Texas, TX | LPN to RN Nursing Program Information

Why Enter a Texas LPN to RN Program?

The move from Licensed Practical Nurse to Registered Nurse in Texas may only take a year, but it can reap great rewards. The average salary for a Registered Nurse in Texas is above $60,000 a year (according to BLS.gov), plus typically excellent benefits. In addition to greatly increased salary, the possibility for more interesting work is another reason to enter an LPN to RN program in Texas. Registered Nurses receive much more responsibility than LPNs as they oversee and manage Licensed Practical Nurses and lesser trained caregivers such as Certified Nursing Assistants, assess patient needs, and even create and modify a plan of care based on their own assessments. While around 3 out of every 5 RNs works in a hospital, job opportunities from doctor’s offices to long term care facilities and public settings such as schools and community centers are also plentiful. In addition, RNs can be community educators with regards to public health. From occupational and mental health to anesthesia, radiology, rehabilitation, and beyond, the opportunity for specialization extends to all areas of health care. Clearly, an LPN to RN program in Texas opens the door to many opportunities that are not available to Licensed Practical Nurses.

How to Do a Texas LPN to RN Program

An LPN to RN program takes around a year and can be done in both a traditional classroom setting as well as online. Prerequisites include current certification as a Licensed Practical Nurse and often a year of experience working as an LPN. Required courses build upon those taken during LPN training and include math, chemistry, biology, English, communications, sociology, and, of course, a bulk of nursing specific course work. And, because LPN to RN training in Texas adds another year of specialized nurse courses as well, it is possible to receive an Associate Degree of Nursing.

Upon completion of the program, LPN to RN students take the RN version of the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN), for which The Texas Board of Nursing charges a $139 application fee in conjunction with the $200 test fee charged by NCLEX administrator Pearson Vue. Accredited RN candidates who pass the test are placed on the state nursing registry and eligible to practice as a Registered Nurse in Texas as soon as they receive their passing results.

An LPN to RN program in Texas is a great boost to a nurse’s earning potential and ability to pursue a specialized career of greater responsibility. But it is not the highest level of training available in the nursing world—a Bachelor of Science, Nursing and graduate programs in both health and education are available for those who wish to take their skills and knowledge even further, which lead to even more diverse careers in the education system, public health, and patient care and beyond.