How to Become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

A licensed practical nurse cares for patients under the supervision of registered nurses and doctors. While LPNs may be found in all medical facilities, some are specialized and work in places like nursing homes or in home health care.

A few of the typical duties of a licensed practical nurse (LPN) include:

• Providing bedside care
• Taking and recording vital signs
• Preparing and administering injections
• Preparing and administering enemas
• Dressing wounds
• Assisting with patient bathing
• Assisting patients with standing, walking and moving in bed
• Collecting test samples from patients
• Helping to deliver babies
• Helping to care for infants

A registered nurse is required to have more education/training than a licensed practical nurse and works in a supervisory position over licensed practical nurses. It is possible to move from being a licensed practical nurse to being a registered nurse, with appropriate education and licensing.

A typical LPN program takes about a year to complete. Additionally, an exam must be passed and licensing must be obtained. There are programs available to help finance nursing education via grants and loans. The financial aid officer of the school of interest will have that information. Additionally, the FAQs section of Allnursingschools.com lists links to information regarding how to get federal aid applications and the Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program (NSLFP).

Other sources such as Fastweb.com and CollegeScholarships.org offer resources and information for those wishing to pursue an education in nursing but need help with financing it. There may be some sources of financial assistance for the cost of the exam and licensing, as well.

There are licensing requirements, but the specifics vary by state. Contact information for individual state nursing boards may be found at a State-by-State listing page on the allnursingschools.com website.

According to Payscale.com, the median hourly rate in the United States for an LPN ranges from $12.76 to $22.07, based upon years of experience. The job outlook for licensed practical nurses is “very good” according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook (2010-11), but also depends upon “the industry”.

Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition. United States Department of Labor – Bureau of Labor Statistics. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos102.htm

PayScale.com. Hourly Rate Survery Report for Job: Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). Updated January 26, 2010. http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Licensed_Practical_Nurse_(LPN)/Hourly_Rate

Allnursingschools.com FAQs. http://www.allnursingschools.com/faqs/finance-nursing-school.php

CollegeScholarships.org Nursing Scholarships. http://www.collegescholarships.org/nursing.htm

Boards of Nursing – State by State. Allnursingschools.com. http://www.allnursingschools.com/faqs/boards.php