There are a number of free online LPN classes available on the Internet that you could possibly benefit from. However, it is important to note that a number of these classes do not earn you college the credits you need for recognition when you complete them.
However the classes offered by Education Portal do give you college credits, and, as they are free, it is the cheapest way to get through the theory aspect of your course. More information about this can be found on this website, but we will summarize what Education Portal offers in this article.
The website will also provide you with information about the two schools that participate in the OpenCourseWare (OCW) project. This is a project through which nursing schools offer free coursework to students online. Usually these are introductory courses to get you started, but the important thing is that the work you do at these universities will earn you college credits. The two universities that participate in these courses are:
- University of Massachusetts at Boston (UMass Boston)
- Kaplan University
According to the website you will be able to:
- Watch free video lessons.
- Take free quizzes.
- Pass an exam to earn real college credit.
Now, this may not be the best way for you to get through your LPN training as the quality of the coursework that you will do could be called into question. However if it is your only option it is certainly better that nothing. The exam that you take will allow you to receive college credit that will then allow you to take your nursing career even further.
Universities That Participate in the OpenCourseWare (OCW) project
As mentioned previously, the two universities that offer free online LPN classes through the OpenCourseWare (OCW) project are University of Massachusetts at Boston (UMass Boston) and Kaplan University. We will take a bit of time to look at the qualifications offered in more detail now.
University of Massachusetts at Boston (UMass Boston)
Health Assessment and Promotion at UMass Boston
One of the courses that you will be able to do is Health Assessment and Promotion at UMass Boston. The main focus of this free online course is to teach you about the different aspects of patient health assessment. The coursework will include:
- Taking patient histories
- Conducting patient interviews
- Performing physical assessments
These are all essential parts of being an LPN, so the work covered here is very important. There are 2 textbooks and some additional materials that you should consider buying. They are not compulsory, but it is suggested that you make an effort to get your hands on this material as it could make your studying significantly easier. There is also a page dedicated to APA style resources on the website.
UMass Boston is a well-known University and there are a number of reasons why you should consider one of the courses offered here. The better known a university is, the higher the chances that your qualifications from that university will be taken seriously.
Professional Issues in Nursing at UMass Boston
In addition, you will be able to study Professional Issues in Nursing at UMass Boston. This course is quite a comprehensive one. In this free online learning system:
- You will develop critical thinking skills
- You will develop reading skills
- You will develop writing skills
- You will learn about nursing practices
- You will learn about ethical dilemmas
- You will learn about legal issues
- You will learn about management theory
- You will learn about leadership theory
- You will learn about health care cost management
In order to complete the course you will be required to look at the assignments that will be posted on the website on a weekly basis and to complete those assignments within the time specified. In addition you will be given a bibliography that you can use to do reading in your own time. PowerPoint slide presentations are provided for each of the weekly topics that you will cover. The complex issues covered in this course will require a high degree of attention and willingness to work on your part.
Kaplan University
Nursing Fundamentals at Kaplan University
Last but not least you can study Nursing Fundamentals at Kaplan University. For more information about what you will do if you choose to take part in these free online classes can be found here As the name of the course suggests you will learn the real basics in these classes. The ten units that you will work your way through include study of the following topics:
- Problem solving and decision making
- Nutrition and elimination
- Growth and development
- Legal and professional issues in nursing
- Oxygenation and mobility
- Taking vital signs
- Bathing and grooming
- Patient safety
- Personal care
- Initial assessment
Unlike the other courses mentioned here there are no additional materials required for these classes. Everything that you will need will be included on the Kaplan University website. This makes it the most affordable option.
Kaplan University is a well-known university for the study of nursing. When doing online courses it is always better to choose a university with a solid reputation, such as Kaplan University. As a starting point the free online LPN classes offered by this university are a good and safe bet.
Earning Credits from Free Online LPN Courses that are Not Automatically Recognized
At the beginning of this article it is stated that in most cases the work that you do for a free online course will not count towards your college credits. Well, there are two basic ways in which you turn that work into credits for college. However it is important to note that these methods will cost you a small fee. The fee is however reasonable and you will find that it is well worth the money that you will have to pay. The two methods are:
- To take the CLEP exam
- To engage in prior learning assessment
CLEP Exam
The courses that Education Portal offers do not directly earn you credit, but they do prepare you to take the CLEP exam. This will earn you credit that is widely accepted by several different schools. According to the website Education Portal offers:
- 33 exams covering general college subjects
- Credit accepted at over 2/3 of U.S. colleges and universities
- $77 per exam
- Each exam worth 3-12 college credits
- 90-minute long exams
- Over 1,700 U.S. testing centers
If you plan to make use of this method, you will first have to find out if the school that you would like to attend accepts CEP credit. This is a very important thing to determine or else it will be like wasting your time. You will need to make sure that you have access to a CLEP testing center. There has to be one near enough to for you to attend. You can check whether or not there is a testing center close to you by visiting here.
Once you have decided which exam you would like to take you can spend your time reviewing the necessary material that can be found online. Take any quizzes that are on offer and ensure that you are well prepared to answer questions about the topic. Once you have made sure that you are well prepared to take a test on the topic, register for your exam. Once you have passed the exam you will earn a full semester’s worth of credit that you can then report to your school. This will count towards your credits for your school and will allow you to continue your education without having to pay too much money. Not all courses and aspects of the LPN qualification can be completed online, but a fair portion of them can be and this may be a way to help you afford your qualification.
Prior Learning Assessment
Your other option is to prepare a portfolio based on your prior learning and knowledge. You will most likely need professional help in creating this portfolio, but free online LPN classes will count towards your prior learning assessment.
Basically everything that you have done in the past which is not formal studying will be collated and turned into a portfolio which can then be turned into college credits. The more online classes you do for free the better your portfolio may look and the better your chances of getting a substantial amount of college credits will be. The best way to get started with the creation of you prior learning assessment portfolio, is to visit Learning Counts. This is a resource that will help you prepare your portfolio. You will have to pay a small fee, but in the long run it will be worth it.
Courses Offered by Education Portal
Courses that are currently available or under development from Education Portal are:
- Bio 101: Introduction to Biology
- Business 102: Principles of Marketing
- Chemistry 101: General Chemistry
- English 101: English Literature
- English 104: College Composition
- History 101: Western Civilization I
- History 103: U.S. History I
- Math 101: College Algebra
- Math 104: Calculus
- Psych 101: Introductory Psychology
- Psych 102: Educational Psychology
Courses that will soon be available are:
- Math 102: College Mathematics
- Math 103: Pre Calculus
- Chem 101: Introductory Chemistry
- Psych 102: Educational Psychology
- Psych 103: Human Growth and Development
- Political Science 101: American Government
- Business 101: Principles of Marketing
- Business 102: Principles of Management
- Business 103: Financial Accounting
- Business 104: Information Systems
- Economics 101: Principles of Microeconomics
- Economics 102: Principles of Macroeconomics
- English 102: American Literature
- English 103: Analyzing and Interpreting Literature
- Sociology 101: Introductory Sociology
- History 102: History of Western Civilization II
- History 103: U.S. History I
- History 104: U.S. History II
A lot of these free courses could come in handy to LPN students. For example studying biology for free online will help you a lot with any other LPN studies that you are doing. As the course is free you can lose nothing by giving it a try. In addition you may find that topics such as English will help you with the necessary communication skills you will need in your job as a nurse, and psychology is a topic that you will also have to cover. The courses offered by Education Portal are very good supplementary resources to help you through your free online LPN classes. In addition you can use the other courses on the list to test out where your interests may lie.
Conclusion
Now that you have adequately assessed the pros and cons of studying for free through Education Portal you should have a very good idea in your mind regarding whether or not this is the course that you want to take and the method through which you want to learn. This is something that you will need to think about carefully. The decision you make at this stage will have a significant impact on your future as a nurse and the quality of the education that you receive could affect your job prospects from here on out. There are numerous free online LPN classes out there, but you need to decide whether or not they are really the best options for you personally. That being said I think it is fair to say that free online classes are a great resource to tap into if you are unable to study in a conventional way. Even if you are attending a paid course you could use the free online LPN classes to supplement those courses. A quick look online will reveal all of the options that you have in this regard.
