State Info:
Delaware, despite being the second smallest state, has a fairly dense population, which means that there are a lot of people who require professional health care on a regular basis. Because of this there are a large number of opportunities for health care workers in all domains of the health care system.
Despite the fact the economy is experiencing a depression, the health care industry remains strong, making it one of the best industries to get into in terms of job security and peace of mind. If you are hoping to get your foot in the door of the health care industry you should start off by qualifying as an LPN. There are plenty of LPN programs in Delaware that will provide you with all of the basic nursing skills you will need in order to begin a vibrant career in the healthcare industry. Once you have received your LPN qualification in Delaware, it’s all uphill from there. You will then be able to move on to being an RN or BSN nurse and even enter management positions in healthcare facilities. In fact the range of jobs that is open to you once you have achieved the basic qualification is very wide indeed. To start a secure and vibrant career in Delaware, start by getting your LPN qualification.
Licensing Requirements
In order to become a licensed LPN in the state of Delaware you will have to follow largely the same steps as you would for any other state. Firstly you would have to get your High school certificate. You will need to present this certificate when applying for an LPN program so it is absolutely essential that you have one. You will; also need to have a clear health record and criminal background both to study as an LPN and to work as one once you are qualified. If you all of these things are in order you will then be able to apply for an LPN program. An LPN program will teach you all the basics of nursing that you will need to know in order to make a successful nurse.
A very important step when choosing a program to study is to make sure that the program is approved and accredited with the Delaware state board of nursing. If it is not you will effectively be wasting your time and money with the program as t will count for nothing. You will not be able to write the licensing exam or practice as an LPN if the program you have studies is not properly certified. Which brings us to the final step of the licensing procedure: the exam. In order to be fully licensed as an LPN you will have to pass the NCLEX-PN exam. This is essential and it impossible to practice as an LPN without having completed this test. In order to pass this exam you will have to have good English proficiency, so be sure to brush up on your English skills if you think that it is necessary.
Exam Fee
There are fees involved in writing the LPN exam as well as in becoming fully licensed. You also often have to pay fees in order to keep your license current. In Delaware the fees are as follows:
- $200 to Pearson Vue in order to be eligible to write the NCLEX-PN test
- $97to the Delaware State Board of Nursing in order to your licensure to be finalised
- $15 to retake the exam if you fail
As Delaware is part of the licensing compact you will be able to transfer without any additional necessities to Delaware form any other of the 23 states that belong to the compact.
Salaries
Program | Hourly Rate | Annual Rate |
LPN | $19.89 | $41460 |
RN | $33.75 | $70188 |
BSN | $30 | $63,876 |
Financial Aid Available
Many people out there end up not studying any further than they have already done because they feel that their financial situation is an obstacle in their path to achieving what they want to achieve. However in the state of Delaware there are many options open to you when it comes to finding financial aid that will help you to reach your dreams.
The first thing that you may think of doing is applying for a loan. This s not a bad idea at all and there are many banks and other organizations that will provide you with a loan for your studies. In fact if you apply to FAFSA they will send back a comprehensive list of where and how you can get loans to fund your LPN studies. Federal loans have better interest rates but may be quite hard to get as there are stringent eligibility requirements. Private loans conversely are easier to get but have higher interest rates. And, although you will not have to start repaying your loan until you have completed your studies, your loan may gain interest while you are studying making the repayment a lot higher. There are other options that you may want to consider, therefore, before immediately applying for a loan.
Grants: When you inquire at FAFSA you will also be given a list of grants that you are eligible for. A grant is an amount of money that is given to you to cover your studies, but unlike a loan you will never have to pay it back. This may seem too good to be true but there are many organizations out there that are well aware of the fact that not all students have the capability to get a loan and repay it. Because it is in the best interests of the nation for more people to be educated and employed, and because there is a growing demand for LPN nurses as the years pass, there are grants offered for study in this area. Grants however are not always easy to get as they are usually given to people who are deemed to need them the most regardless of academic history. Still it is worth applying with FAFSA as well as various other organizations to see if you are eligible.
Scholarships: Scholarships also constitute a money amount given to you that you do not have to repay. As compared to grants, however, scholarships have an added advantage in that they are based on your academic record as well as whether or not you desperately need the money. This means that with a good academic record you stand a good chance of getting a scholarship. Scholarships are available from several different nursing organizations and schools and it is well worth your time to investigate what scholarships are available in Delaware.
Work-study programs: Even with a grant or scholarship you may find that not all of your costs are covered. In this case it becomes important that you look into the various work-study options available from the various schools. A program like this allows you to work part time on the campus where you will be studying thereby generating an income to help cover your costs. Of course not everyone can be allowed to do this so these programs are not that easy to get into. However, it is still worth applying to see what happens.
Loan-forgiveness programs: There are also several loan forgiveness schemes that are worth considering. Once you have finished your studies and it comes time to pay back your loan you may be able to work for a non-profit organisation in return for which apportion of your loan will be forgiven or repaid. This is a viable option and will give you experience in the nursing arena.
List of Schools
Once you have made the decision to become an LPN you will then of course have to find a school where you can study for this qualification. Now there are many schools available in the state of Delaware, and it will be up to you to research each one to find out which best suits you. Remember to make sure that the school you eventually choose is properly accredited in order to ensure that you do not waste your time and money. The LPN schools in the state of Delaware are:
[edu-search]onlinelpn_state010101082691/de[/edu-search]
Beebe School of Nursing
424 Savannah Road
Lewes, DE 19958
www.beebeschoolofnursing.org
Phone: (302) 645-3251
FAX: (302) 645-3488
Camtech, Inc.
240 North James Street
Tower Office Park
Suite B2
Newport, DE 19804
www.camtechedu.com
Phone: (302) 998-8166
FAX: (302) 998-8341
Delaware Institute of Health Sciences
4708 Kirkwood Highway, Second Floor
Wilmington, DE 19808 Fax:
http://dihsinc.com
Phone: (302) 633-4010
Fax: (302) 633-4015
Delaware Skills Center
13th & Clifford Brown Walk Phone: (302) 654-5392
Wilmington, DE 19801
www.deskillscenter.org
Fax: (302) 654-9418
Delaware Technical and Community College
Owens Campus
P.O. Box 610
Georgetown, DE 19947
www.dtcc.edu
Phone: (302) 856-5400 ext. 1614
Fax: (302) 858-5460
Delaware Technical and Community College
Terry Campus
100 Campus Drive
Dover, DE 19904
www.dtcc.edu
Phone: (302) 857-1000
Fax: (302) 857-1296
Delcastle Technical High School
1417 Newport Road
Wilmington, DE 19804
nccvotech.com/dths.asp
Phone: (302) 683-3663
Fax: (302) 995-6235
Leads School of Technology
2 Read’s Way
New Castle Corporate Commons
New Castle, DE 19720
Lead-edu.com
Phone: (302) 356-1368
Fax: (302) 322-0800
Polytech Adult Education
823 Walnut Shade Road
P.O. Box 102
Woodside, DE 19980
www.polytechwork.com
Phone: (302) 697-4545
Fax: (302) 697-0454