Why just dream about a nursing career? Students in Austin can become vocational nurses in as little as a year. Lifestyle-friendly training programs prepare you for a rewarding role in healthcare, a dynamic and growing industry. Enroll now to become a hero in the Austin community.

How Do You Become a Vocational Nurse in Austin?

Becoming a vocational nurse is a two-step process. Step one is to graduate from a state approved LVN program, the Texas Board of Nursing approves and regulates curricula to ensure consistent training.

Step two is to take the licensing exam, the NCLEX-PN. Pass and you’ll be a licensed vocational nurse.

What Do You Learn During an LVN Program?

LVN programs are geared toward entry-level nursing roles. You’ll learn what you need to succeed through a fusion of classroom and hands-on learning. The curriculum covers the topics on the NCLEX-PN and more. Courses include:

Health Science

Health science covers the biology, microbiology, anatomy, and chemistry instruction you need as a vocational nurse. You’ll learn about body structure, basic chemical reactions and how microorganisms grow. This course lays the scientific foundation for nursing interventions from treatments to infection control. You’ll expand on the knowledge gained here throughout the program.

Basic and Advanced Nursing Skills

LVN programs waste no time in teaching hands-on skills. Topics include:

  • Taking vital signs
  • Handwashing
  • Isolation principles
  • Body Mechanics
  • Workplace safety
  • Basic wound care
  • Personal hygiene
  • Assisting with mobility
  • Intake and output
  • Feeding techniques
  • Tube feedings
  • Catheterization
  • IV therapy
  • Pain assessment

Pharmacology

Pharmacology dives into drug therapy. Key points include drug classifications, therapeutic effects, contraindications, interactions, side effects, and nursing precautions.

Medication Administration

Medication administration is among an LVN’s primary responsibilities. This course covers routes of administration, patient rights and responsibilities, and drug safety. You’ll learn how to read doctor’s orders, calculate drug dosages, and assess the response to medication. Other topics include weights and measures, approved abbreviations, and nursing documentation.

Nursing in Health and Illness

Nursing is both proactive and reactive. You’ll learn to care for the sick and how to keep people well. This class covers basic care and comfort measures, safety and risk reduction principles, adaptation strategies and infection control.

Clinical Vocational Nursing

In this course, you learn to apply your knowledge in clinical settings. Topics include critical thinking, the nursing process, therapeutic communication, rehabilitation principles, mental health and community nursing concepts, evidence-based practice, and cultural competency.

Maternal-Neonatal Nursing

This class explores nursing care for childbearing families. You’ll learn about the physical, emotional, and social needs of newborns, parents, and other caregivers. Topics include pregnancy, labor and delivery, neonatal interventions, and family nutrition. Students will discuss their roles as advocates for families in medical facilities and the community.

Pediatrics

Vocational nurses care for patients of all ages. This course covers the basic nursing needs of children from infants to adolescents. Students explore growth and development, milestones and benchmarks, and preventive healthcare.

Leadership and Professional Development

This course examines the LVNs role as a leader and healthcare professional. You’ll learn where you fit in on a multidisciplinary team while exploring proven ways to grow through continuing education and membership in professional organizations.

What Is the NCLEX-PN?

The NCLEX-PN is an exam given to evaluate graduate nurses. NCLEX stands for National Council Licensure Examination, the letters PN show it’s for practical nurses. A passing grade is required to get a state license to practice.

Developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, a non-profit organization dedicated to nursing education, tests are updated annually to reflect current standards and best practices. Passing demonstrates to the state that you have the knowledge and skills to practice safely and effectively.

To sit for the exam in most states, you must:

  • Be 18 years of age or older
  • Have a clean criminal history
  • Have a diploma or degree from an accredited LVN program

The NCLEX-PN challenges your expertise in four main categories and eight subcategories. Questions are mostly multiple choice with an occasional drag-and-drop or fill-in-the-blank. The four main categories are:

Safe and Effective Care Environment

Questions in this domain assess your ability to provide safe, timely and effective care. Roughly 25% of the test, the topics include:

  • Patient advocacy
  • Advanced directives
  • Client confidentiality
  • Patient rights and responsibilities
  • Resource allocation and management
  • Clinical triage
  • Nursing supervision
  • Consent for treatment
  • Admissions, transfers, and discharges
  • Legal and ethical considerations
  • Quality assurance measures
  • Workplace security
  • Error prevention
  • Infection control and asepsis
  • Equipment management
  • Safety gear
  • Incident reporting
  • Emergency response plans

Health Promotion and Maintenance

Just 12% of the test, questions in this category cover:

  • Aging
  • Postpartum care
  • Human growth and development
  • Lifestyle choices
  • Risk behaviors
  • Disease prevention
  • Vaccinations
  • Self-care strategies
  • Preventive care

Psychosocial Integrity

Up to 15% of the exam, questions related to psychosocial integrity assess your knowledge of:

  • Mental health concepts
  • Cognitive disorders
  • Spiritual needs
  • Stress management
  • Social support systems
  • Substance abuse disorders
  • Chemical dependency
  • Grief and loss
  • Coping mechanisms
  • Crisis intervention
  • Therapeutic communication
  • Behavioral management
  • End-of-life care

Physiological Integrity

This section covers four domains.

Basic Care and Comfort – Up to 13% of the test, questions in this area cover:

  • Patient comfort
  • Mobility needs
  • Assistive devices
  • Nutrition and hydration
  • Personal hygiene
  • Elimination
  • Sleep

Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapy – This section evaluates your understanding of pain and medication management. Up to 16% of the exam, questions cover:

  • Medication administration
  • Therapeutic effects
  • Side effects
  • Adverse events
  • Non-pharmacological pain interventions

Physiological Adaptation – This section is up to 13% of the exam and covers:

  • Psychopathology
  • Body system disorders
  • Fluid and electrolyte imbalances
  • Clinical emergencies

Risk Reduction – Accounting for 9-15% of the test, this section gauges your knowledge of:

  • Vital signs
  • Diagnostic tests
  • Laboratory values
  • Treatment and complications

The NCLEX is entirely computerized, but it’s an unusual exam. Computer-adaptive, it starts with questions the average graduate gets right. If you answer correctly, the questions get harder. If you respond incorrectly, they get easier. This process continues until you’ve answered enough questions to demonstrate competency, or not.

You may get as few as 85 questions based on the degree of difficulty. The maximum is 205. Questions are also integrated, meaning that more than one topic may be addressed in a single question. The test forces you to think critically.

There’s no time limit for individual questions, so it pays to take your time. You won’t be asked to demonstrate skills, but you must do some math to figure out drug dosages. Test centers provide pencils and paper, and you can access the calculator on the computer.

You have five hours to finish the exam, including the introductory tutorial. Breaks aren’t mandatory, but you can take one after two hours and again after 90 minutes. It can help to clear your head. Test centers can accommodate most special needs if notified in advance.

Official results are posted within six weeks, but some candidates can get unofficial results after two business days by paying an extra fee. You can’t practice as a nurse, however, until the state board of nursing has them in writing.

Vocational schools prepare you for the content on the exam. Instructors are asked to cover the relevant topics and emphasize testing skills, so exam prep effectively begins on day one of your program. Students can also form study groups, tapping peers for help.

Final Thoughts

Vocational nurses are in demand nationwide, but there’s no better place to launch a career than in Texas. A haven for retirees, the Austin population is exploding. Home to a growing number of seniors who need ongoing care, it’s a hub of culture and entertainment. World-class medical facilities are brimming with opportunities for new graduates who want to grow their careers.

Licensed Vocational Nurse

Classes for the Vocational Nursing program are conducted in a student-friendly atmosphere conveniently located in Austin, Texas. After graduating from the Licensed Vocational Nursing program, students can apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN), become a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), and start their exciting new career immediately.

Contact us today to learn more about our CyberTex campuses.