NursingLicense.org | Nursing License

What types of license are there? To help determine what type of license you want to get, you will need to decide how much schooling and training you want to go through. If you want to start working as soon as possible, an LPN, or Licensed Practical Nurse licensure, may be a good option for you. If you have more time and funds to dedicate towards training, you may want to go for the more prestigious RN, or Registered Nurse licensure. The pay and responsibilities are different between the two licenses, so you will want to research which position would suit your goals. If you decide to go for the LPN, you can train later in your career to level up to an RN through a bridges program.

Once you have chosen your training and completed it, you will need to take a standardized nursing exam. Without passing this exam, it doesn’t matter how much or how little you trained, you will not work until you pass the exam. The exam was put into place to test entry level nurses to ensure they have the right amount of skill and competence to treat patients. How long will it take?

Each program takes a different amount of time. Some of it will depend on how much time you put towards getting your licensure. Naturally someone who is going to school full time will get their license quicker than someone going part time. Here are some estimates of how long it will take to get different licenses:

It takes around one year to receive your LPN licensure. Typically these programs are offered through community colleges. If you decide to get your RN, there are three ways to get it, which all take different amounts of time. You can go through a diploma program which typically takes three years. This approach is not recommended if you don’t already have a degree, preferably a B.S. You can attend a community college to get an associates degree. This will take two years if you attend school full time, not counting pre-requisites you will need to get into the nursing program. Or the longest way is to go to a four year school and get a bachelor’s degree in nursing, or a BSN. This approach will take four years or more if you plan on attending school part time. There are lots of different programs out there. Some are accelerated programs which get you through the training at a quicker pace. Others programs are designed for people who already have a day job, and want to go to school part time on the nights and weekends. Do the research and find a program that suits your needs.

Welcome to NursingLicense.org