Licensed Practical Nurse – Your Care Takers at Home

It is tough to imagine the state of solitude when you are bed ridden and in order to help one overcome such a state, the concept of Licensed Practical Nurse came into being. These are the specially assigned nurses who provide the required care to the people at the time of sickness, injury or any disability under the direction of physicians. The one thing which everyone wants is that special care which can help one overcome the sickness and feeling of illness. This term of Licensed practical nurse is used more commonly in Unites States especially in the states of California and Texas.

These nurses basically help the patients in reaching their level of functioning by providing medical support to the patients. Although there is no specialised setting for these nurses to work in but some nurses may only work in nursing homes, doctor’s offices or in home care. Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) in New York City developed the first formal training program for practical nurses in 1982. The origin of this concept of licensed practical nurse can be traced from the age old practice of training individuals on basic medical skills to work in home care and provide support to the doctors. With the increasing need of people to keep care takers at home and families wishing to keep a medically trained and skilled nurse at home for the patients, the programs for training nurses started to gain importance. Gradually and slowly, the concept is accepted as an altogether separate discipline. Today we have a number of medical institutions offering degrees and diplomas in training programs. But, different countries have their own individual acceptability of a person as a nurse or licensed practical nurse. For Example, in Canada, any registered nurse holding a Bachelor’s degree of science in nursing can be given a licence to practically work as a nurse under a physician’s guidance and subscription. But for countries like United Kingdom, the nursing procedure is very lengthy and complicated. And one has to undergo a number of trainings and exams before getting registered as a licensed practical nurse. They also have nurses working under registered nurses to gain excellence before they actually get registered.

In Australia, enrolled nurses undergo twelve months of training which includes fourteen week theoretical component and practical training in hospitals for the remainder of the weeks. These practical trainings include working in a hospital and gaining hands-on knowledge of applying the learnt skills. They are also paid for the hours of work and become the employees of the hospitals for that period. There are various duties and responsibilities attached with a Licensed practical nurse which range from taking care of the patient to supervising the nurses working under them. Another very important task which is added to the profile of these nurses is that of teaching about the diseases, their processes and preventions, teaching about the medication and care in the home etc. In other words, these are your care takers at home and sometimes your best friends too.