For the last couple of months, I have spent many hours at the bedsides of ill family members. Most of my caretaking is really based on how intuitive I naturally am and how well I listen. Not only do I have to be on point with a schedule for meds, tube flushings, bandage changing and liquids, but I have to be very attuned with what the sick person really needs (as opposed to what she might be saying that she needs). I am no nurse, for sure, but I've done this so much recently, my best friend has started to call me Florence NightinCherryl. Truth is, I can only imagine what it might take to become a licensed practical nurse in terms of how much study is required. You really have to know some technical things about the human body and how it is supposed to function in a healthy state. There are many lpn schools that teach students how to work closely with patients in various health care settings to maintain and provide them basic medical care. You can complete LPN training in as little as 7 months to 1 year for a hospital certificate, or you can get an LPN degree in two years from a community college or trade school. LPNs earn up to $35,000 a year after graduation, depending on where they're located and what type of medical facility they work in. University of Phoenix, which has programs in several states, including Georgia, Florida, Colorado, California and Ohio (among others), seems to be a popular choice. Some of these kind of schools even have LPN - to - RN programs to ensure students become registered nurses, too. In our frail economic times, those who have been thinking about a career change might be pleased to know that this kind of work is always in demand. There is always a need for a gentle, knowledgeable hand on a sick bed.