How do I become a LPN?

DelanaRN, MSN, APRN, NP · Mar 1, 2009

To obtain your LPN Diploma, you will have to go to LPN School. The length of the program will vary, dependant on the school you attend. My LPN Program was a 10.5 month accerated program. Prior to even graduating with my LPN, I applied to a LPN-RN Bridge program. This too was an accelerated program. I graduated with my LPN Diploma in June 2008. I began the RN Program the following month in July 2008. I will graduate from it in less than 10 weeks in May 2009. So, in less than two years, I will have my ADN. It has not been an easy route. I am exhausted. However, I know once I pass my NCLEX in June, it will all be worthwhile. I have been working as an LPN Hospice Nurse since October 2008. Having my LPN first has enabled me to make decent money while in RN school. Additionally, it has given me a good idea of what to expect on NCLEX RN as I have already taken NCLEX LPN. Also, if for some reason I don't make it through RN school (God forbid) I will have and be able to keep my LPN License.

Good luck in your decision

deemarys · Mar 1, 2009

You can start by preparing yourself for the Entrance Exam. I know of 2 of them. NET which is Nurse Entrance Exam and TEAS not sure of the meaning.

The schools I applied to want high Math and Reading Comprehension Scores. I am currently in a LPN program which lasts 12 months. Its very intense and usually people who work full-time and go to school find it hard to keep up. If you want to start in the fall you should start looking for schools in your area for testing dates.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Mar 2, 2009

I attended a private trade school's 12-month program to become an LPN.

You can earn an LPN diploma or certificate from a community college, adult education school, trade school, private college, high school-based program, or (rarely) some state universities. The time frame to become an LPN falls into the 12 to 18 month range, although a few programs are shorter or longer in length.

RochesterRN-BSN, BSN, RN · Mar 2, 2009

I would suggest you contact the admissions office and set up an appointment to ask these questions...at the local schools that offer an LPN program as well as maybe the RN programs near you so you know what your options are. Don't know where those are? I would look on line or look in your local phonebook.

Dean of Nursing · Mar 2, 2009

I think each college has their own exam in order to see who is qualified for their own program. Here in MN there are a few different tests that I can think of that we use not only for LPN students but for RN students as well.

I would suggest speaking to someone in the admissions department specifically regarding your circumstance and see if they can assist you more.

I hope this helps... nursing is awesome!

Rhone · Mar 6, 2009

My advice (as a current LPN student):

Step 1: Go to your state's Board of Nursing web site, which should have a list of all approved nursing programs in the state. If you live very close to a state border then you might also want to look at the neighboring state's BON website as well.

Step 2: Using that list, look up all the locations of all the LPN programs and narrow the list down to the ones that are in driving distance for you. If you really want to plan ahead, find all the local LPN-RN bridge programs and research them at the same time.

Step 3: Scour the web sites of those schools for information on their nursing programs; look for information on pre-requisites, admission criteria (and deadlines!), length of the program, etc. As part of this step you may also want to go back to the BON web site and check those schools' NCLEX pass rates.

Step 4: Contact someone at the schools you're interested in for more information and start planning to take whatever pre-requisites you need (get A's!), take whatever entrance exams need to be taken (study and score high!), and plan to have all of your transcripts and application stuff ready in time for the application deadlines.

Now, some generalizations: Most LPN programs are close to 1 year long; most ADN-RN programs are 2 years long; most LPN-RN bridge programs have the same pre-requisites as the school's RN program and require you to take a bridge class, after which you essentially jump into the second year of the RN program. Community college programs are usually the least expensive and usually have the highest NCLEX pass rates, but they're also usually the hardest to get into.