patient’s immediate need.

• Stamina or Physical Endurance

The job is physically exhausting. Most of the time spent is walking and standing. Oftentimes, there could be lifting as the need to transfer patients. A LPN should maintain a balanced diet, healthy lifestyle and stay strong for the job.

• Time management skills

With a lot of patients under their care, LPNs need to manage their time to be able to complete all the things they have to do during their shifts. On time clinical rotations and other scopes of nursing care should be administered and performed well. It can be challenging to handle a lot of patients but with time management, nothing is impossible.

• Respect

Being exposed to different kinds of patients, a LPN should maintain respect of a patient’s cultural background, religion, and even traditions. It is vital to understand these aspects as it helps in planning for the best care management for the patient.

LPNs have a tough job; however, with their experience in their field, everything seems to be perfectly fine. The most important thing is to remain professional despite the toxic working environment to avoid experiencing stress for the LPN and the patient as well.

How to Get a LPN Job?

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Licensed practical nurse – an important member of a medical team and a challenging task to perform.Getting a job as a licensed practical nurse or LPN may seem easy; however, in reality, a lot of LPNs are still in search of jobs in different states in the US. Though healthcare institutions continue to be understaffed, finding a candidate for the jobs is not easy as there are some qualifications to be considered.

LPNs are primarily tasked to provide routine care to patients, observe progress in patients’ health, and to assist doctors and registered nurses. LPNs are usually hired by state or federal government agencies. They can also work in their own communities providing health education and awareness. Some even work as consultants or medical transcriptionists. With this variety of job positions, it seems easy for a LPN to land a job. However, with the amount of people becoming LPNs, the competition for a good job becomes tougher. Getting an LPN job has become stressful, so here are a few tips on how to land an LPN job.

1. LPNs are known to have their own specialization in their field. It will be a good qualification if a LPN can focus on a specific area such as oncology and pediatrics.

2. A good academic standing is an added bonus to finding a good job as an LPN. Always have your transcript ready when applying.

3. Have an outstanding work experience. Whether you have worked in a hospital or home care,  the experience working with different cases is important to add to your expertise. Make sure to have the names of the facility and supervisors you have worked with for references.

4. LPN jobs are often advertised on the classified ads section in the newspaper. It will be a great idea to list down all prospect agencies and call them if they are still hiring.

5. Search for jobs online. There are webpages that post LPN jobs. Also, you can join social media pages that are targeted to LPNs. These forums and channels can notify you when a job comes up in your locale or state.

6. Ask people you know who are already working in healthcare facilities. These people are the best networks in knowing job posts. Also, they can be your references for your resume.

7. When you are already scheduled for an interview, come on time or even before the scheduled time. Your punctuality is a sign of good work ethics.

8. Dress appropriately. Building a good first impression on hiring managers should be considered. Unless asked to be on your scrubs, come to the interview on your best business attire.

9. Never provide work experience that you have not done before. This will compromise not only your work ethics but also the health of your soon-to-be patients when you get hired.

10. Do not stop learning. There are still a lot of things to be learned about your profession. Joining seminars and training can update your knowledge with the latest health issues, cases and administration.

Working as an LPN can be pretty stressful but seeing your patients satisfied with your care is priceless.

Find a job that suits you and be ready for the challenging work environment of an LPN.

5 Responsibilities of a Nursing Aide

Providing healthcare is a top priority in a medical staff. Each member has a vital role to play in a patient’s recovery. Among these members, nurses are highly needed to continuously monitor and update the team with regards to the patient’s medical status. Any changes should be reported for immediate treatment. 

 

Under the direct supervision of a registered nurse, nursing aides are responsible in closely monitoring the patients since they have the most time spent and contact with them. A nurse aide’s responsibilities may differ depending on the healthcare facility. For example, those who work in a hospital may need to provide basic personal care for the patients. Nurse aides in private homes may work as a companion for the patient doing house errands and even housekeeping. Though they can function very differently, nurse aides have fixed responsibilities which they are highly capable of.

· Attending to the patient’s personal care
Some patients may find it troublesome to do things on their own, most especially those who have just had a surgery, an injury or plainly because of old age. What nurse aides do is to provide assistance when they need to use the bathroom, take a shower, putting some clothes on, and even maintaining their oral health.

· Feeding and transfer of patients

There are times that patients can no longer have the strength to feed themselves because of sickness or an injury. Nurse aides assist patients when they need to eat and drink. They are also in charge of changing the linens or accompany the patient to the x-ray room. Nurse aides also help patients to move them from their beds. Most workplace injuries are common among nurse aides because of the constant lifting they do to their patients.

· Monitoring
Since they have the most contact with their patients, nurse aides are responsible in monitoring patient’s health status. They are usually the first people to observe changes with their patients. Taking their temperature and recording their viral signs are reported to the attending physicians. They are very detailed in keeping track of their patient’s progress.


· Cleaning

Though healthcare facilities have paid staff for sanitation, it is the nurse aides who maintain the cleanliness in their patient’s room. They change linens, clear the dishes once meals are done, and even tidy bedpans all for the patient’s care.

· Medicine Administration
Some nurse aides are given permission to administer medication as advised by the attending physician. If a patient is not showing any progress with his or her dosage, nurse aides, however, do not have the authority to change it. Nurse aides can also perform changing bandages and even assist physicians during a patient’s therapy.

Attending to their patient’s needs, especially when involving transfers and lifting, can pose danger in their workplaces. This is the reason why nurse aides have to undergo training for them to learn the proper lifting techniques. This ensures that both the patient and the nursing aide condition. Training is also required as some diseases can be very infectious. Nurse aides need to understand that their jobs expose them to different kinds of infections so awareness and following protocol is a must for this profession.

5 Responsibilities of a Licensed Practice Nurse or LPN

A variety of healthcare facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, home care agencies and rehabilitation centers employ licensed practical nurses (LPN) in their medical team. In a medical team, there are different healthcare professionals that have their own responsibility in providing care to their patients – and an LPN is an essential element of this team. Known for their flexibility in the workplace, LPNs in many American states can perform several tasks such as administering medications and even starting intravenous fluids. 

 

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Being an LPN takes a lot of knowledge and training. LPNs are required to have a year of training before they are awarded with a license. Most of this training focuses on theory and practical courses in practical nursing. Further, for their licenses to be renewed, a refresher course has to be taken. This updates their knowledge in their profession resulting to a better healthcare management. LPNs are sure to have a lot of tasks on their hands; however, with experience and professionalism, they are still able to perform their tasks well.

If you want to become a licensed practical nurse, it is crucial to have the basic knowledge on what their tasks are. Here are the five common responsibilities of a licensed practical nurse.

· Patient assessment

LPNs constantly monitor their patients. As a matter of fact, they spend the most time with them compared with the patent’s attending physician. With this, LPNs can easily assess the needs of their patients. Medications are administered on time ensuring the patient’s fast recovery.

· Recording of health history

It is very important to know a patient’s history. With this, the physician will be able to diagnose and prescribe the appropriate medication management to the patient. LPNs gather this vital information to keep record on the patient’s background.

· Care management

LPNs make sure that the care plan management is carefully carried out. It is the LPNs responsibility to let their colleagues understand the course of action they are going to take. They need to evaluate the plan’s effectiveness. Many look up to LPNs as team leaders putting more pressure for them to work harder.

· Counseling

It is a dilemma when patients find it hard to accept that they are sick or dying. LPNs are tasked to understand the feelings of their patients towards acceptance of their current health condition. They have to assist their patients and make sure they understand their condition and their options.

· Identify solutions

In order to give the best quality care, LPNs need to research and find solutions to a patient’s problem. When a possible plan of action has been laid out, it is time to collaborate with the team and evaluate whether this will work or not. It is their task to make sure they can find the best treatment option for their patient’s recovery.

Taking care of people has never been an easy job. The lives and recovery of the patient depend on how well you attend to them. Being a licensed practical nurse will take a lot of training and experience to be the best in the field. What LPNs need to possess is the virtue of responsibility and determination to effectively work well as LPNs.