How to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN/LVN)
Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs, called Licensed Vocational Nurses or LVNs in California and Texas) provide basic nursing care under the supervision of RNs and physicians. About 660,000 LPNs/LVNs practice nationally per the latest BLS data, with most concentrated in long-term care, skilled nursing facilities, home health, and physician offices.
Education
Accredited practical-nursing programs run 12-18 months full-time and are offered at community colleges, technical schools, and some hospital-based diploma programs. Curriculum covers basic nursing skills, pharmacology, gerontology, and supervised clinical rotations across long-term care + acute settings. Prerequisites are typically a high-school diploma or GED plus minimum GPA + sometimes the TEAS entrance exam.
Licensing
After program completion, candidates sit for the NCLEX-PN — the national exam administered by NCSBN. Pass = state-board application for licensure. Like RNs, LPN/LVN practice is governed by the Nurse Licensure Compact in 40+ states; non-compact states (CA, NY, MA, etc.) require state-specific licenses.
Scope of practice
LPN scope varies by state but generally covers basic patient care, vital signs, wound care, medication administration (oral + sometimes IV per state law), and routine assessments. RN supervision is required for care planning + IV-push medications in most states. LPNs cannot independently triage or perform sterile procedures requiring RN scope.
Where LPNs work
Roughly 35% in skilled-nursing facilities and continuing-care retirement communities, 20% in physician offices, 12% in home health, 12% in hospitals, with the rest spread across schools, correctional facilities, dialysis centers, and outpatient clinics. Hospitals have shifted away from LPN bedside roles toward all-RN staffing in many ICU/med-surg settings; long-term care and outpatient clinics remain the durable LPN job market.
Career progression
Common next step is an LPN-to-RN bridge program (~1-2 years to ADN, ~2-3 years to BSN). Many employers tuition-reimburse the bridge program for current LPN employees. From RN, further graduate paths open to NP / CRNA / educator roles.