Communication is an integral component of the profession of nursing. Without perfect communication skills, it would be quite tedious for an LPN to conduct work and perform duties.

As an LPN you will be required to engage in several kinds of communication including:-

• Communication with managers, administrators, and staff
• LPN to LPN communication
• LPN to Patient communication
• LPN to Medical Staff/Physician communication
• LPN to Patient’s Family communication, etc.

In order to fulfill the same in the best way possible, you can adopt the following ways that may help you in enhancing and maintaining good communication.

1) Listen Prominently

The first and foremost important way of improving communication begins with prominent Listening. You should always listen carefully to what a colleague or a patient is saying. You should always conduct an alert and responsive posture while communicating with others.

Let them know that you are listening attentively and then answer them respectively.

2) Adjust To Your Audience

Every person an LPN interacts with, discuss different topics and situations.

A patient and his/her family generally converse about the health and condition of the patient. On the other hand, physicians and medical team members talk about the health progress report and the prevailing health condition of a patient. An LPN needs to carefully adjust according to the kind of audience he/she is communicating with. He/she must talk in simpler terms with patients and can make use of medical jargon while communicating with the medical staff.

3) Ensure Proper LPN to LPN Communication While Patient Handoffs

During shift changes and patient handoffs, you must diligently and accurately update the other LPN about the current health scenario of a patient. Make the other LPN familiar with the patient’s situation, background, assessment and let him/her know if you have any recommendations.

Guide them properly with the stage of illness, patient summary, and all other information that might be necessary.

4) Dodge Interruptions

It is important to avoid interruptions while ensuring good communication with others. You must not interrupt and cut off when someone is speaking. Listen to him first completely and once he is done, respond accordingly. Do not cut off as it signals impatience and unprofessionalism. It is a part of active listening and must always be kept in mind.

5) Maintain Positive Attitude & Keep Your Emotions in Check

Throughout your whole career of nursing, you will come across several kinds of situations and conversations. Some might upset you and some may trigger anger. To deal with such situations, you will need to learn to maintain your calm and tackle everything positively.

No matter what always ensure courteous and professional behavior while communicating with others.

Apart from all of these ways of communication improvement, you should also keep a check on the following:-

• Ensure proper eye-contact
• Maintain good tone while speaking
• Consider all the complaints and concerns thoughtfully
• Always keep your word and do not break trust
• Handle every patient with dignity
• Smile often
• Show care and compassion

So if you are an LPN, you must always make sure to incorporate these tactics in improving your communication skills. Also, if you are an LPN student, you must start practicing these ways now as these will surely help and benefit you ahead in the long run.

Also, if you are considering to join licensed practical nurse programs or thinking of getting admission in LPN programs, you can get enrolled in the accredited practical nursing programs of Verve College.

The licensed practical nursing programs of our LPN schools will help you in shaping up a brilliant future in the noble and reputable profession of nursing.

New Practical Nursing Classes are about to begin !!

Enroll now and get ready to embark upon a rewarding career in nursing.

New Classes commencing soon:-

Oak Brook: Day PN Class starting on 3/23/2020

Chicago: Weekend PN Class starting on 3/28/2020

Every profession has its duties and responsibilities. The duties vary from profession to profession. Even Licensed Practical Nurses have some prominent duties that they are obliged to do and take care of.

Being in the nursing profession demands a lot of hard work, compassion, and commitment. In order to lead a hassle-free and successful nursing career, there are several principal duties that all the LPNs are required to do.

Below-mentioned are some of the prominent basic duties and responsibilities:-

Administer a Patient’s Record & History

This is one of the primary duties that an LPN is required to do. It is an LPN’s job to administer a patient’s record and maintain a history of all the reports, appointments, tests, results of tests, etc. They need to maintain an appropriate Medical history of every patient.

Monitor Patients

This is another chief duty that LPNs perform. The Licensed Practical Nurses are also supposed to monitor a patient’s health and check their condition from time to time. They also need to inform the supervising doctors about a patient’s health, status and progress.

Change Wound Dressings

It is an LPN’s task to change the dressings of wounds and injuries that a patient might have suffered. Keeping a regular check on the healing of injury also comes under this duty.

Assistance to Patients

A Licensed Practical Nurse when learning nursing in LPN classes is also educated as to how they can help and assist their patients. They are taught how they need to help their patients in eating, getting dressed, bathing, and all such daily necessary activities. It is the most significant duty that LPNs do for their ailing patients.

Render Psychological Support

When patients face and undergo some kind of operations and checkups, they tend to get anxious at times. They might lose their control and may sometimes resist performing the medical procedure. In such cases, an LPN can prove to be of great support. LPNs can act as their support system in such situations by providing them emotional and psychological support. They can help the patients prepare themselves mentally for an operation or a medical procedure. This duty of LPNs can prove to be of great help in handling nervous patients.

Take Measurements

The next important duty of an LPN is to measure and maintain a record of a patient’s blood pressure, pulse rate, heart rate, body temperature and all such necessary factors that help in assessing and monitoring a patient’s health and progress.

Analyze a Patient’s Progress

An LPN must take care of a patient’s daily progress and improvement. They must also keep track of a patient’s fluid intake and output and prepare a medical progress chart accordingly.

Ensure Timely Medication

Another crucial duty of a Licensed Practical Nurse is to ensure the timely medication of the patients. They must always be alert to ensure that their patients take medicines on time and also take injections on the stipulated time intervals.

Collecting Samples

Collecting Samples for medical testing is another important duty that an LPN performs. It is a regular duty of an LPN to collect urine, blood and other bodily fluid samples of their patients for routine laboratory testings.

Communicate with Patients

Maintaining good communication with patients is also an important duty of a Licensed Practical Nurse. LPNs must know how to talk and converse well with their patients and their families to keep them updated about the progress, medication requirements, tests, etc. and also provide them the necessary support whenever needed.

Fulfilling an LPNs job effectively is quite challenging but once they maintain sync and balance in all the above-mentioned duties, no other problem can stop them from flourishing in this noble career.

So, if you are an LPN student or pursuing LPN courses, these are the principal duties that you will be required to perform diligently.

Also, if you are searching for night and weekend nursing programs, you can consider enrolling in LPN classes of Verve College. We provide Accredited LPN Programs along with Anatomy and Physiology Classes as well.

With our LPN nursing programs & night and weekend nursing programs, you can begin a prospering career in the arena of nursing.

Patient satisfaction is the main goal that all Doctors and LPNs aim and work for. It is the most significant priority of every medical person. Patient satisfaction is a kind of a measuring parameter that tells how content and satisfied a patient is with the medical care provided to him by the health care providers.

It is a crucial yet the most basic task that a Licensed Practical Nurse is supposed to ensure. It may seem easy but may turn out to be quite challenging too as every patient is different from one another.

Every patient goes through different medical issues and challenges. And tackling every different patient in a different manner, according to his nature, is what an LPN is supposed to understand, learn and do.

So, let us see the ways through which LPNs can improve patient satisfaction:-

1) Smile

The easiest tip to make your patient content and relaxed is to smile. Smile at your patients, greet them with wishes and ask them about their day. Just a little smile can go a long way with your patients and show your care and concern towards them. Also, the act of smiling stimulates neural messaging that helps in improving health, energy, and happiness.

2) Communicate

Having good communication skills is a must for an LPN. You must know the art of good communication as it helps in creating a bond with the patients. Communication helps in understanding what a patient is exactly feeling and going through and also helps him to open up with you. Thus for achieving your patient’s satisfaction, you must communicate with him regularly.

3) Eliminate Waiting Time

Nobody enjoys the waiting game. No one enjoys waiting for doctors, nurses, and LPNs when they don’t arrive at the scheduled appointment or nursing time. The patients start becoming frustrated and ultimately find themselves unsatisfied. Thus you should always make sure to appear at the right time and devote sufficient time in taking care and nursing of your patients.

4) Prep Your Patients

Often, patients undergo various kinds of operations and surgeries. Many of them become anxious and scared right before the commencement of the treatment. In such situations, LPNs can help them tackle anxiety issues and prepare them mentally for the scheduled operation. They can help the patients relax and make them feel secure. 

Thus this is also an important tip which an LPN must adopt while nursing their patients that ultimately ensures patient satisfaction.

5) Timely Nursing & Medication

It is the responsibility of an LPN to deliver proper and timely nursing to the patients. A patient will be satisfied only when he is rendered with timely nursing care and medication. Thus in order to ensure your patient’s satisfaction and well-being, you must take due care of these crucial things.

So, these were some of the most basic yet important ways that help in attaining patient satisfaction. Thus, if you are currently an LPN or studying under a Licensed Practical Nursing Program, you can adopt these tips in your LPN life.

Also, if you are searching for the best nursing schools in Illinois or even a practical nursing program near me, you can consider enrolling for LPN Programs of Verve College. We offer accredited LPN programs, anatomy and physiology classes, night and weekend nursing programs that may help you in beginning a remarkable career in nursing. It is one of the best nursing colleges in Illinois, certified with Illinois college of nursing accreditation.

Embark your nursing journey with Verve College.

It is a known fact that being in the profession of nursing is a tough job. It demands a huge commitment and immense dedication to hard work. It is a non-stop job wherein a Licensed Practical Nurse or a Registered Nurse continuously works towards helping and taking care of the patients. This simultaneous efforts at work, sometimes take a toll on the mental and physical health of the nurses. It may leave the LPNs in stress, worry, and anxiety.

Stress can hamper an LPN’s life from both external and internal aspects. Internal stress can cause a disturbance in the personal life and may hinder their health, nutrition, and emotional state. The external stress can cause issues in the job, family, relationships, and every other element of the physical environment.

In order to deal with the stress, here are some stress-relieving tips that may help you and all budding LPNs cope with the taxing circumstances:-

Take Out Time For Yoga & Exercises

Yoga and exercise are known to be the best stress-busters of all time. Engaging in such physical activities can boost your energy levels and minimize your stress.

So take out some time from your LPN routine for an exercise break. Take at least 20 minutes to walk in the garden too as nature impacts a positive effect on mental health. Incorporate this in your life and you will be relieved from the anxious and uneasy situations.

Engage in a Hobby You Enjoy

If you love painting, gardening, dancing or even singing, try taking out at least an hour for engaging in these activities. This may help you in releasing your stress and tension and leave you with a peaceful state of mind.

Take a Day Off for Mental Health & Rejuvenation

Due to extreme engagement in work, sometimes you may find yourself surrounded by intense pressure and tension. For overcoming such draining situations, do not hesitate to take a day off for regaining and rejuvenating your mental health.

Give a Try to Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy has strong healing powers. Having scented essential oils or candles around you at work may help you maintain your calm and peace of mind. The scent released by such aroma-products can help you relax and discharge your stress.

Eat Well & Healthy

This is a very simple and basic yet most significant stress-relieving tip. Try maintaining a good well-balanced diet. Include mood-boosting food items in your diet and you will be good to survive the tough and taxing situations of the day.

Laugh Often

They say Laughter is the best medicine. This is actually true and is an effective stress-busting tactic. Laugh often as it cuts tension, minimizes stress and lifts up the spirits.

Sleep Well

If you are sleep deprived, it may result in your loss of concentration and lead to fatigue and high stress. In order to deal with this, try maintaining a good sleep schedule and stick to it strictly. In this way, you will not only be relaxed but more energized to do your work at nursing.

Talk It Out

Talking with someone about what you are feeling and what you are going through can help you clear your mind. Sharing what you are holding up with someone can help you reduce your stress. So talk to your friend, colleague, teacher or any other person about your emotions as this can help you sort perspectives and feelings.

So if you are working in a hospital, clinic, nursing colleges, private nursing schools, daycare centers, etc., you can adopt these stress-relieving tips in your routine life. Incorporating these may help you regain your lost energy and lighten up your spirit at work.

Also, if you are an LPN student and currently working on your Nursing College Entrance Exam, and looking forward to enrolling in practical nursing schools, you can consider joining Verve College.

We offer accredited LPN Programs, practical nursing programs, anatomy, and physiology prep courses that can help you secure a good career in the credible field of nursing.

Join us for making a bright future in the LPN career.

Being in the shoes of a Licensed Practical Nurse gives the opportunity to play several roles at once. Due to the flexible and adaptable nature of the job, an LPN gets to witness various circumstances and thus molds into various roles accordingly.

An LPN usually works at hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, schools, care centers, etc., wherein they get to work on multiple patients and where they execute their different roles accordingly.

Following are the 6 Roles Played By A Licensed Practical Nurse in his/her entire LPN Journey:-

1) Clinician

Being a Clinician is the primary role played by an LPN. As a clinician, a Licensed Practical Nurse performs all the basic tasks of nursing. He/She undertakes tasks like dressings, health monitoring & evaluation of patients, assisting in medication, helping the RNs and doctors, etc.

This primary role as a clinician acts as the essence of the other roles that an LPN plays.

2) Counselor

As a counselor, an LPN assists the patient and his family to understand and talk freely about the illness and the treatment required for healing the illness.

In this role, an LPN makes the patient believe that they are with them while battling against the disease. They act as a backbone for the patient and his family and support them throughout the treatment journey.

3) Educator

Proper patient education is a must when it comes to performing medication activities. In the role of an educator, an LPN teaches the patient about his ailment, his medical condition, how the medication is supposed to be done, how to handle a wound, etc. An LPN helps a patient understand his health issue and clarify his doubts about the ailment.

4) Collaborator

A patient is treated by a team of practicing Doctors, RNs, CNAs, Physicians, LPNs, etc. They work and collaborate while treating a patient. They share and exchange information about the patient and suggest the best possible ways of administering a patient’s illness. While working as a team, an LPN also collaborates & shares his/her opinions and suggestions that can help the patient combat the ailment he is going through.

5) Advocate

An LPN also plays the role of an advocate as well. He/she helps a patient understand his rights and suggest what is best for him. They also stand beside the patient when they feel difficult in accessing their rights. They act as a support pillar for the patient and backs them whenever needed.

6) Administrator

As an administrator or a manager, an LPN administers all the needs of a patient, ensure proper medication, provide timely nursing, etc. They also supervise the other medical assistants and suggest to them how to address a patient’s health issue and how to implement the care plan of the patient.

Thus, these were some of the prominent roles that a Licensed Practical Nurse essays throughout her career and performs them proficiently.

If you are someone who is intending to enter this remarkable field of nursing, get ready to play these varied roles. Also, if you are looking forward to joining medical assistant programs or licensed practical nursing programs, you can consider enrolling in Verve College.

We offer licensed practical nursing programs and anatomy and physiology classes that can help you embark on the journey of becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse. We provide accredited LPN programs and A&P Class that can help you learn about the fundamentals of nursing, human anatomy, how a human body works and responds, etc.

Become a part of a fulfilling arena of nursing by enrolling with Verve College.

Maintaining a perfect work-life balance is often quite challenging. To lead a harmonious life while simultaneously blending both the personal and professional worlds demands some efforts. And when you are in a nursing profession, this task becomes even harder.

We all know that being an LPN is not an easy job. It requires complete dedication from an individual. It often changes the whole lifestyle of the individual. And due to such changes, maintaining a good balance between the work and the personal life often turns out to be challenging.

Thus in order to overcome the challenges faced while attempting to ensure a perfect work-life balance, here are 5 tips that can help an LPN:-

1) Sort and Set Out Your Priorities

To have a good balance between the professional and personal life, as an LPN you must set out your priorities. Figure out your future aspirations, your goals for the next 5 years, your family plans, your travel plans, etc. Analyze the time spent and required for every activity and carefully plan accordingly.

Prioritize every single aspect so that you can achieve a perfect balance in both the worlds.

2) Self-Care is the Cure

Being in a profession like that of an LPN often takes a toll on health. Due to continuous work and extended shifts, the health of an LPN might get a little hampered in certain ways. To avoid any kind of health issue, LPN must make sure to take care of self as well.

As an LPN, you must take out time for some activities like swimming, running, biking etc. Make sure to take enough sleep and have a balanced diet always. This will help you in attaining the required energy and capacity for doing your job perfectly.

3) Indulge in your Hobbies

If you are finding it a little hard to focus on your work and are finding your job to be quite exhausting, start engaging yourself in some of your hobbies.

If you love dancing, singing, painting or anything else, take a break from work and engage yourself in such activities. This will help you divert and will make you feel relaxed. And when you will be relaxed, you will ultimately be able to give your best to your job and will not find it exhausting.

4) Do Not Hesitate to Ask for Help

As an LPN, you might be engaged in a lot of activities at the same time.

Such activities may include handling many patients at the same moment, taking care of household work, etc.

To handle all such activities singlehandedly, can be a little challenging. To overcome this situation, you should ask for help from your colleagues and family. They will help you share the burden and balance both aspects of life.

5) Schedule All Activities

Make sure to set up a good and realistic schedule. Divide your time for every activity of yours. Be it work or just some household work, carefully dedicate a set time for every activity.

This way you will be able to handle everything perfectly and would not get exhausted from all the tasks around.

So if you are an LPN or are venturing to become one, you can adopt the above-listed work-life balance tips and lead a fulfilling life.

Also, if you are aspiring to become a successful LPN and searching for some practical nursing schools, you can consider joining Verve College.

We provide practical nursing programs, which can help you build a rewarding career in the field of nursing. We offer accredited LPN Programs, evening LPN programs, A&P Prep courses, etc, which can assist you in starting a great career in nursing. Join Verve College to establish a career path in the noble profession of nursing.

If you are passionate about helping people around you with their medical needs, you can have a rewarding career as a Licensed Practical Nurse. One of the major advantages of choosing an LPN as your career is minimum educational requirements. You just need to opt for any certified licensed practical nursing programs and you will be eligible to start working in many reputed health care facilities. Now we understand advantages & is practical nursing a good career below.

 Listed Below Are 4 Advantages of Choosing Your Career as a Licensed Practical Nurse:

1. Exciting Career Growth: As per the report from BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), the demand for LPN is expected to grow up to 16 percent till 2024. This is over twice the average demand growth for other occupations, which is approx. 7 percent. As the population is growing, more LPNs will be required in home health environments, residential care facilities, and hospitals.

2. Opportunities for Further Education: It is easy to make your nursing skills evolved throughout the career. After completing your licensed practical nursing education, you can grab certain opportunities for further education while working in any reputed health care facility. You can easily opt for RN (Registered Nursing) education to grow in your field.

3. Emotionally Rewarding: A career as a licensed practical nurse is often emotionally rewarding as you are helping people by offering them basic nursing care. You will provide basic comfort, monitor their health and teach their family members how to take care of their loved ones.

4. Flexibility: Most licensed practical nurses enjoy job flexibility by choosing the working shorts that fit the best to their schedule. You can also choose the health care setting that appeals to you the most. Some LPNs work in doctor’s office, while some work in clinics, hospitals, long-term care programs as well as skilled nursing facilities.

Is Practical Nursing a Good Career?

Well, becoming a successful licensed practical nurse is easy if you choose the right LPN nursing programs in any top LPN school in Chicago. Commonly, people take admission to the PN program or A&P course. Both programs help you get the best learning about different human body organs and their functions. With the great teaching staff, skilled instructors, lab resources, students can avail of the best nursing education in the LPN schools in Chicago.

If you are seeking the best nursing schools in Illinois or the best nursing school in Chicago, then Verve College is a considerable choice for you. We are recognized as one of the most popular and accredited nursing schools in Chicago, offering the highest quality and accredited nursing programs. We hold approval and accreditations from the Division of Private Business and Vocational Schools of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education, ABHES (Accrediting Bureau of Health Educational Schools) an so on.

So, are you ready to build a rewarding career in Licensed practical nursing? Choose Verve College and create a promising job outlook.

(more…)