Paramedic to LPN

If you are opting to change your career from a paramedic to LPN, then you’re not alone. The high stress that you often see as a paramedic may have driven you to think of looking into career advancement. Also, whichever way you look at it, you will see that an LPN scores much higher when it comes to salary and career opportunities.

The Change from Paramedic to LPN

One big advantage of changing from paramedic to LPN is that it leverages your training in paramedics. It can also give you additional experience as it paves the way for a better career ahead. This means that from being a paramedic, you now have a strong foundation to make your LPN career a stable one. And once you make that smooth transition from paramedic to LPN, you will also be given the chance to step up to another level in the near future and that is to become a registered nurse.

An LPN works under the direct supervision of doctors or a registered nurse. She supports in the implementation of treatment plans that have been set out by the doctor. Your work as an LPN ranges from doing preliminary diagnostics to checking vital signs and the administration of medications and injections. At times, you would do clerical jobs such as taking and filing medical insurance information and compiling patient data for the doctors to peruse.

Being a paramedic is more freelance since you don’t have to work in doctors’ offices. But you have to understand that transitioning from paramedic to LPN would do you much good since your salary and benefits will surely go up. Also, you will now get more respect as you have more duties to fulfill.

As a licensed practical nurse, you can also work as an educator by teaching patients on maintenance and giving counsel on the caretakers or relatives of the soon-to-be discharged patient.

Paramedic to LPN – The Training

The first step on your transition from paramedic to LPN is to complete the practical nursing training program. The duration of this program is from 9-18 months. Just make sure that the program you will be attending has been approved by the State Board of Nursing. Without this, you’re like taking a course that’s not going to accomplish your goal of moving up from paramedic to LPN.

The state-approved centers or nursing schools are numerous and all you’ve got to do is to do your research in finding the best one. You may also visit the website of the Board of Nursing in your state. In there, you will see the list of PN training schools which you can successfully change from paramedic to LPN.  These training centers can be found in most state colleges, community colleges, high schools, vocational schools and hospitals. If your paramedic work schedule won’t allow you to attend any of these training centers, then you can always opt for online LPN programs.

Paramedic to LPN training covers both theory and practice. Some of the fundamental courses of practical nursing are the following –

• Nursing fundamentals
• Diet therapy
• Nutrition
• Psychiatric training

Changing from paramedic to LPN also gives you the chance to specialize in these fields –

• Psychiatry
• Surgery
• Gerontology
• Pediatrics
• Obstetrics
• Anesthesiology

Becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse

The paramedic to LPN shift ends at you getting your license. Just pass the NCLEX-PN and then you can get your license and find a job – the rest, as everyone says, is history.