The results of aging and general increase in demand for health care services have opened the great job opportunities for those who are interested to start their career in nursing field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be a 14% of increase employment of nurses over then next 8 years span from 2008 to 2016. While the demand for the nurses remains strong in hospitals, you can expect to find the great number of new job opportunities outside the hospital setting such as at home health care services and nursing care facilities.

There are various gateways for you to enter the career in nursing field. One of career path that you could follow is by attending a practical nursing program. Practical Nursing is a special program that allows those who are interested to become a nurse to see if they are able to handle the pressure and the job scope as a nurse before they decide to go for official examination to become a registered nurse. The practical nurse program will train you in the areas so that you can provide high quality nursing care at hospitals and other health care facilities. The main job functions of a practical nurse include helping patients in performing health assessments, administering prescribed medical treatments, creating safe environment for patients & etc.

You can choose to complete your LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) training program at hospital which will normally takes 7 months to 1 year to obtain the LPN certification; or you can earn a LPN degree directly from a nursing college. The college's LPN programs typically involve 1 to 2 years of study and practical training at hospital, community college or any health care facility. Once you are graduated from the nursing school, you also need to pass the N-CLEX-PN certificate examination in order to become a certified nurse. You should bear in mind that the requirements for nursing licensure are different from one state to another. Hence you must ensure that the nursing program you choose must be approved by the state's Board of Nursing in order to qualify as a licensed nurse of the state.

If later on in your nursing career, you decide to become a registered nurse, you can choose to earn your credentials through an LPN-to-RN or LPN-to-BSN program. If you want to continue your job as LPN while earning the credentials as a registered nurse, then online nursing program may be a good option because it allows you earn your credentials online without the need to quit your current job. There are many accredited online colleges and universities offering online nursing programs that include LPN-to-RN and LPN-to-BSN, you can choose any of them but make sure your selected nursing program is approved and recognized at your state.

Becoming a licensed practical nursing can be a good stepping stone for you to enter the nursing field. You can then advance your career to become a registered nurse through LPN-to-RN and LPN-to-BSN program.