LPN training is offered by state approved training centers, which include: high schools, technical schools, vocational schools, community colleges, junior colleges, and hospitals. Most LPN programs require you to attend classroom studies and additional clinical practices under supervision. After completing your LPN training, you have to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) in order to receive your license and work as an LPN.

LPN training takes at least 9 months and 18 months at most, depending on the program you join. Unlike RN programs, there are no accelerated LPN programs which can cut your training short. Some schools advertise that they have a fast track LPN program which will let you become an LPN in a very short time, but before you even consider these kind of claims, you should check with your state BON to see if the school is accredited. LPN courses are true entry level trainings in which you learn a lot of fundamental medical concepts and acquire practical knowledge.

LPNs duties vary based on the work environment. Even though there are nurse aids (CNA), medical assistance, etc., under LPNs, there is a clear difference between the LPN job description and the rest. There is no substitute for the practical and theoretical knowledge one learns in LPN training programs which could have been learned from previous education.

LPN Programs Curriculum

LPN training curricula vary from one program to the next, but most programs’ curricula consist of the following:

• Fundamentals of Nursing
• Anatomy/Physiology
• Contemporary Health Issues Vocational Adjustment
• Nutrition and Diet Therapy
• Growth and Development
• Intro to Pharmacology
• Psychiatric Nursing
• Medical-Surgical Nursing
• Maternal Child Health

In addition to the above curriculum, LPN training courses may cover the following subjects, as well: biology, chemistry, first aid, physical education, and emergency medical technology. LPN students are also required to go through clinical practice in patient care under supervision.

LPN Requirements

To become an LPN, you need to be more than 18 years old and attend a 9 months long training program or more. And to be eligible for LPN nursing programs, you need to have at least a high school diploma or equivalent (GED). When you enroll for an LPN program, the college will ask you to take a basic academic skill test. This is what is commonly refereed to as LPN entrance exam. For more information regarding the specifics of each program you want to join, please check the LPN college website or give them a call directly, as each college may have its own specific requirements. Refer to our LPN schools page for some tips on how to find an ideal school for you.

LPN Career Overview

Over the years, the demand for licensed practical nurses (LPNs) has been increasing to the point where it’s now becoming easier to get a job as an LPN in various health care centers than other professionals in the same industry. The data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the total number of LPNs and LVNs in 2008, across the nation, was over 750,000 and this number will keep on increasing by 21% in the coming 10 years. You can say the LPN career opportunity is financially rewarding. Again, according to BLS, in 2008, the national average LPN salary was $39,030. LPN salary greatly varies by state. You can find a list of LPN salary ranges by state here on our website.

Overall, the LPN jobs outlook is very good and it will be the same in the coming years. The nature of the job mostly involves providing basic care for patients and helping patients whenever they require assistance in their daily basic needs. As an LPN, you may work in nursing care facilities, home health care services, general medical and surgical hospitals, or offices of physicians. The salary you earn also varies according to the nature of your job and the work environment.

The best thing about this field is that there is always room to expand your career by taking additional training courses. For instance, you can become a registered nurse through LPN to RN program; you can also become a psychiatric technician or occupational therapist assistant.

LPN Job Description and Duties

If you are a caring, compassionate person with good communication skills, this career path will fit you just right. You will be working alongside medical doctors and registered nurses. You will monitor the patient’s conditions more closely than registered nurses and physicians and report your observation to them. You may also have nurse aids working under you and reporting to you. In addition to patient care, you may also be required to do the following tasks: collect patient’s health history, collect samples for laboratory testing, perform simple laboratory tests, and measure and record patients’ vital signs such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration. You may also be required to prepare and give injections and enemas, monitor catheters, dress wounds, and give alcohol rubs and massages. You may also clean and monitor medical equipment.

If you are convinced that this rewarding career field is in your future, you can find a list of LPN programs from every sate here in our website. You can choose from many LPN schools we have listed under their respective state and get more information directly from them.

Nursing is a very hard job and err… rewarding, at least emotionally. If you are into this job only for the financial benefits, you may have a hard time realizing the reward over the work load and responsibility the job will throw at you. Healthcare is an evergreen career path for anyone genuinely interested in the field. There is always demand for qualified professionals, especially nurses. An LPNs’ job description is very diverse and the need for these types of particular nurses is much greater than the rest of healthcare professionals.

A typical LPN salary ranges from $12/hour to $25/hour during weekdays in most facilities and may be $2 or $3 more over the weekends. As you can imagine, LPN earnings will greatly vary based on the kind of facility the individual works in, the state, the number of years the nurse has been on the job, what further education is done to improve competency, etc.

The most important tip you may get from veteran LPNs regarding finance is that never to feel comfortable about your LPN salary and get in debt while you are in college. It will be a wild ride afterwards. Most LPNs have a hard time paying off their student loans from their salary. Try to complete your LPN training in a community college or any other cheaper alternatives.

If you are still on the job hunt or just exploring nursing, you may be following the news and trends in the career market. Most experts agree that nursing jobs will be increasing in the coming years as the economy improves and most healthcare facilities will soon be hiring. So if you haven’t got a job yet, do not be discouraged.

Here is a list of LPN annual salaries by state, gathered from job sites. The data is based on thousands of job seekers and employees in 2010. Among many factors which influence LPN pay rate, experience or number of years the candidate spent on the job stands out. The following data is also organized by candidates’ experience.

The National Council Licensure Examination-Practical Nurse, better known as NCLEX-PN, is an examination that is administered by the NCSBN or The National Council of State Boards of Nursing. As you already know, this exam is an extensive evaluation of future LPNs and is structured to ascertain that they are well-equipped and prepared to take on the practical nursing profession. For some people, this exam could be one of the most difficult challenges in their life.

There is an LPN study guide for this exam but if you’re just entering the field of practical nursing by hopping to become an LPN, then what you need to concentrate on is the entrance exam for now.

Tips in Taking the LPN Entrance Exam

• Believe that you can pass.
• Prepare well. Get your hands on any LPN study guide that you can find.
• Find out if the school that you’re currently attending has a set of LPN study guide for would-be takers of the LPN entrance test.
• Find a coach who can interpret the LPN study guide that you choose. This can be a fellow student or a professor who can spare some of his time to teach you the fundamentals in the said guide.
• Practice makes perfect as the saying goes so read the LPN study guide many times and then take some practice tests.
• Keep stress and negativity away. These will serve as obstacles only if you allow them to.
• Motivate yourself to read the LPN study guide at all times and then to keep practicing with mock exams.
• Always be alert especially during the exam. Don’t take on the most difficult numbers first. What you need to do is to find the easiest numbers and then answer them all then – and only then – should you go back to the difficult questions.

What Comprises an Effective LPN Study Guide?

There are numerous study guides that you can choose from online. Some of them are free of charge so you can go ahead and download all the study materials that you need, keep practicing and become good at practical nursing theories and skills.

Keep in mind that exams are constantly updated so you need an LPN study guide that is also being updated each time. An LPN study guide is written to help you prepare for the different sections of the exam. You need to become proficient in Math, Vocabulary and Science.

There are also a lot of practice questions for every section so you have to prepare by doing these practice tests daily. Each of the answers is explained to you in detail so that you would understand why the answer is what it is.

Most reviews are very basic and they already assume that you have a strong background in Science, Math and Vocabulary. There may also be a need to supplement the LPN study guide with other review materials, say, something that focuses on Biology or Physics.

Answer various questions on the practice tests each day. Let the LPN study guide hone your skills in preparation for the day when you take the entrance exam. The bottom line is, you need a guide that you can keep practicing on so you had better invest in one – or at least download the free versions on the Internet!

Nursing has the wonderful ability to morph into almost anything you can imagine. From working as a traditional nurse in a hospital to working at a Club Med in the Caribbean to working from home as a telecommunicator nurse, nurses can and do work everywhere. The flexibility at any level of nursing always excites and entices me to try them all. Four that currently interest me are Faith Based Community Nurse, Movie Set Nurse, Nurse Researcher and Insurance Nursing.

Faith Based Community Nursing, also called Parish Nursing, is based on a holistic approach to health care. Nurses who work in this area blend physical and spiritual wellbeing. Faith Based Community Nurses work with their local faith organization, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, etc. Nurses work with both parishioners and ministerial staff to provide different nursing services. Sometimes this requires working with individuals on balancing their health and spiritual wellbeing. Often Faith Based Nurses offer counseling, health education, work as a health advocate, facilitate support groups and act as a liaison between the faith community and any health care facilities or practitioners.

Movie Set Nurses, on the other hand, work with an ever changing group of people. Traditionally movies, TV shows, commercials, music videos, plays and Broadway have used paramedics. They are seeing more and more nurses, both RNs and LPNs utilized along with the paramedics or in place of them. Child labor laws for children working in these settings almost always require a nurse to be on hand. With more and more movies being filmed on location, there is also a need for the kind of care only a trained nurse can bring. As with all nurses, you will need to keep accurate records and perform basic tasks of nursing. Unlike traditional nursing you will be working in a variety of non-healthcare facility settings. You will find yourself working with cast and crew. The hours can be long, up to 26 hours at a time if you work on a music video filming. If you do want to pursue this type of nursing, I recommend you gain experience in emergency care both in and out of the hospital. Taking an EMT course would also work in your favor.

If you’re interested in how nursing and medicine learn and study new treatments, diseases and techniques check the many different forms of Nurse Researcher. Nurses conduct everything from traditional in the lab research to collecting data in via surveys to studying nursing itself, helping to advance nursing practice. There are too many different types to describe here. As an LPN you can be involved in research at many levels, most often in hospital research. You will work hand-in-hand with other doctors and nurses as you study the effects of different treatments and medications. Here you work closely with the patients who are the research subjects. Careful record keeping and monitoring of these patients is very important. Research hospitals, academic labs, the CDC and the National Institute of Nursing Research are a few of the places nurses can work with to conduct or assist in research.

If you are tired of the thought of having to get up, get dressed and drive to work you are in luck, there are now ways nurses can work from home in the broad field of nursing. One of the largest types of employers for work-from-home nurses is insurance companies. Health insurance companies hire nurses to act as advisers for their clients. Clients will call their health insurance, which then in turn pass the call on to you to answer their questions. Don’t worry; they don’t give out your phone number. There are also jobs with insurance companies that have you out of the house, but not necessarily in the same place every day. Insurance companies also use nurses to check into claims of injuries and run various tests on their clients.

You will never be bored as a nurse. If one type of nursing is not for you or you find yourself burning out, the job opportunities abound. Don’t be afraid to look for new areas or to try your hand a different types of nursing. From traditional nursing to school nurse to resort nurse to even Disney nurse, you will find nursing can take you almost anywhere.

State grants are one of the available programs that give financial assistance to the right candidates. There are LPN grants for students who are looking into applying in a nursing school. This kind of funding is commonly available to LPN students that come from any state. A few states are even willing to pay all of the tuition if you become eligible for any particular LPN program.

Most LPN grants, unlike federal grants, differ from state to state. When you are seeking out different options, you have to make sure that you consult with your school’s financial aid office with regard to the State’s program specifics.

Majority of states offer LPN grants and scholarships to students because of the critical shortage of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses in the country. While nurses are deemed to be an important occupation, there is often a scarcity on the number of nurses that could actually handle the vacancies all over the country. In order to fight off this crisis, many government and private institutions now offer LPN grants to nursing students. And in order to qualify for any of these LPN grants, you should be able to submit all the requirements in time.

The Good News

There were programs that were enacted by Federal legislators which were meant to address the country’s healthcare worker shortage. Funding has been provided from $78.8 million to as much as $149.7 million from 2001 to 2006 respectively.

The legislation’s goal is to provide solutions such as LPN grants, fellowships, and scholarships. There are also additional laws which were made to make it a lot easier for individuals seeking a career on the nursing field to find their respective jobs.

Examples of LPN Grants

• The Pell grant is a well-known grant that is available to undergraduates who are in deep financial need. In order to qualify for a Pell, or any kind of financial aid for that matter, you should complete your FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid form.

  If you have tried to fill out this form in the past, then you already know that it is streamlined effectively. There are 150 questions on the paper version but more applicants are now filing their applications online.

• The best place to seek out LPN grants is your Student Aid Office. There are many ads for grants that aren’t found on the Internet and this office always keeps an eye on those. A student aid officer should be your best friend while you’re looking for LPN grants that could be right for you.

• The Health Occupation Students of America grants are offered to nursing students that are also members of the HOSA.

• Exceptional Nurse sponsors various programs which can award small scholarships or grants to nursing students that have documented disabilities.  This can be as meager as $250 to $500 grants.

There are also local grants in your area and you can find them as long as you know where to look. But if you want the most number of suggestions for an LPN program grant, then the best place to look is still online.

The programs for LPN or Licensed Practical Nursing are generally taken at community colleges, technical schools or online sites. Most of these programs cover the fundamentals of patient care and they generally take a year or so to complete. These are just some of the skills that students learn from their courses and trainings –

• Gathering data from the patients

• Taking vital signs such as blood pressure, heartbeat rate, respiration, etc.

• Delivering injections and medications to the patient

• Collecting specimens for lab tests

• Assisting patients with their personal hygiene

• Dressing and cleaning wounds of injured patients

• Massage therapy in special cases

• and to do an IV setup

The LPN IV Certification Program

The topics that are included in an LPN IV certification program are refresher courses in physiology and anatomy. There are also courses on health care laws. Practical approaches are also taught to each and every student. Individuals who are interested in enrolling in the LPN IV certification course should have an LPN status. An LPN IV certification program can help with regard to licensure concerns. This should qualify as continuing education for any LPN.

The Coursework of an LPN IV Certification Program

Students who vie for LPN IV Certification program learn techniques through demos, hands-on work and clinical work experience done under the supervision of a physician or a registered nurse. The topics that are often included are –

• A review of human anatomy

• The importance of fluids and electrolytes

• The different kinds of IV solution concentrations

• IV prep and vein selection

• Techniques in venipuncture

• IV therapy complications in some patients

• IV therapy peripheral access techniques

• IV therapies for precise disease control

• Central access techniques in IV therapy as well as central line care

• Health care regulations and legalities

LPN IV Certification Career Options

Your LPN IV certification is one of the most crucial courses that you have to show in order to become any of the following –

• Renal dialysis nurse

• Oncology nurse

• Home care infusion specialist

• Nurse anesthetist

• Intensive care nurse

Continuing Education in LPN IV Certification

IV therapy nurses can also earn industry certificates from different organizations. One such organization is The National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses which offers IV Therapy and Gerontology certification. One other organization is the Infusion Nurses Society’s Certification Corporation which offers credential in Certified Registered Nurse Infusion.

In order to qualify for LPN IV certification, an applicant should be a licensed practical nurse, must have completed a certain number of working hours with regard to IV therapy and should have passed the organization examination.

Keep in mind that LPN IV certification is a way for LPNs to achieve additional professional experience. It is also often used as an extra continuing education requirement. In the near future, though, it will be more difficult to find LPN IV certification courses as several companies have already discontinued offering the course. The reason behind this is, most programs already include this on their curriculum so there is no need to enroll in a different course.

Each state, and US territory, runs a Board of Nursing (BON). BONs vary from state to state, how they are run, who runs them, and what they oversee. The differences tend to be very slight. Boards of Nursing were established to monitor and protect both the nurses and the people they help. Currently, each state BON, plus a few other groups, belong to a National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN).

State Boards of Nursing organize themselves in different ways and under different government agencies. Each is a part of their state government and has to report to their leaders, often the governor. Members of BONs include LPNs, RNs, and nurse practitioners (NPs). A list of members and their current license status is kept, and can be accessed on line by any member of the public.

BONs create a Nurse Practice Act. Nurse Practice Acts differ among the different BONs, but each seek to provide laws to govern the practice of nursing in their state. These acts regulate nursing practice, set forth the laws of nursing, determine who qualifies to work as a nurse, provide titles to be used, sets the scope of practice for each type of nurse and states the punishments and procedures for any nurse who breaks the laws.

Through their Nurse Practice Acts, state Boards of Nursing regulate nursing practice and protect the general public. To this end they control who becomes a nurse, by requiring attendance at a BON accredited school and administering NCLEX exams to help determine qualification. Once both requirements are met, the BON issues a license to each nurse that must be maintained through renewal. There are regulations in place for renewals as well. The BON also monitors those who hold a nursing license.

State Boards of Nursing set for policies, procedures, rules, regulations and standards for nursing care. They do so to protect the welfare of consumers and to offer them the best possible care. Through their monitoring of their nurses, BONs ensure these safe practices and standards are continually met.

If they find negligence and illegal activities, going against state and federal laws and the Nurse Practice Acts, BONs will take legal action against the nurse or nurses in question. If a nurse is found guilty, punishment can be as minor receiving a fine and if sever enough can result in the revoking of a license. Note that practicing without a license is considered a felony. Any time a reprimand is handed out, the information will be listed on the license and available for anyone who wants to know. Every business that employs nurses is required to keep on file copies of all licenses and to make sure the information is kept current.

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing is not a national governing body of BONs. Instead it seeks to help build relationships between the different BONs, to provide information and a forum for cooperation, and to disseminate information to various BONs. They help to monitor nursing trends across the whole country by conducting research. The NCSBN assists in the development and administration of the NCLEX test. Their most important role is as facilitator for cooperation between the various BONs.

Every state and territory in the USA provides a governing body to oversee their nurses and nursing care. They do so through State Boards of Nursing. BONs control every aspect of nursing. It is important to know and understand their policies and procedures, punishments, standards of care and Nurse Practice Acts. Information can be found for the various BONs on the NCSBN website, through the state government or through an accredited nursing program.

You can find a list of address for all state nursing boards here: https://www.ncsbn.org/contactbon.htm

Have you been searching for ways that you can enter the health profession? A great way to do this would be to become an LPN or a licensed practical nurse. This is a lucrative career as well as an emotionally-rewarding one.

The major advantage of taking an LPN course is that it just lasts anywhere from 1-2 years. This is a financially sound way to begin your nursing career. But before you consider plunging into this specific career in nursing, you might want to know about certain aspects such as the LPN pass rates.

What are LPN Pass Rates?

Simply put, LPN pass rates are the percentage of people that have passed the NCLEX-PN. These are the numbers that show the actual quantity of LPN students that have passed the exam as well as the average rate of these board passers. There are certain categories that are given an actual number of board passers and the percentage of that group for a certain quarter.

For instance, you would find below the actual numbers of NCLEX-PN board passers for the year 2011. See the actual LPN Pass Rates –

• For the first quarter of the year 2011, those who took the board for the first time and were U.S.-educated total up to 16,521. The pass rate for this is at 87.58%. Those who took the repeat exam and are U.S. educated have LPN pass rates of 42.70% and 27.47% in the first and second quarters respectively.
• Internationally educated, first time board takers have LPN pass rates of 51.66% and 36.45% for the first and second quarters respectively. What you can see is that there is a declining trend for both quarters this year. Internationally-educated repeat examiners also showed declining LPN pass rates of 27.88% in the first quarter and just 16.39% in the second quarter.
• The LPN pass rates for half of the year are 79.31% for the first quarter and a total of 69.56% in the second quarter. This shows a dismal decline on the LPN pass rates and this should alarm most of the nursing school instructors.

LPN versus RN Pass Rates

If you would compare the LPN pass rates as opposed to the RN pass rates, you would be able to deduce that RNs still have more board passers this is because there are still more students that choose to enroll in courses that lead to becoming an RN. The total number of examiners that passed the NCLEX-RN totals up to 46,236 while LPN board passers are at 20,213 only. This number is a measly half of the entire NCLEX-RN board passers.

But looking on the bright side, the LPN pass rates just show that there are now almost 80,000 new LPNs all over the country who are now ready to serve as practical nurses. And with a lot of demands to meet these new graduates, the cycle would just go on and on.

But the numbers should show a significant change in LPN education. Instructors and student should work together to up the LPN pass rates in the quarters to come.

Are you currently a licensed practical nurse who does not have enough time to attend classes that will turn you into a registered nurse? There are LPN to ASN programs that are being offered by a lot of traditional nursing schools or even online colleges. These schools give you renewed hope in advancing your nursing career. Reaching the next level from being an LPN is the best thing to do if you want to up your current salary or if you’re planning on taking on more responsibilities such as a leadership position in the near future.

Online Program Options

Taking your LPN to ASN program online is a lot more advantageous for people who are too busy with their current nursing jobs. You would be surprised that more and more individuals are now considering taking their LPN to ASN programs online rather than on traditional schools. These are their most common reasons –

• It is much more convenient. The basic requirements in taking online LPN to ASN programs is a steady internet connection as well as a computer that can download or even read the online materials for your various courses. The online program is, more often than not, delivered through webinars, video streaming, chats and lecture videos.
• It is much more economical to take LPN to ASN programs online because you don’t have to spend for gasoline each day. You can also do much, much more because you won’t have to waste your time on traveling to and from the nursing school.
• E-learning also gives you the freedom to study anywhere and at any time that you want. This means that you’ve got to instill self discipline in order to finish the LPN to ASN program that you enrolled in.

Opting for an LPN to ASN Degree

A lot of licensed practical nurses often dream of earning a much higher salary and applying for a higher position at their workplace. Obtaining an Associate degree in Nursing means that you can finally increase your salary to as much as $10,000 annually, depending on the position that you applied for after graduation.

Along with a much higher pay, the LPN to ASN degree program will take you a notch higher when it comes to duties and responsibilities. Because of this, you will also be given a new level of respect as your LPN colleagues now look up to you.

Even an online program should be given an accreditation. The Associate degree program that you enroll in should be granted an accreditation by the NLNAC or the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, so make sure to check that.

It takes about 18-36 months for someone to finish an LPN to ASN degree. And since majority of online enrollees already working LPNs, most online schools take this into consideration. This is why it is easy for you to find online classes that will suit your daily schedule. You get to work at your own pace, too, plus there’s no waiting list to worry about!

Getting Started with Your LPN to ASN Degree

Just go online and request for free information from the school that you’re planning to attend. Have all of your questions answered prior to your enrollment. Peruse their curriculum and see which school would be able to give you the best schedule, the finest clinical training, and courses that will guide you in improving your current career.

There seems to be a shortage in nurses nowadays. This is because there are more and more medical facilities that need additional nurses with each new day. What employers need is a candidate that is qualified to take on the duties of an LPN, one that has been trained properly.

The best training programs for nursing are available to those who have cash to burn – this is a reality. Now if you are vying to become a successful LPN yourself, yet you don’t have enough finances at the moment, it would be beneficial for you to look for LPN scholarships out there.

Grants vs. LPN Scholarships

You can begin by finding all the available grants or LPN scholarships online. There are a lot of women’s grants and you would be blessed to qualify and be given the Pell Grant. This is a need-based grant which you will never have to pay even after you graduate. In lieu of searching for women’s grants, you can also look for LPN scholarships.

The American Liberty Scholarship program can give you a $5,000 scholarship. The great news about this is that it takes only a few minutes to apply for one. This organization chooses one finalist each month and many lives have already been blessed with the LPN scholarships that they have provided.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also offers LPN scholarships to students who would want to pursue a career in practical nursing. You can apply for this kind of scholarship at the Financial Aid office in your current school. You can also look for this same office in the college or university that you wish to attend.

One other scholarship program is the Nursing Scholarships Program which is also funded by the DSS and is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration. Among the LPN scholarships, this is the program that is specifically designed to alleviate the shortage of LPNs all over the country. In order to qualify for this, you need to agree to work for at least two years at a certain facility that belongs to the critical list. Everything will be paid for when you qualify for this scholarship – from your tuition, books, supplies, and other miscellaneous fees. You are even going to get a monthly stipend of $1,300. There are many other benefits in qualifying for the Nursing Scholarships Program. Just check online or ask the Financial Aid office in your school.

Other LPN Scholarships to Consider

• The Tylenol Scholarship – the manufacturers of the Tylenol brand gives ten LPN scholarships each year that are worth $10,000. They also offer 30 scholarships that are worth $5,000 each. These are given to students who are enrolled in any healthcare education including practical nursing. In order to qualify, you need to have completed at least a year of study when you applied for the scholarship.
• The John and Geraldine Hobble LPN Scholarship – this is granted annually by The Kansas American Legion. This is given to a student in any LPN program who is currently enrolled in any of the accredited schools in Kansas. This is a $250 award that is given to students who show scholastic merit and are in deep financial need.

LPN Scholarships are provided to both undergraduate and graduate students all over the country. The best way to look for these scholarships is to go online and to ask other nursing students who availed of them in the past. Don’t think that being destitute should deter you from finishing a degree in nursing. You can become a practical nurse with the help of any of these LPN scholarships so you better apply now!