State boards of nursing in the US require candidates for nursing licenses to sit a relevant NCLEX examination. There are two of these examinations: NCLEX RN covers those candidates for a registered nurse license, and
NCLEX PN covers candidates for a practical, or vocational nurse license. There are about 700,000 licensed practical/vocational nurses (LVN/LPN) in the US at the moment.
It is not permitted for a nurse to work in the United States without a license from the state board of nursing. All 50 states, and US territories such as Guam and the United States Virgin Islands, have their own boards of nursing. All these boards are members of the national grouping: the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
The National Council owns the licensing examinations, and administers them on behalf of the state boards. The
NCLEX exams are in a CAT (computerized adaptive testing) format. Most of the questions are in a worded multiple-choice format.
There are two types of exam. Certification as a registered nurse requires the RN examination, while certification as a practical nurse requires the
NCLEX PN examination. Practical nurses include LPNs (Licensed Practical Nurse) and LVNs (Licensed Vocational Nurse). These are broadly similar except the LVN title is used in California and Texas, and the LPN title is used in all other states.
LVNs and LPNs will usually have between 18 and 24 months of training in physiology, anatomy, medications and practical patient care. They are expected to be able to administer most medications, take measurements such as blood pressure and temperature, maintain sterile/isolation conditions, and keep proper records.
LPNs and LVNs would normally work while being supervised by an RN (registered nurse) or a physician. There are around 700,000 nurses working as LPN/LVN in the US.
More Information:
When you choose a nursing school, you ought to select a curriculum that prepares you to take the
NCLEX PN licensing exam. For additional information about schools and programs, visit the website at
http://www.gonursingschools.com/NCLEX-PN.htm now.
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