State Info:
New Mexico has a fairly vast population which means that there are a lot of people living there who require professional nursing care. If you become an LPN in New Mexico you will be able to rest safe in the knowledge that you will always have a job.
There are few industries that are growing as quickly and as well as the medical industry and you will be surprised at how many options there are available to you when it comes to studying as an LPN. There are even a large number of financial aid programs available to help you reach your goals of becoming an LPN all that faster. Once you have qualified as an LPN in New Mexico there are many other opportunities that will be open to you as well. You will be able to qualify as an RN or even get your BSN. In fact the heights to which you can advance in the nursing profession are staggering, and all for the starting point of an LPN qualification.
Licensing Requirements
The first step to being licensed as an LPN is enrolling in an accredited LPN course. In order to do this you will:
- Need to be older than 18
- Need to have a high school diploma or an equivalent qualification
- Need to be able to pass the basic skills test that will be administered to you
- Need to pass a background check
- Need to pass a health check
Once you have enrolled in the program you will then have to complete the theoretical and clinical sides of the course over a period of about 1 or 2 years. Then you will have to write the NCLEX-PN exam. On completion of the exam you will be licensed to practice as an LPN.
Exam Fee
In order to write the examination you will need to pay an amount of money to the company that administers the exam. This company is called Pearson Vue and the amount of money that you will have to pay is $200. To apply for the exam you will also have to pay an amount of money to the New Mexico Board of Nursing. This amount of money is $110. On top of that you must pay $44 to the New Mexico Department of Public Safety. You will then also have o renew your license once every two years at a cost of $93 and with proof of 30 hours of continuous training.
Salaries
| Program | Hourly Rate | Annual Rate |
| LPN | $15.86 | $32890 |
| RN | $30.29 | $62986 |
| BSN | $30 | $63,876 |
Financial Aid Available
If you are hoping to study to be an LPN in New Mexico, but you don’t have the financial resources to do so, then you may need to consider some of the financial aid options that are available in this state.
The Nurses for New Mexico program
One of the options that you may want to consider is the Nurses for New Mexico program. With this program you can take out a Stafford Loan at zero percent interest, making the repayments on the loan a whole lot easier. However, there is catch. You will have to work for the state as an LPN, and later as an RN if you choose to qualify. However, working for the state has its perks and you will be guaranteed of employment.
Grants and Scholarships
In New Mexico there are a number of grants and scholarships that you may be eligible for if you are looking for a way to pay for your LPN training. Grants and scholarships are monetary amounts that are given to you to help you pay for your studies that you will not have to pay back. This sounds too good to be true, but remember that both grants and scholarships can be difficult to qualify for. Grants tend to be given on a needs basis, so if you are in a financially stable position you may struggle o qualify. Scholarships are often only given to top achievers as a reward for hard work and excellence, and again you may find that you do not meet this requirement. However, if you are eligible for one or the other, than you should definitely take the opportunity immediately. These are the most financially viable methods for dealing with your student fees.
Loans
If you don’t qualify for one of the above options, or if the scholarship or grant you are given does not cover all of your costs, then you may need to take out a loan. Loans do need to be paid back, in most cases they have to be paid back with interest. Although many loans do not have to be paid back until you have finished studying and sometimes even until you are employed as an LPN, you may run into trouble if the loan accrues interest over that waiting period. Make sure that you know all of the facts about the loan you choose to take. There are two broad categories for loans: federal loans and private loans. Federal loans are better because of the lower interest rates, but you may struggle t qualify for one. Private loans are easier to get, but the interest rates are a lot higher. Consider all options carefully before settling on a loan.
Employers
Many people who are hoping to become LPNs already work in the healthcare industry in some capacity. In this case it may be worth your while to apply to your employer for financial assistance. This is something that many employers are happy to help you with as it benefits everyone concerned.
List of Schools
If you want to study for your LPN qualification in New Mexico, there are plenty of options open to you in terms of schools. As long as the school is accredited with the New Mexico Board of Nursing, you will be able to easily qualify. Here is a list of the schools available in New Mexico along with the contact details you will need to make further enquiries.
[edu-search]onlinelpn_state010101082691/nm[/edu-search]
NM Junior College
Department of Nursing
5317 Lovington Highway
Hobbs, NM 88240
(505) 492-2519 phone
(505) 492-1453 fax
NM State University-Carlsbad
Department of Nursing
1500 University Drive
Carlsbad, NM 88220
505-234-9301 phone
505-234-9304 fax
Eastern NM University
PO Box 6000
Roswell, NM 88201
575-624-7236 phone
575-624-7257 fax
Luna Community College
Department of Nursing
366 Luna Dr
Las Vegas, NM 87701
(505) 454-2527
Northern NM College Nursing Program
921 Paseo de Onate
Espanola, NM 87532
505-747-2208
Clovis Community College
Department of Nursing
417 Schepps Blvd.
Clovis NM 88101
575-769-4954 phone
575-769-4190 fax
Apollo College
1001 Menaul NE
Albuquerque, NM 87108
505-254-7777 phone
505-254-1101 fax
Career Enrichment Center
APS/PN Program 807 Mountain Rd. NE
Albuquerque, NM 87102
505-247-3658 ext 38
Nursing Program Computer Career Center
850 N. Telshor Suite F&G
Las Cruces, NM 88011 575-556-1080
Anamarc Educational Institute
2660 Airport Rd STE 780
Santa Teresa NM 88008
915-351-8100 ext 127
915-351-8300 fax
Dona Ana Community College
MSC-3DA Box 30001
Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001
575-528-7236 phone
Director Nursing Program
Central New Mexico Community College
525 Buena Vista SE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
505-224-4143 phone
505-224-4120 fax
Nursing Program
Pima Medical Institute
2201San Pedro NE Bldg 3 Suite 100
Albuquerque, NM
505-881-1234
Tips for choosing a school
Now that you are aware of what schools are available to you, you have to choose from among the options. This may not be easy, but if you use the following as a guideline, you should be able to reach a sensible conclusion:
- Location of the school – This may seem like an important consideration, and in many ways it is, but make sure that this is not the only thing that you have in mind when looking for the best school for you. That said it is equally important that you do not forget about this factor altogether.
- Tuition fees – Like location tuition fees are important but, if possible, should not be the sole determining factor in your choice of LPN school. You want to make the best decision possible and the only way to do this is to compare all of the school in terms of a variety of different criteria.
- Percentage of NCLEX-PN passed candidate from the school in last years
- Length of the program
- Course ware – Coursework may differ slightly from school to school, so when choosing a school you need to be aware of two things. The first is what coursework you will need to cover in order to do well in the exam, and the second is what coursework each of the schools you are considering offers. If you find a good match between these two factors than you have found a good school.
- Clinical facilities and exposure
- Reputation of the college
- Financial aids – Some schools offer financial assistance to students who may require it. If you need financial assistance then this may be a good way for you to choose your school. There are often catches involved, so make sure that you are fully aware of what you are signing up for.
- Guidance provided by the school for NCLEX-PN exam
