Careers in healthcare can take years to train for. But that doesn’t have to be the case. Did you know that you can enter the nursing field in less than a year with a vocational school diploma? The healthcare industry is growing, and licensed vocational nurses (LVN) are in demand. If you’re ready to change lives in your community, the time to enroll is now. A vocational school education offers tangible, lifelong benefits.
What Does an LVN Do?
An LVN is a professional, entry-level nurse. Supervised by a physician or registered nurse, they’re frontline workers that perform direct patient care in a broad range of healthcare settings, including doctor’s offices, nursing homes, hospitals, and schools. Job descriptions vary by setting, but responsibilities typically include:
- Helping patients eat, dress, bathe and use the toilet
- Obtaining vital signs
- Assessing pain levels
- Administering medications
- Recording intake and output
- Dressing wounds
- Giving tube feedings
- Managing oxygen, ventilators, and other medical equipment
- Inserting urinary catheters
- Testing blood glucose
- Assisting with physical therapy exercises
- Collecting laboratory specimens
- Monitoring changes in physical condition
- Supervising non-professional staff
- Documentation
- Educating patients and families
How Do You Become an LVN?
Becoming an LVN can be easy. First choose an accredited vocational school, apply, and then enroll. Prerequisites established by the state include a high school diploma or general equivalency certificate and a successful background check.
Training is a blend of classroom education and off-campus clinical rotations in settings where LVNs often work. Programs are short but intense, there are no shortcuts. The curriculum includes these subjects:
- Anatomy and physiology
- Pharmacology
- Human growth and development
- Mental health concepts
- Infection control
- Nursing fundamentals
- Community nursing models
You’ll graduate with a diploma that qualifies you for the licensing exam, the NCLEX-PN. Pass the test, and you’re ready to get to work.
What Are the Benefits of a Vocational Nursing Program?
Schools play an important role in their student’s success, so where you get an education matters as much as your course of study. Vocational school nursing students enjoy these benefits:
Benefit #1: Comprehensive Training
Vocational schools graduate nurses in less time because they focus on practical training. Forget the 18th-Century poetry class, all courses directly contribute to your skills as a caregiver. Programs are rigorous, but you’ll be work-ready a year or more before your university peers despite a similar core curriculum.
Benefit #2: Marketable Skills
You can learn anything in college, but earning a degree isn’t guaranteed to get you a job. Vocational schools specialize in meeting workforce demand, teaching only the relevant, in-demand skills that today’s employers need.
The job market is dynamic, and trendy careers come and go, but a vocational school diploma rarely loses its value. At a time when some fields are fading away, replaced by technology, nursing is here to stay.
Benefit #3: Small Class Sizes
Fewer students in a classroom ensures that everyone gets more individual attention. Why be a number in a packed lecture hall when you can get one-on-one attention from your instructor?
The atmosphere in vocational schools is relaxed, even if the pace is brisk. Creativity is encouraged and peers have a chance to connect. Instructors keep better tabs on their students’ academic progress, so no one falls behind.
Benefit #4: Hands-On Instruction
Nursing is a hands-on profession requiring many practical skills. There’s only so much you can learn from a book. Vocational schools combine the best in classroom instruction with real-world experience through clinical rotations and externships. Students gain valuable insight working with seasoned nurses in the field while making connections with future colleagues and potential employers.
Benefit #5: Flexible Schedules
Attending a nursing program full-time is the fastest way to graduate, but most vocational schools offer part-time programs. You can learn at your own pace while you continue to work and earn income. It’s an ideal way for adults with financial responsibilities to pay their bills without deferring their educational goals.
Benefit #6: Experienced Teachers
Vocational schools hire industry-experienced instructors, so students learn from those who’ve been in the field. More than teachers, instructors are mentors who bridge the gap between the classroom and the workplace, helping students navigate the transition.
Benefit #7: Networking Opportunities
Who you know is as important as what you know when it comes to getting your first job. Employers will want personal references who can attest to your honesty, compassion, and work ethic. Vocational schools support networking among students, instructors, and community business partners, encouraging peer groups and meet-and-greet opportunities.
Benefit #8: License Preparation
Graduation day for nursing students is both exciting and daunting, knowing that the licensing exam is right around the corner. First-time pass rates were high in 2020. Still, if taking tests isn’t your strong suit, you’re bound to be apprehensive.
Vocational school graduates have an edge when it comes to testing. Nursing programs cover all the material on the exam, and instructors teach to the test. Help is available to study and apply.
Benefit #9: Career Services
A diploma has no practical value unless it helps you land a job. But without experience, you’re at a disadvantage as an applicant, despite your education.
Vocational schools take your future seriously. They work closely with local hospitals and private practices, helping to fill their staffing needs while providing opportunities for their students. Hiring is costly for employers, so most look for staff among groups of applicants with proven skills, vocational school graduates.
Career advisers work with students from day one to place them in meaningful positions. Many job openings are never seen by the public, so as a vocational school student, you’re in the right place at the right time when employers come knocking.
Benefit #10: A Supportive Environment
Vocational schools understand the challenges adult workers face, and they try hard to eliminate barriers. Lifestyle-friendly, each perk they offer, from flexible schedules to small class sizes and job placement services, is part of a larger framework designed to support students as they meet their occupational goals.
In college, you’re on your own. However, vocational institutes are invested in you, supporting your goals from enrollment to graduation and beyond. So, put the worry aside, you have friends in your corner.
Benefit #11: Shorter Waiting Lists
The workforce needs nurses faster than schools can train them. If you’ve applied to RN programs, you know that admission is highly competitive, and you could wait years for a slot. Why put your life on hold?
Becoming an LVN is one way for RN candidates to get to the finish line faster. You can work as a licensed professional, accruing experience and income while you wait. Just being an LVN puts you at the top of the waiting list for many programs because it demonstrates commitment to the field. In some cases, you could get your degree faster.
Final Thoughts
Today’s students are rethinking their education choices. Going to a 4-year college is good but not necessarily practical or cost-effective. Vocational schools offer an affordable pathway to a rewarding career. It’s a win for students and communities that need new nurses.
Licensed Vocational Nurse
Classes for the VN 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.