Skills That Every Practical Nurse Should Have?

There are many responsibilities for a licensed practical nurse or an LPN. Through constant monitoring and care, an LPN is tasked to ensure that patients get the best kind of treatment. And because of the wide range of duties that an LPN should do, you sometimes need an LPN skills checklist in order to see if you typify the perfect LPN.

Departmental Proficiency

When you are out to evaluate the necessary LPN skills, perhaps it would help if you would assess the departments that an LPN is most familiar with. Every department requires a different set of LPN skills and work styles.

For instance, while an LPN that works in the orthopedic department may have already developed an expertise in treating patients that are dealing with amputation or arthritic disease, those who work in the pediatric department would be more skilled in child care than those who come from the former department.

Knowledge of Infection Prevention Methods

Medical facilities are designed to give aid to the sick and injured. An LPN should be well-versed when it comes to infection prevention since they frontline in bedside care and dressing up wounded patients. They should also be adept in their knowledge of universal precautions, correct waste disposal and medical equipment cleanup.

Assessment and Management

Other LPN skills include the performance of crucial assessment tasks as well as managerial jobs as long as the LPN already has ample training and years of experience. Depending on the patients’ needs, an LPN can perform specialized assessments of the respiratory, neurological, or cardiopulmonary systems.

Equipment Use

An LPN should also be knowledgeable in utilizing the wide range of medical equipments that are found in hospitals. Among the LPN skills, this requires technical knowledge so you’ve got to know a centrifuge from all the other equipment that you see in a medical facility. You should also know what lamps are for and why there is a need for an oxygen mask. There are more complex instruments such as the PleurEvac chest tube drainage device. Patient restraints should also be easily administered by a skilled LPN.

Other Basic LPN Skills

• A general knowledge of the practical nursing profession.
• Excellent communication skills (both speaking and listening)
• Watchfulness is always included on the LPN skills list.
• Since nursing is a very stressful job, you should also be psychologically healthy. You would inevitably encounter emergencies and deaths so it would be best to have no mental or psychiatric issues from the onset.
• LPN skills also include being able to work calmly even under pressure. Presence of mind is a skill that every LPN should strive to have since the hospital or clinic can sometimes be a place of tragedy and confusion.
• Kindness and empathy are two LPN skills that every practical nurse must have.
• A good LPN should also be flexible when it comes to her work hours and responsibilities. LPN is a demanding profession and you would sometimes be required to work long hours so don’t even think that you have the right to complain.
• You should also be physically healthy so that you can perform all the tasks that will be assigned to you.
• Be active and cheerful and your patients would heal more quickly.

There are hordes of other LPN skills that you can add to this list but these are deemed to be the most important. Strive to acquire them and you will be well-respected for your expertise and dedication to your chosen career.