When can you take the LPN exam??

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Sep 7, 2006

It's up to your state board of nursing. Check with the NYBON. There should be a link to it under the 'Links' tab in the gray toolbar along the top of this page. Good luck!

tookewlandy · Sep 7, 2006

Yes it is all on if your state allows you to or not. I know in PA, we cannot do that

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Sep 7, 2006

At what point are you allowed to take the state LPN exam once you've started taking nursing courses for your bachelor's in Nursing? I was told by a friend that you are able to get your LPN license while attending school for your bachelor's, is this true?

In NY, we're able to take the NCLEX-PN after completion of 3 semesters of an accredited RN program....that said, I know this to be an ADN RN program, so I don't know if the same 3 semesters apply. Honestly, might be longer in a BSN program, since oftentimes the first two years don't have the clinical time required; it's not until much later in the program you'd have enough clinical time to meet the requirement.

Still, you'll have to check with SBON to be sure what you need to do exactly. But yes, people can and do get LPNs while in school....it USED to be that it was only ONE year (two semesters) required before sitting for exam, so lots of RN students would get their LPNs to work as nurses over summer for $ and experience. Not anymore! By the time we qualified, NONE of my 65 classmates bothered with it as we'd be graduating as GN-RNs in mere months.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Sep 7, 2006

My curiosity got the best of me, so I checked it out! I'm going to paste here what I lifted from the NYS BON site:

"To meet the professional education requirement for licensure as a licensed practical nurse, you must have completed high school or the equivalent, and present satisfactory evidence of either a, b, c or d below.

a- graduation from at least a nine-month program in practical nursing registered by the New York State Education Department as licensure qualifying or recognized as preparatory for practice as a licensed practical nurse by the licensing authority or appropriate governmental agency in the jurisdiction where the school is located; or

b- completion of at least a nine-month program of study that is satisfactory to the New York State Education Department in a program conducted by the armed forces of the United States; or

c- completion of at least three semesters (or four quarters) of an approved U.S. program in professional nursing at the associate, diploma, or baccalaureate degree level, and completed nursing courses with a clinical component in each of the three semesters, having earned 20 semester hour credits (30 quarter hour credits) in clinical nursing courses with a grade of "C" or better in both the clinical and classroom portions of each course within the 20 semester hours (30 quarter hours); or

d- graduation from an approved program in general professional nursing.

In addition to the professional education requirement, every licensed practical nurse must complete approved coursework or training appropriate to the professional's practice in infection control and barrier precautions, including engineering and work practice controls, to prevent the transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the hepatitis b virus (HBV) in the course of professional practice. Graduates from New York State nursing programs after September 1, 1993 are credited with having completed this coursework as part of their nursing program. All other applicants must submit an attestation of compliance with or exemption from the infection control coursework requirement (Form 1IC) within 90 days of your date of licensure. Form 1IC will be sent to you along with your license. See additional information and a list of approved providers for this training. This information can also be requested by e-mailing [email protected] or by calling 518-474-3817 ext. 570."

So, if your program has sufficient clinical components in the first three semesters, and meets the other criteria, it looks good :)

jbjints · Sep 9, 2006

Thank you very much for the replies. Considering I can only go part time, the LPN idea might not work for me =(. I am a plumber by trade making a career change and I'd love to work for a hospital but the positions that they offer you I couldn't survive with the salary =(. I actually applied to hospitals for a mechanic position just to get my foot in the door but there haven't been any taker's. The LPN idea sounded great but after reading what RNs posted I may be so close to graduating when I am able to take the exam that it may not be worth it for me.