New York City is known for being one of the top ten largest cities in the world, a major center of commerce, politics, and the arts. The Big Apple, as it is often called, is filled with attractions such as Ellis Island, Broadway, the Statue of Liberty, and Central Park. If you live in NYC and have pondered the idea of becoming an LPN, the information on this page may help you to better-understand some of what’s involved in the overall process (if you happen to live closer to the Rochester area, you might want to read the Rochester page on this site.)
This page has been broken down into various sections that contain information on related but different topics. The first section contains a breakdown of the LPN field, including common job duties and what an LPN program may look like. The section after that covers some state-specific information on LPN licensing in New York. The third and final section (located at the bottom of the page) lists various schools in NYC and greater New York that may offer LPN programs.
LPN Programs: Basic Information
Programs for LPNs typically look much like RN programs. Students may be required to pass a pre-course exam in order to be able to participate in the program. LPN programs may include general education classes such as psychology and composition, but the meat of LPN programs include nursing classes such as medical dosage, practical nursing, pharmacology, nutrition, mental health nursing, and maternal-child nursing. Labs are generally included with LPN courses that require laboratory practice, and students can practice skills in these labs before using them in real-life situations in clinicals. Clinicals are the portion of the course where students perform LPN job duties with a patient for one or more days a week. Students may start out performing easier, low-skill duties such as bathing and dressing patients, and they may gradually earn more responsibilities as time goes on and they gain further knowledge and skill. Some programs may also end with a capstone, such as a case study with a specific patient.
Typical LPN Job Duties
LPNs in New York City perform many job duties. They commonly work underneath the direct supervision of a doctor or registered nurse, and their job encompasses the practical side of nursing. Job duties may be covered in several categories: bedside care, patient status, and specialized tasks. With bedside care, LPNs may be asked to help bathe and dress patients, change bandages, clean wounds, and assist with personal hygiene. In monitoring a patient’s status, LPNs may take and record the patient’s vital signs (such as height, weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, and temperature), talk with the patient about their care and any concerns the patient may have, and report the patient’s health status and concerns to a doctor or RN. Specialized skills that the LPN may provide, depending on if the LPN has had special education in these areas or not, include inserting a catheter, administering medication via IV, changing IV tubing and bags of fluid, administering blood and blood products, and assisting with dialysis. Other duties may include preparing and cleaning medical equipment, administering medications that have been ordered for the patient, performing venipuncture, applying CPR, completing paperwork (such as insurance, prescriptions, and billing, depending on location), and supervising assistants or aides. Often, job duties will be location-specific; for example, LPNs working in a nursing home with elderly patients will have different duties than LPNs working in the NICU, where they may be asked to bottle-feed infants. Other locations that LPNs work include medical clinics, doctors’ offices, in-home care, and rehabilitation hospitals.
LPN Licensing Information for New York
New York has specific requirements that LPN hopefuls must meet in order to be licensed to practice as an LPN. Listed below are some of those requirements, but it’s important to note that the following information may not be comprehensive or complete. The best place to get themost accurate, up-to-date information regarding LPN licensing requirements is from the New York State Education Department (NYSED).
According to the New York State Education Department, LPN applicants must be at least 17 years old, have completed high school (or equivalent), be in good moral standing, and meet education and examination requirements. LPN applicants must also complete coursework that teaches them how to implement infection control and barrier precautions for HIV and Hepatitis B.
Education requirements include completing an LPN education program that is at least 9 months long, or two semesters. LPN education programs in New York must be recognized by the State Education Department (not all programs are, so it’s a good idea to check with the NYSED first prior to enrolling to ensure that a course you’re considering taking is recognized) and if the program was completed outside of the United States, it must be recognized by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGENS). If the program is completed outside of New York, it must be at least 9 months long and approved by the appropriate government agency in its jurisdiction or conducted by the armed forces. Graduation from a general professional nursing program may also be accepted.
Exam requirements include successfully completing the National Council Licensure Examination – Practical Nursing (or NCLEX-PN). This exam is a computer-based exam that selects the next question based on the student’s response to the previous question. The amount of questions may vary from exam to exam because the exam program is sensitive to each specific examinee. Because of how the exam is set up, there is not a minimum amount of correct answers to pass the exam, nor are examinees measured against other examinees; rather, each individual is measured by a preset standard. A maximum of six hours is allowed to pass the NCLEX.
New York also has a limited permit available, which allows individuals to practice as an LPN without taking the NCLEX-PN. The individual must work directly under an RN or doctor and be endorsed by the employer in order to receive a limited permit, and the LPN program or school must verify the applicant’s education directly with the NY State Education Department. The permit is valid for a year, and if the individual changes employers or adds employers, he or she must apply for a new permit with each new employer.
Again, as mentioned earlier, m information about LPN licensing in New York, along with the application, additional forms, and fees, is available at the New York State Education Department’s website (the link is provided earlier in this section).
Colleges and Schools Near NYC That May Have LPN Educational Programs
Borough of Manhattan Community College
199 Chambers St, New York, NY 10007
(212) 220-8000
Manhattan Educational Opportunity Center
163 W 125th St, New York, NY 10027
(212) 961-4320
Metropolitan College of New York
431 Canal St, New York, NY 10013
(212) 343-1234
Near NYC
Bronx Community College
2155 University Ave, Bronx, NY 10453
(718) 289-5100
Hostos Community College
500 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10451
(718) 518-4444
Kingsborough Community College
2001 Oriental Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11235
(718) 368-5000
LaGuardia Community College
31-10 Thomson Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101
(718) 482-7200
Monroe College
2501 Jerome Ave, Bronx, NY 10468
(718) 933-6700
Queensborough Community College
222-05 56th Avenue, Bayside, NY 11364
(718) 631-6262
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