EUGENE, OR - One stepping stone at a time, Lane Community College student Diana Ambroson is moving closer to a career in nursing.
In September 2013, after just three terms, Diana will receive a certificate in licensed practical nursing, thanks to LCC's new one-year LPN program.
Tricia Tully, Lane's nursing coordinator, describes the program as "an independent and free-standing program" that is especially attractive for people who want to provide bedside care.
LPNs work in a variety of settings, including physician's offices, urgent care clinics, assisted living centers and long-term care facilities. They perform a variety of tasks such as dispensing medications, cleaning and dressing wounds, and monitoring glucose and blood pressure levels.
Tully says the nursing department also offers an LPN bridge option, an advanced placement program that allows students to enter the second year of Lane's registered nurse associate degree program, after they complete the required prerequisites.
Additionally, Lane is one of eight community colleges that participate in the Oregon Consortium for Nursing Education, which includes Oregon Health Sciences University. An LPN bridge student may enter the second year in any associate degree RN program within the consortium.
In contrast to LPNs, RNs assess patient conditions, and plan and make decisions about the care a patient will receive.
Local LPN wages range from $17 to $25 per hour. (RN wages range from $28 to $46 per hour.) According to the Oregon Employment Department, the growth rate for LPN jobs in Lane County is expected to be faster than Oregon as a whole, through 2020.
"I'm grateful to LCC for having these stepping stones," says Diana, who completed Lane's certified nursing assistant curricula a few years ago and has been working as a CNA in local long-term care facility.
Diana is glad to know that it's possible for her to eventually earn an RN degree, if she chooses, even while she is making a good wage as an LPN and spending time with her one-year-old daughter.
Lane is accepting applications now for its winter 2013-summer 2014 LPN program. For more information, see www.lanecc.edu/hp/nursing/licensed-practical-nursing
Lane is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution. Visit online at www.lanecc.edu or www.twitter.com/lanenews or www.facebook.com/lanecommunitycollege
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