Virginia, VA | LPN to RN Nursing School Program

Why Enter a Virginia LPN to RN Program?

The move from Licensed Practical Nurse to Registered Nurse in Virginia may only take a year, but it can reap great rewards. An RN’s average salary in the state is above $60,000 a year, not including extensive benefits that staff nurses typically receive. In addition to greatly increased salary, the possibility for more interesting work is another reason to enter an LPN to RN program in Virginia. 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 close to two thirds of RNs work in hospitals, 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 Virginia opens the door to many opportunities that are not available to Licensed Practical Nurses.

How to Do a Virginia 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. Course work is an extension of LPN training and covers topics like statistics, microbiology, communications, chemistry, and, of course, a heavy focus on nursing specific topics such as patient care and medication. And, because LPN to RN training in Virginia adds another year of specialized nurse courses as well, it is possible to receive an Associate Degree of Nursing as well.

Upon completion of the program, LPN to RN students take the RN version of the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN), for which The Virginia Board of Nursing charges a $130 application fee in conjunction with the $200 test fee charged by test administrator Pearson Vue. The NCLEX is the final step to licensure as a Registered Nurse and pass rates are above 85 percent for the nationally-standardized test.

An LPN to RN program in Virginia is a great boost to a nurse’s earning potential and ability to pursue a career that fulfills their personal interests in health care. 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.