Jeff Said:

Is it better to go to school for Practical Nurse or Nurse?

We Answered:

LPN's are rarely hired in hospitals anymore. They mostly work in nursing homes, but here's the deal: even nurses are not getting hired now! My sister just graduated this spring, and only two of her classmates have found jobs, and they are both only temporary! That's how tough it is out there. RN's are now doing with LPN's used to do. Do not expect hospitals to pay you to go back to school, that is a thing of the past!
Your best bet is to become an RN right away. Four years of schooling is best (my sister got it done in three year round) because some hospitals made the decision to start only hiring RN's that hold a Bachelor's degree, and you can bet that will catch on. Plus, if your ultimate goal is to be a nurse, you don't need to worry about getting accepting into an LPN program AND a LPN-RN program, you get it done all at once. It's really the best option! Good luck

Ashley Said:

is it easy to get a job as a practical nurse, in the usa?

We Answered:

I think the two certificates are different. An LPN license takes about 2 years, typically.

...but yeah, there is a shortage of all positions in the medical field.

Alfredo Said:

What are some of the jobs practical nurse's do?

We Answered:

-Midwifery and delivering babies
-Caring for babies
-Caring for sick kids
-Making beds for patients
-Being called to patients bedsides when they need the toilet/bedpan or drinks etc
-'Washing' old or sick patients
-Filling out medical charts and monitoring
-Transferring/moving patients
-Taking patients out for a smoke (the stupid patients who still smoke after having their internal organs mucked up by that very same thing)
-In Critical Care units, nurses may have to observe the one same patient for up to entire shifts at a time to make sure they are alright and they don't suffer breathing difficulties etc
-Nurses could work in dialysis units, connecting and monitoring patients hooked up to blood-cleaning machines
-Operation recovery rooms
-Re-dressing wounds

Yolanda Said:

Whats the difference between a Medical Assistance and a License Practical Nurse?

We Answered:

LPNs care for patients in many ways. Often, they provide basic bedside care. Many LPNs measure and record patients’ vital signs such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration. They also prepare and give injections and enemas, monitor catheters, dress wounds, and give alcohol rubs and massages. To help keep patients comfortable, they assist with bathing, dressing, and personal hygiene, moving in bed, standing, and walking. They might also feed patients who need help eating. Experienced LPNs may supervise nursing assistants and aides.

The duties of medical assistants vary from office to office, depending on the location and size of the practice and the practitioner’s specialty. In small practices, medical assistants usually do many different kinds of tasks, handling both administrative and clinical duties and reporting directly to an office manager, physician, or other health practitioner. Those in large practices tend to specialize in a particular area, under the supervision of department administrators.

Medical assistants who perform administrative tasks have many duties. They update and file patients’ medical records, fill out insurance forms, and arrange for hospital admissions and laboratory services. They also perform tasks less specific to medical settings, such as answering telephones, greeting patients, handling correspondence, scheduling appointments, and handling billing and bookkeeping

One of the chief differences is that length of schooling required. LPN/LVNs have some job mobility, where as Medical Assistants tend to be stuck doing that work until they acquire more training or leave the field entirely and do more straight foward administrative work.