State Info:
North Dakota is a sparsely populated state with a continental climate, but despite this there is a high demand for health care professionals. This is because the health care industry is ever on the increase, and this growth demands that more and more people be employed as health care professionals.
Becoming an LPN is a great way to get your medical career started as it doesn’t take long and there are many opportunities for advancement once you have qualified as an LPN. There are several fantastic schools for you to choose from in North Dakota all of which offer great LPN programs that will prepare you fully for your career as an LPN nurse. And, if you are worried about your financial situation, never fear. There are plenty of financial aid options in North Dakota that will make studying easy.
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 ascertain that the program you wish to enroll in is accredited by the North Dakota State Board of Nursing
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 and licensure you will also have to pay an amount of money to the North Dakota Board of Nursing. This amount of money is $110. You will then also have o renew your license once every two years at a cost of $90 and with proof of 12 hours of continuous training.
Salaries
As you will be able to advance your qualifications it is interesting to know the average LPN salary you can expect to receive at each level.
| Program | Hourly Rate | Annual Rate |
| LPN | $13.87 | $27900 |
| RN | $27.07 | $56293 |
| BSN | $30 | $63,876 |
Financial Aid Available
If you are hoping to study as an LPN in the state of North Dakota then you will be glad to hear that, even if you are experiencing financial difficulties and are uncertain about how you will pay for your studies, there is a way to get your qualification. This is because North Dakota offers several financial aid options to students who are willing to put in a little bit of extra effort in order to get their qualifications. There is no longer a reason to give up on your goals. It is in your best interests to carefully explore the different financial aid options that you qualify for.
The Nurse Practitioners, Physician’s Assistants, and Certified Nurse Midwives State/Community Matching Loan Repayment Program
One of the better options to consider in North Dakota if you are looking for financial aid is The Nurse Practitioners, Physician’s Assistants, and Certified Nurse Midwives State/Community Matching Loan Repayment Program. This program will help fund your studies while at the same giving you a chance to make a real and palpable difference. With The Nurse Practitioners, Physician’s Assistants, and Certified Nurse Midwives State/Community Matching Loan Repayment Program you will be required to work in undeserved areas of the state. These areas are mostly rural areas where it is difficult to find nursing staff to deal with the health care demands that the area experiences. In return for this you will be eligible to receive up to $10000 which you can use to pay back loans. The amount you receive will depend on your level of education in the nursing arena. Half of the money is provided by the state of North Dakota, and the other half is provided by the community. It is well worth your while to look into this option to see if you qualify.
The Nursing ED Loan
The state of North Dakota also offers The Nursing ED Loan. This loan is for baccalaureate students and in order to repay the loan you will need to be willing in to work in areas that the state designates.
FAFSA
It is important that you apply to FAFSA to find out what sort of financial aid options you are eligible for. You will most likely be given a list of loans and grants that you are eligible for. Remember that loans need to be paid back while grants do not, so consider these options first above and beyond the loans that you are informed of.
Ask Your Employer
Many employers are more than willing to give you some financial aid with your studies, especially if you are already employed in a health care facility. In this case it is well worth your while to inquire with your employer about their policies regarding financial aid for studies. If your employer does help you, you will probably be required to work for them for a set period of time in order to make up for the money given. This is beneficial to your employer as they get a qualified LPN who is obligated to work for them and who already knows how things work in that health care facility. You on the other hand will also benefit. You will be able to get a job as soon as you are qualified and the experience that you gain will look great on your resume should you ever be in a position where you would like to change jobs. Considering the many advantages, it is well worth your while to apply to your employer for help even if you think the chances that they will help you are relatively low.
List of Schools
As compared to some other states North Dakota does seem to have fewer options available when it comes to LPN schools and colleges. However, what they lack in quantity they make up for in quality. When choosing an LPN school in North Dakota, remember this very important point: if the school is not accredited by the North Dakota State Board of Nursing then you will be wasting your time and money and your hard work will count for nothing. The following is a list of the schools in North Dakota where you can get your LPN qualification along with contact details you will need to make further inquiries with each of the schools.
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North Dakota State College of Science
(AASPN)
800 6th St N
Wahpeton ND 58075-3602
Phone (701) 671-2967
Fax (701) 671-2529
United Tribes Technical College
(AASPN)
3315 University Dr
Bismarck ND 58504-7596
Phone (701) 255-3285
Fax (701) 255-1844
Dickinson State University
(AASPN)
291 Campus Dr
Dickinson ND 58601-4896
Phone (701) 483-2133
Fax (701)483-2524
Sitting Bull Community College
(ASPN)
1341 92nd Street
Fort Yates, ND 58538
PHONE (701) 854-3861
FAX (701)854-3403
Lake Region State College
1801 N College Drive
Devils Lake, ND 58301
Phone (701) 662-1569
Fax (701) 662-1569
Bismarck State College
PO Box 5587
Bismarck, ND 58506-5587
Phone (800) 445-5073
Williston State College
PO Box 1326
Williston, ND 58801-1326
Phone (701) 774-4290
Fax (701) 774-4275
Minot State University-Bottineau
105 Simrall Boulevard
Bottineau, ND 58318-1198
Phone (800) 542-6866
Fax (701) 228-5499
Tips for choosing the best school in North Dakota
Choosing the best school for you may be difficult which is why it is important that you take the following aspects into account when making your final decision:
- Location of the school – in order to save on transport costs it may be a good option to go for those schools that are closer to your home. However it is not a good idea to base your entire decision on this one aspect alone, but rather to consider a variety of different factors.
- LPN Tuition fees
- Percentage of NCLEX-PN passed candidate from the school in last years
- Length of the program
- Course ware
- Clinical facilities and exposure – because you will be required to complete a practical side in your studies, it is important that the clinical facilities provided by the school you would like to study with are of only the best quality. If they are you can be assured that you will be well prepared. You should also make sure that the number of hours devoted to clinical training in the program is adequate.
- Reputation of the college
- Financial aids
- Guidance provided by the school for NCLEX-PN exam – the point of LPN training is to prepare you for the examination. If you are not going to be properly prepared by a program then you should definitely remove that program from your consideration. This is possibly the most important criterion to consider.
