LPN Programs in Washington

State Info

Becoming an LPN in Washington is one of the best career moves you could make. This is because there are many opportunities in the ever expanding health care field. In Washington there is a shortage of nurses, which can work in your favor.

A shortage means that you will always have a job and that your skills will always be in demand. There are a lot of people living in Washington, and all of those people are going to require health care at some or other point. Starting off as an LPN opens up many doors for your future as you will also be able to go on to become an Registered Nurse or get a BSN 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 Test of Essential Academic Skills
• Need to pass a background 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 Washington State Department of Health. This amount of money is $87. You will also have to pay a nursing center surcharge of $5. You will then also have to renew your license once every two years at a cost of $96.

Salaries

Once you are an LPN you will have the opportunity to study further and become an RN or get your BSN degree. There are a number of advantages to doing this, but one of the more interesting advantages involves the different pay scales that you will consequently be eligible for. The following is a list of the average salary you can expect to receive as an LPN, an RN, and a BSN in the state of Washington.

Financial Aid Available

If you are hoping to study as an LPN, but don’t have the financial means necessary to do so, you may want to consider looking at the various financial aid options that are available in Washington. There is no longer any need to give up on your goals for financial reasons.

FAFSA

The first step when looking for financial aid for your LPN qualification is to apply to FAFSA to find out what options you have. To do this you will have to complete a form and send it in. The feedback you receive will include information about the various loans and grants that you are eligible for. Because grants are more financially viable it is suggested that you focus on them first. Grants do not need to be paid back and are usually given out on a needs basis. Loans on the other hand do have to be paid back with interest. With some loans the interest rates are very high which means that you may end up repaying substantially more money than you originally borrowed. Private loans tend to have the highest interest rates. However they are very easy to qualify for so many people end up taking this option. Federal loans have much lower interest rates comparatively speaking but they are difficult to qualify for. However it is well worth your while to try and apply for a federal loan. He worst they can do is say no.

Scholarships

Scholarships do not have to be repaid with money and may cover part or even all of your studies. Scholarships are not easy to get, however, and they are usually based on one or all of the following criteria:

• Your financial need: scholarships are often only given to people who can prove a dire financial need for the money.
• Your academic record: often scholarships work on a rewards basis and are given to students who performed excellently in the academic field in the past.
• Your willingness to work wherever you are sent in return for the scholarship: these kinds of scholarships require that you work at a state designated facility, usually in an understaffed area, fir a set period of time in order to repay the scholarship.

Many nursing schools offer scholarships and other financial aid programs so it is worth your while to apply first to the schools that you are interested in studying at.

Ask Your Employer

You would be surprised how many employers out there are more than willing to give you a hand with your studies. This is especially true of you are already employed in some capacity in the health care industry. This way your employer gets a qualified LPN who is obligated to work for them for a set period of time in return for the financial aid given. You also benefit from this as your loan will be repaid. On top of that you will be guaranteed of a job once you have your qualification, and you will be able to gain valuable experience to put on your resume.

List of Schools

There are many schools for you to choose from when looking to study for your LPN qualification in Washington. Here is a list of the schools along with the contact details you will need to make further inquiries.

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Bates Technical College
PN Program
1101 S Yakima
Tacoma, WA 98405
Phone: (253) 680-7000

Green River Community College
Nursing Department
12401 SE 320th St.
Auburn, WA 98092
Phone: (253) 833-9111

South Puget Sound Community College
School of Nursing
2011 Mottman Rd. SE
Olympia, WA 98512
Phone: (360) 754-7711

Bellingham Technical College
3028 Lindburgh Avenue
Bellingham, WA 98225-1559
Phone: (360) 752-7000

Heritage College
Nursing Program
3240 Fort Rd.
Toppenish WA 98948
Phone: (509) 865-8500

South Seattle Community College
Nursing Program
6000 16th Avenue SW
Seattle WA 98106
Phone: (206)768-6414

Big Bend Community College
Nursing Department
7662 Chanute St.
Moses Lake, WA 98837
Phone: (509) 793-2222

Lake Washington Technical College
Nursing Program
11605 132nd Avenue NE
Kirkland, WA 98034
Phone: (425) 739-8100

Spokane Community College
Nursing Education
1810 N Greene St. MS 2090
Spokane, WA 99217
Phone: (509) 533-7000

Centralia College
Nursing Program
600 W Locust
Centralia, WA 98531
Phone: (360) 736-9391

Lower Columbia College
School of Nursing
1600 Maple Street
Longview, WA 98632
Phone: (360) 442-2860

Walla Walla Community College
Nursing Education
500 Tausick Way
Walla Walla, WA 99362
Phone: (509) 527-4240

Clover Park Technical College
Nursing Department
4500 Steilacoom Blvd. SW
Tacoma, WA 98499
Phone: (253) 589-5800

North Seattle Community College
Nursing Program
9600 College Way North
Seattle, WA 98103
Phone: (206) 587-4100

Wenatchee Valley College
Nursing Program
1300 5th Street
Wenatchee, WA 98801
Phone: (509) 682-6800

Columbia Basin College
Nursing Program
2600 N 20th Ave.
Pasco, WA 99301
Phone: (509) 547-0511

Olympic College
Nursing Program
1600 Chester Ave.
Bremerton, WA 98377-1699
Phone: (360) 792-6050

Yakima Valley Community College
Nursing Program
PO Box 22520
Yakima, WA 98907-2520
Phone: (509) 422-7800

Everett Community College
Nursing Department
2000 Tower St.
Everett, WA 98201-1327
Phone: (425) 388-9100

Renton Technical College
Nursing Program
3000 NE 4th Street
Renton, WA 98056
Phone: (425) 235-2352

Grays Harbor Community College
Nursing Department
1620 Edward P Smith Drive
Aberdeen, WA 98520
Phone: (360) 532-9020

Skagit Valley College – Whidbey Island
1900 SE Pioneer Way
Oak Harbor, WA 98277
Phone: (360) 679-5323

Choosing a school

There are several schools to choose from and so you may be a little unsure about how to make the best choice. There are some things that should help you narrow down your search. Consider the following factors carefully when making your decision:

• Location of the school
• Tuition fees
• Accreditation
• Percentage of NCLEX-PN passed candidate from the school in last years
• Length of the program
• Course ware
• Clinical facilities and exposure
• Reputation of the college
• Financial aids
• Guidance provided by the school for NCLEX-PN exam

Personality requirements

If you want to be a nurse you have to have the right attitude. If you approach the nursing industry with the wrong state of mind then you are going to struggle to adapt to the challenges that you will face. Below is a list of personality requirements that you should have if you want to be a good nurse:

• A Caring Nature
• Be Empathetic
• Be Detail-Oriented
• Be Emotionally Stable
• Be Adaptable
• Have Physical Endurance
• Be a Quick Thinker
• Have Great Judgement
• Be Hard-Working
• Have Great Communication Skills