Alabama, AL - LPN to RN Nursing School Program
How to Enter an LPN to RN Program in Alabama
LPN to RN programs in Alabama take around a year to complete and are offered both in a traditional classroom and distance education setting. Prerequisites include, predictably, current certification as an LPN and, usually, a year of experience working as an LPN. Required courses build upon those taken during LPN training and include biology, math, chemistry, English, communications, and, of course, are mostly made up of nursing-specific study. With this additional year of training, many LPN to RN programs can also lead to a college degree: an Associate Degree, Nursing.
LPN to RN students take the RN version of the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN), which costs $200 from the exam administrator Pearson Vue, along with an $85 application fee paid to the Alabama Board of Nursing. The NCLEX-RN requires a higher level of skill and knowledge than the LPN version, but an LPN to RN program should have you adequately prepared—pass rates are still over 85 percent. Once received, an RN license requires 24 hours of state-approved continuing education for renewal every two years and a fee of $80 must be paid to the Alabama Board of Nursing.
While an LPN to RN in Alabama may lead to greater earning potential, diverse job options, and greater responsibility, there are further options for nursing training beyond RN licensure. RNs may pursue a Bachelor of Science, Nursing, and after that it is possible to enter graduate programs in both health and education, which lead to even more diverse careers in the private sector, the education system, and public health and beyond.
Why Enter an LPN to RN Program in Alabama?
Work as a Licensed Practical Nurse in Alabama can be rewarding. However, it is possible to advance one’s career through education, such as pursuing licensure as a Registered Nurse. RNs comprise the biggest group of health care practitioners in the United States, and their numbers are expected to grow faster than average over the next several years. In urban areas of Alabama, RNs typically make substantially more money than LPNs, with an average annual income around $59,000* plus benefits. Only one extra year of study is required to move from LPN to RN and reap the benefits of significantly higher wages and increased flexibility and responsibility in the workplace. Therefore, an LPN to RN program in Alabama might be worth the effort. *salary information provided by salary.com
The tasks assigned to Registered Nurses are often more complex and challenging than those required of LPNs—in fact, RNs are sometimes the direct supervisors to LPNs. Beyond the management of Licensed Practical Nurses and Certified Nursing Assistants, they assess patient needs and make and manage care plans based on their ongoing evaluations.
And while more than half of RN’s work in a hospital, Registered Nurses can also work in a wide range of other settings from doctor’s offices to long term care facilities and public settings such as schools and community centers. They can find jobs as community educators, mental health practitioners, radiology assistants and more. Indeed, the opportunity for specialization extends to all areas of health care—an enticing factor when deciding whether or not to enter an LPN to RN program in Alabama.
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