Chances are that if you’ve landed on this page, you’re wondering about what’s involved in becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse. If that’s the case, you’re in luck! This page describes the basic steps to become an LPN. However, it’s important to understand that the exact and specific requirements to become an LPN vary from state-to-state and this article isn’t meant to be comprehensive or cover all of the possible things that a person needs to do, it’s only meant to be informational in nature. With that’s said, let’s look at some of the things that a person typically needs to do in order to become an LPN.

First of all, a person needs to be age 18 or older in order to become an LPN, so in other words, they need to be an adult. A person’s criminal background also needs to be taken into consideration before moving forward with becoming an LPN too, because there are some offenses that may prohibit a person from getting a practical nursing license, and this may vary from one state to another. If you’re a person who has some offenses on their record, it might be worthwhile to check with the Department of Labor in your state, the Board of Health, or the Board of Nursing to find out what offenses may prohibit you from obtaining licensure. It’s possible that depending on the offense, you might be able to obtain a waiver, but it’s also possible that you might not be able to obtain a license—the only way to know for sure is to check with your state.

After making sure that you meet the initial criteria (which may also include being properly immunized), people typically need to attend an LPN training program that is approved by their state Board of Nursing, or whichever agency is responsible for overseeing the nursing licensure. Typically, these types of programs are offered at community colleges and vocational schools and last about 1 year, although they can be longer in certain situations. After completing the training, a person may need to also complete their “clinicals” which is when a student goes out into the field and shadows a current LPN in order to gain supervised experience.

LPNs typically also need to take the NCLEX nursing exam and may also need to complete other testing requirements. Upon completion of these requirements, they may then be able to look for a place to work as an LPN, although again, the specifics of this depend on the state where a person resides and potentially some other factors as too. For more general information about the field of Practical Nursing, you can check out LPN Programs Focus (visit their site here). It's a site where you can learn more about the entire field of practical nursing.