What Is An LPN Administrator?
There are a number of tasks that an LPN can perform in a health care setting. One of the main tasks that an LPN may be faced with is LPN administrative duties. There are a number of basic administrative and clerical duties for which an LPN is responsible for in a health care setting and that he or she will have to be skilled in. in fact to a certain degree you can even specialize in this area of nursing.
Nature Of The Work/duties
There are some basic LPN administrative duties that you will need to perform in most health care settings. These are:
- Maintaining medical records
- Manning the front desk
- Keeping track of the inventory at the practice or health care institute
Medical records refer to the information about a patient, specifically keeping track of their health and well being. These are very important in terms of the effective care of the patient. The front desk can refer to the reception desk in a doctor’s office or the in a hospital. Here you will need to answer the phone and make appointments for patients. Inventory is like stock. You will need to make sure that there are enough medical supplies at all times and you may be responsible for ordering new supplies when the need arises.
Employment
LPNs are employed in a number of different settings, including:
- Hospitals
- Health care facilities
- Hospices
- Homes of patients
- Doctor’s offices, and
- Clinics
The few employment opportunities mentioned above are just some of your many options. Because the skills of an LPN are so sought after you will be able to find a job as an LPN administrator in just about any health care setting. If you choose to focus on LPN administrative duties in your training you will be in high demand in places where administrators with a very strong background in nursing are required in order to maintain the records and handle patient queries. The employment opportunities are virtually endless as every healthcare setting has many LPN administrative duties.
LPN Administrator Requirements
To be an LPN administrator a primarily fulfill LPN administrative duties you will need to have a high school diploma or equivalent qualification, such as GED, in order to enter an LPN program. In an LPN program (which must be accredited by your state) you will learn all of the basics of nursing as well as some administrative tasks. Once you are an LPNB you can focus on jobs that have a high density of clerical or administrative duties so that you will be able to become an expert in that area. If you have a certificate or similar qualification in administration you will also find that it will be far easier to get a job in this regard. Doctor’s offices are the best places to work as there is a high degree of administrative order required in these settings.
Personality Traits
These are the main personality traits required in an LPN:
- You need to be a team player and be able to cooperate with others easily as you will be required to work in a team under superior supervision.
- You must have strong interaction/interpersonal and communication skills to deal with many different people on a daily basis.
- You will need to have a natural ability to make good judgment calls (this is something that will improve with practice).
- You need to have the ability not be biased as you will deal with many different and extremely diverse people in your administrative capacity every day.
- You need to be able to be pleasant and cheerful at all times no matter what has happened in your personal life.
- You must be reliable, responsible and willing to learn as you will need to pick up new skills all the time.
Educational Requirements
To be an LPN with a focus on LPN administrative duties you will have to adhere to the following educational requirements:
- You will need to have a high school diploma or a GED equivalent.
- You will need to complete an accredited LPN training program.
- You will have to write the NCLEX-PN examination, which is the national exam for LPNs.
- You will need to obtain licensure as an LPN form your state board of nursing.
- You will then have to focus on jobs that focus heavily on LPN administrative duties.
After a few years of working in LPN jobs where there is a strong emphasis on LPN administrative duties you can consider yourself to be an expert in the area and you can market yourself as such when applying for other similar jobs
Licensure
There are some basic licensing steps that you have to go through in order to become an LPN:
- You have to pass an accredited LPN program.
- Once you have completed this program, apply for licensure with your state board of nursing.
- Wait to hear if you have been approved for licensure or not.
- Once you are approved you must then sign up to write the NCLEX-PN exam. The information for this can be found on the website for Pearson Vue. Pay the necessary fee and schedule an exam date that is most suitable for you.
- Pass the exam. Once you are sent the results of your exam you will then go back to your state board of nursing, present your results, and receive your license.
- Your license must be renewed regularly.
How To Become An LPN Administrator
Training, Advancement And Other Qualifications
Once you are an LPN in an administrative capacity you can go on to receive your RN qualifications. This will stand you in good stead in the future as an RN with strong administrative abilities may be promoted to a managerial position within the hospital or health care setting and therefore have a higher status and higher pay. As you are required to do general LPN training before you can become an LPN with a focus on administration, you will still be qualified to apply for an LPN job in any setting. This essentially keeps your employment opportunities open so that you can be assured of always finding employment in the health care setting in one or other specific domain. In addition you could choose to specialize in a particular area as an RN.
Source An Accredited Education Program
Whenever you search for a nursing qualification program you need to make sure that it is accredited. Consequently when you search for an LPN training program on your path to becoming an LPN with a focus on LPN administrative duties, you need to make certain that that program in accredited by your state board of nursing. Although this information should be truthfully provided by the school or program in question, this is not always what happens. To be safe it is better if you enquire with your state board of nursing. You should ask your state board for a list of accredited programs or, if you already have a program in mind, ask the state board specifically of that particular program is accredited or not. Attending a program that is not accredited will waste your time and money.
Earn Your Associate’s Degree
As an LPN you do not need to have an associate’s degree. There are specific LPN qualifications that you can earn, but these will lead to certificates or diplomas, not degrees. If you get an associate’s degree you will no longer be termed an LPN. Instead you will have passed the threshold and now you will be known as an RN or registered nurse. This is the lowest RN qualification that you can get, so if you want to improve your RN qualification you can get one of the following:
- A bachelor’s degree in nursing
- A master’s degree in nursing
- A doctorate degree in nursing
The more advanced your degree is, the more chances for employment in excellent positions you will have. It takes time to earn a degree, but the end results are worth it.
Obtain Your Licensure
To be a nurse administrator you will have to become licensed as an LPN. This will require you to complete and LPN training course. Once you have completed the course you should apply for licensing from your state board of nursing. Your state board of nursing will approve your application, but then you will need to write the NCLEX-PN examination in order to actually receive your license. This will cost you an amount of $200 payable to the exam conveners, namely Pearson Vue. You may, in addition, have to pay a licensing fee to your state board of nursing as well as complete specified health and background checks. Your license will be renewed at regular intervals.
Online/Distance Education Programs
The top online LPN schools are:
University of Phoenix
3157 E. Elwood St.
Phoenix, AZ 85034
866-766-0766
phoenix.edu
Kaplan University
550 West Van Buren St., 7th Floor
Chicago, IL 60607
866-527-5268
online.kaplanuniversity.edu
Indiana State University
218 North Sixth St.
Terre Haute, IN 47809-1904
1-800-GO-TO-ISU
indstate.edu
Dover Business College
15 East Blackwell Street
Dover, NJ 07801
973-366-6700
doverbusinesscollege.org
Remember that, although the theory training can be done online, there is no way for you to get your hands-on training (which is required) through an online program. Consequently any program claiming to provide training completely online cannot be trusted. There are too many other factors to take into account. If you do a program online you will have to find an institute at which you can do your practical training as well.
Job Outlook
The job outlook for a nurse with a focus on LPN administrative duties is very good in the present climate. As with all jobs in the health care sector you will be guaranteed of regular and predictable job growth. Here it says: “According to the BLS, employment for LPNs increased by 21% from 2008-2018. This increase was due to an aging workforce with a growing number of workers entering retirement. Technological advances and a growing focus on preventative care are also responsible for the increase.” This is similar to the trend that we see for all nursing professions in general and we can expect to see future growth in these arenas in the years to come. It is a great way to get your foot in the door of the health care industry.
Earnings
As an LPN you can expect to earn an hourly rate of around $13.32 – $23.19, and this applies for administrative settings as well. Overtime is something in the region of $13.09 – $34.14 an hour. The bonus that you may earn each year is anything between $0.00 and $1,023. This brings your overall salary to between $27,786 and $50,624 a year. This is what you can expect to earn when performing LPN administrative duties. Your level of education will also affect your earnings to quite a noticeable degree:
- Associate’s Degree = $13.29 – $22.80
- Bachelor’s Degree = $13.10 – $23.08
- Diploma of Nursing (DN) = $13.79 – $23.05
- Certificate (Cert), Nursing = $12.94 – $23.83
- Certificate (Cert), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) = $13.11 – $23.15
There are a number of areas that you can focus in as an LPN, but with a focus on LPN administrative duties you will find that there are subtly different career oaths open to you. In addition you will always have your general LPN qualifications to fall back on and the opportunity to work as a regular nurse in a regular health care setting. You will also have the opportunity to advance your career by becoming an RN or perhaps even specializing. With a specialization in administration you may be able to enter a managerial position in the future as this is a role in a health care setting that requires very specific skills.
