Pennsylvania LPN Certification
Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) perform basic patient care duties, including feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, taking vital signs and administering medication. LPNs work in hospitals, medical facilities and patients' homes under the direct supervision of physicians and registered nurses. All LPNs are required to sit for the National Council for Licensure Examination (NCLEX) as a licensing prerequisite; states have varying NCLEX requirements, including Pennsylvania.
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High School Diploma or GED Equivalent
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Licensed practical nurses in the state of Pennsylvania are required to have their high school diploma or passing scores from the General Education Development (GED) high school equivalency exam. Students interested in a nursing career should take classes in anatomy, health, chemistry, biology and math. Depending on their nursing school's requirements, some high school students will also have to sit for the COMPASS standardized test.
LPN Training Program
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To earn LPN certification in Pennsylvania, applicants must complete an accredited licensed practical nursing program from a junior, technical or community college. Programs typically take 12 months of full-time attendance to complete. Students complete coursework in anatomy, physiology, fundamentals of nursing, pediatric nursing, maternity nursing, pharmacology, medical-surgical nursing, personal health and nutrition. In addition to classroom instruction, LPN students also earn clinical experience by practicing patient care under the supervision of a LPN or registered nurse (RN).
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Pennsylvania LPN Programs
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Education-portal.com lists two programs in Pennsylvania that offer LPN certificates. The LPN Program at Greater Altoona Career & Technology Center boasts that 94 percent of their graduates pass the NCLEX examination. The Career Technology Center at Lackawanna County reports their students spend only 40 percent of their tenure learning through classroom instruction; the other 60 percent is spent learning through supervised practical experience.
Pennsylvania Certification Application
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Upon graduating from an accredited nursing program, Pennsylvania LPN applicants are required to submit an Examination/TPP (Temporary Practice Permit) application. This application serves two purposes: it allows the Pennsylvania Board of Nursing to review whether applicants are eligible to sit for the NCLEX examination, and it provides applicants with a TPP (Temporary Practice Permit) to practice supervised nursing care while they wait for the results of their NCLEX exam.
The application must include the applicant's personal information including name, address, contact information, social security number, nursing license history and criminal history. Applicants must submit official transcripts from their nursing program (if one year has passed since graduation), a Nursing Education Verification form to be completed and signed by a nurse administrator at the student's program, a $35 TPP fee and a $35 examination application fee. Out of state LPN program graduates are required to pay a $100 application fee.
NCLEX Examination
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Immediately after submitting an Exam/TPP application, Pennsylvania LPN applicants are required to register with PearsonVue, the administering body of the NCLEX exam. Candidates must pay a $200 fee, and can register by phone, mail or Internet. Once the Pennsylvania Board of Nursing has deemed a candidate eligible to sit for the exam, she will be sent an ATT (Authority To Test) which includes exam sites, dates and times. On examination day, examinees are required to bring their ATT and a government issued photo identification, including driver's license, state I.D., military I.D. or passport.
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References
- Photo Credit Scrub Nurse image by Mary Beth Granger from Fotolia.com
