The Essential LPN Skills You’ll Learn While in School
The great thing about a Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) training program is that everything you learn is meant to be applicable to your job. Luckily enough, the job outlook in the United States for LPNs is rising at 9%, or much faster than average according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2019-2029). It is clear from this data that aspiring LPNs have something in common: they have no time to waste! Now is the perfect moment to take a step into the healthcare field. In fact, through Stone Academy’s LPN program, you can gain all the skills you’ll need to conquer job interviews in as few as 16 months. Apply your training to the NCLEX-PN exam, and you’ll be ready to practice in a variety of healthcare settings.
Your licensure and diploma are major cornerstones for your career. However, there is much more, about yourself and your capabilities, that you’ll need to convey to potential employers. What other LPN skills are important for your resume?
Use the following LPN skills checklist to hit all the rights notes on your next job application.
1. Display Your Interpersonal Skills
Aspiring LPNs can expect to spend the majority of their workday around people. Yet, nursing is unlike other people-facing jobs. People entering a healthcare facility are not ordering a coffee or purchasing a new sweater. Patients are often at their most vulnerable state when they seek healthcare assistance. They might be wounded, worried, potentially embarrassed, confused, or upset. No one decides to visit a hospital for fun! (Well, unless you are a nurse.) Patients visit with the mission of solving health problems. As an LPN, the following interpersonal skills will help you partner with patients, and make the most out of every interaction:
- Strong communication
- Lots of patience
- A collaborative work ethic
- Flexibility
- Professionalism and candor
- Physical stamina
LPNs spend the most time with patients, out of all members on the healthcare team. However, they also interact daily with Registered Nurses, physicians, and other medical staff. Exercising the above interpersonal skills during your practical nursing training will help you sharpen them for your career.
2. Gain Academic Nursing Knowledge
Where there is great opportunity, you can also expect competition amongst other prospective LPN hires. Here is one tip: Whether you’re hoping to work in a rehabilitation center, nursing home, hospital, physician’s office, or other environment, remember that a great way to “Wow!” your employers is with knowledge. A candidate who can convey that they’ve paid attention to coursework is more likely to capture the attention of higher-ups who’ve also devoted their lives and minds to nursing. Academic achievement helps you demonstrate your passion for the field.
3. Learn Clinical Skills through Practical Training
Stone Academy’s LPN program offers hands-on clinical experience, which prepares students for both acute care and long-term care environments. Essential, clinical LPN skills include:
- Conducting physical assessments.
- Monitoring vital signs.
- Collecting data and keeping records.
- Assisting patients with hygiene and comfort.
These duties make up the clinical foundation of the LPN role, however there are certain to be additional, job-specific activities that you’ll be responsible for, and ready for, because of your practical nursing program.
4. Develop Strong Decision-Making LPN Skills
LPNs who have the best grasp on both academic and clinical knowledge will be able to make more effective and sound decisions. This shows leadership potential. Ultimately, this is the way that you’ll be able to petition for raises and advance your LPN career. Put these three resume-boosting skills on display, and learn why you’ll want to leverage them:
- Prioritizing and implementing therapeutic care measures.
- The ability to prioritize shows a depth of understanding and management capabilities.
- Delegating direct patient care.
- Patient condition will dictate care provision. The best LPNs are both advocates for their patients and partners with other healthcare staff members including RNs, doctors, and orderlies.
- Educating patients and their family, friends, or other caretakers.
- The value in patient education cannot be overstated. Literally, the improvement rate of their condition could depend on it! Be clear, concise, and compassionate when explaining the care your team is providing. Listening to concerns and important lifestyle details will allow you to relay information and improve the patient’s potential for success.
5. Showcase Your LPN Skills
It’s important to recognize that, as an emerging LPN, the first way that you’ll likely be introducing yourself to a prospective healthcare facility is on paper. You’ll have your LPN diploma and a passing score for the NCLEX-PN exam. You’ll have months of education under your belt, as well as clinical experience. It never hurts to make a live appearance where you hope to be employed and to introduce yourself and get a sense for the atmosphere. Most likely, however, you’ll be sending proof of your licensure, an application, a sincere cover letter, and an up-to-date resume in a neat digital package. Responding to the exact skills mentioned in the description of a job posting is a tried-and-true method of scoring an interview. You’ve earned these skills, so take this opportunity to shout them out! Websites like ZipRecruiter calculate the must-have LPN keywords for your resume that you’ll want to mention, which will help to improve your LPN career search.
An LPN training program should be more than just “school.” It should improve the prospects for your future. Every drop of exertion that you put into your studies should pay off in the professional world. This is why a career-focused program is a smart idea. Learn more about how you can reach your LPN dreams, through Stone Academy in Connecticut. For additional information, call 800-585-1315. You can also request a tour or apply online to get started today.