State Info
In the dry state of Utah there is a shortage of nurses, especially in the more rural areas. This means that becoming an LPN nurse in this state is one of the best things that you could do in terms of advancing your career.
There are also several different schools for you to choose from in order to complete your qualification. Once you have got your foot in the door of the ever growing medical industry you will be able to advance to better positions. For example you will be able to do an LPN to RN qualification, or even an LPN to BSN qualification, making your choices even more diverse.
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 licensure you will also have to pay an amount of money to the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing. This amount of money is $95. You will then also have to renew your license once every two years at a cost of $58 and with proof of 30 hours of continuous training, 400 hours of LPN practice, or 200 hours of LPN practice with 15 hours of continuous training.
Salaries
| Program | Hourly Rate | Annual Rate |
| LPN | $15.18 | $31330 |
| RN | $28.43 | $59136 |
| BSN | $30 | $63,876 |
Financial Aid Available
Many people give up on their dreams of becoming nurses or entering the nursing profession because they feel that they are financially unable to meet the challenge. However there are many options open to you in Utah when it comes to getting the financial aid you need to study.
The Utah Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program
The Utah Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program is a program that exists to encourage nurses at all levels to work in the more underserved health care facilities in the state. In return for working in an underserved health care facility in Utah your loan will be repaid. This is a very viable option to consider if you are forced to take the route of getting a loan out for your studies. There are several other loan forgiveness programs that you should inquire about as well in the state of Utah. Make sure that you are informed of all of your options.
FAFSA
When looking for financial aid FAFSA is always the place you should start. The first step is to download or collect a FAFSA application form. You will then have to fill out the form including all of the information that they ask you for. After a short period of time FAFSA will give you feedback about your application and provide you with a list of loans and grants that you may qualify for which they will base on the answers that you give on the form. Grants are a better bet. If you are lucky enough to qualify for a grant then grab the opportunity with both hands. Grants do not have to be paid back at any point which means that you will effectively be able to study for your LPN qualification at no cost to yourself. Grants are usually needs based. Loans on the other hand do need to be paid back. They also accrue interest which means that the amount of money that you will pay back will be a lot more than the amount of money you originally borrowed. However, must loans only require repayment once you have finished studying and have found employment. Remember though that your loan may accrue even more interest during this waiting period. Federal loans are the best loans to get if you are able to. They have low interest rates which makes them easier to pay back. However there are quite stringent requirements involved in getting a federal loan, so don’t put all your hope in this. Privately sourced loans are far easier to qualify for. However they have much higher interest rates to make up for this, so you need to be sure that you will be able to pay the loan back with the required interest when the time comes to do so.
Scholarships
Many schools as well as private organizations offer scholarships to students to help them with their studies. Often scholarships are given out on a rewards basis. Only the top students from high school will qualify. This is great if you are a top achiever, but if you don’t quite make the grade then you will be glad to hear hat there are also a number of scholarships that are given out on a needs basis. These scholarships required to prove grave financial need, however. Some nursing scholarships are given out based on the understanding that in return you are willing to work as an LPN in a designated facility, usually one that is understaffed, in return. This guarantees you with a job and provides you with valuable work experience that you will use throughout the rest of your nursing career.
Ask Your Employer
Remember that your employer may be a good source of financial aid, especially if you are already working in a health care related industry. Your employer will in many cases be more than happy to help you reach your educational goals as this means that he or she will have a qualified LPN on their staff. Often you will be required to work for your employer for a set amount of time in return for the financial aid hat you have been given. This works out well for everyone, not just your employer. You will also experience several excellent benefits. For one thing your studies will be paid for. For another you will not have to search for a job once you have qualified as your position at your old employer will be guaranteed. And thirdly you will gain experience for your resume.
List of Schools
There are a number of schools to consider when looking for LOPN training in Utah. Make sure that the school is accredited by the Utah Board of Nursing before making a final decision. Here is a list of your options:
[edu-search]onlinelpn_state010101082691/ut[/edu-search]
SNOW COLLEGE SOUTH (RICHFIELD)
800 W 200 S
Richfield UT 84701
(435) 896-2232
www.snow.edu
UINTAH BASIN APPLIED TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE
1100 E Lagoon 124-5
Roosevelt UT 84066
(435) 722-6914
www.ubatc.org
WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY
3903 University Circle
Ogden UT 84408-3903
(801) 626-6132
www.weber.edu/nursing
BRIDGERLAND APPLIED TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE
1301 N 600 W
Logan UT 84321
(435) 753-6780
www.bridgerlandatc.org
COLLEGE OF EASTERN UTAH
451 E 400 N
Price UT 84501
(435) 613-5262
www.ceu.edu
DAVIS APPLIED TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE
550 E 300 S
Kaysville UT 84037
(801) 593-2341
www.datc.net
DIXIE STATE COLLEGE
Nursing and Allied Health
225 S 700 E
St. George UT 84770
(435) 652-7862
www.dixie.edu
OGDEN/WEBER APPLIED TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE
200 N Washington Blvd
Ogden UT 84404-6704
(801) 627-8355
www.owatc.com
The personality requirements of an LPN
In order to become an LPN and be good at your job there are several personality requirements that you should have. The following in a list of these requirements which you can use to check whether or not you have the right attitude for the job:
- A Caring Nature – This should be obvious. Your job will be to care for others, so of course you will need to be a naturally caring person.
- Be Empathetic
- Be Detail-Oriented
- Be Emotionally Stable – There are plenty of emotionally rocky events that you may experience as an LPN> you need to be the one that keeps your head in a crisis and makes sure that everything gets done at all times.
- Be Adaptable
- Have Physical Endurance – The job of a nurse is not an easy one physically speaking. If you lack physical endurance than you may struggle to perform all of the arduous tasks expected of an LPN on a daily basis.
- Be a Quick Thinker
- Have Great Judgement
- Be Hard-Working
- Have Great Communication Skills – This is essential as you will be required to communicate effectively with both your colleagues and your patients. Often the effective care of the people in your care will based on whether or not you can communicate clearly.
