LPN Programs in West Virginia

State Info

There are many things to do in West Virginia and many of these activities hold inherent dangers that may put people in hospital. This combined with the fact that the medical industry is on the increase means that becoming a health care professional in West Virginia is one of the best things that you could consider doing.

The best way to get your foot in the door of the health care industry is by becoming an LPN, or Licensed Practical Nurse. As an LPN you will then be able to study further while earning money to become an RN, after which even more career advancement opportunities are possible.

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 pass a background check
• Need to have knowledge of the prerequisite subjects

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 West Virginia State Board of Examiners. This amount of money is $75. You will then also have to renew your license once every two years at a cost of $50 and with proof of 24 hours of continuous training.

Salaries

Becoming an LPN opens up many doors for you. With further education and study you will be able to, for example, get an RN or BSN qualification. This will give you a higher position in the health care world and will pay a higher salary. Below is a comparison of the average LPN salary you can expect to earn as an LPN, and RN and a BSN in the state of West Virginia.

Financial Aid Available

If you require financial aid in order to study for your LPN qualification, then you may want to look at the various financial aid options that are available in Washington.

FAFSA

The obvious place to begin is with FAFSA. Applying to FAFSA will bring to your attention all of the loans and grants that you are eligible for. If you are able to apply for a grant, do so as these are very financially viable options. A grant is a portion of money that is given to you in order for you to pay for your studies that you will not have to repay. This makes them a better bet than loans. A loan does have to be repaid, usually with interest unless you can get a special deal from somewhere. Federal loans are the best because their interest is the lowest, but they are difficult to qualify for. On the other hand private loans, which are easier to get, have much higher interest rates. If you take out a loan make sure you are comfortable with the idea of repaying it when the time comes, and make sure that you are certain of the fact that you will be able to repay the loan.

Ask Your Employer

An interesting source of aid may be your current employer. Employers are often willing to help their employees upgrade their qualifications, especially if the studies you plan to do are related to what you do in your current job. You may be expected to work for your current for a set amount of time once you have finished your studies in return for the financial aid. This works out well in your favour though because it means that you will not have to go job hunting when you qualify. You will be able to immediately start working. This will also help you build up your resume so when it does come time to look for another job you will have some experience to back you up. Your employer will also benefit because they will be getting an LPN who they are familiar with and who already knows how things work in that particular facility.

Loan Forgiveness Programs

If you take out a loan then you may need to make use of a loan forgiveness program when it comes time to repay that loan. With a loan forgiveness program you will be expected to work for a specified amount of time in a state designated health care facility in exchange for which part or your entire loan will be dealt with so that you don’t have to worry about it. Usually you will be needed to work in some undeserved or understaffed facility, often in a rural part of the state, but the experience you gain through this can work in your favor.

List of Schools

There is a large density of schools in West Virginia that you might be interested in. Studying to be an LPN in West Virginia is easy with a lot of choice. Here are your options:

[edu-search]onlinelpn_state010101082691/wv[/edu-search]

Academy of Careers and Technology
School of Practical Nursing
390 Stanford Road
Beckley, WV 25801
(304) 256-4675

B.M. Spurr School of Practical Nursing
800 Wheeling Avenue
Glen Dale, WV 26038
(304) 843-3255

Cabell County Career Technology Center
School of Practical Nursing
1035 Norway Avenue,
Huntington, WV 25705
(304) 528-5172

Fayette Institute of Technology
300 W. Oyler Avenue
Oak Hill, WV 25901
(304) 469-2911

Fred W. Eberle Tri-County Vocational
Technical Center
School of Practical Nursing
Route 5, Box 2
Buckhannon, WV 26201
(304) 472-1259

Garnet Career Center
School of Practical Nursing
422 Dickinson Street
Charleston, WV 25301
(304) 348-6114

Greenbrier County School of Practical Nursing
One Spartan Lane, Greenbrier East High School
Lewisburg, WV 24901
(304) 647-6487

James Rumsey Technical Institute
School of Practical Nursing
3274 Hedgesville Road
Martinsburg, WV 25401
(304) 754-7925

John D. Rockefeller, IV Career Center
School of Practical Nursing
95 Rockyside Road
New Cumberland, WV 26047
(304) 564-3337

Logan-Mingo School of Practical Nursing
Ralph Willis Vocational Center
P.O. Box 1747
Logan, WV 25601
(304) 752-4687

McDowell County Career and Technical Center
School of Practical Nursing
Drawer V
Welch, WV 24801
(304) 436-6180 Fax: 436-8063

Mercer County Technical Education Center
School of Practical Nursing
1397 Stafford Drive
Princeton, WV 24740
(304) 425-7460

Mineral County Vocational Technical Center
School of Practical Nursing
600 Harley O. Staggers Drive
Keyser, WV 26726
(304) 788-4240

Mingo County Vocational Center
School of Practical Nursing
Route 2, Box 52 A
Delbarton, WV 25670
(304) 475-2078 Ext: 28

Monongalia County Vocational Technical Center.
School of Practical Nursing
1000 Mississippi Street
Morgantown, WV 26505
(304)291-9240

New River Community and Technical College
School of Practical Nursing
6101 Webster Road
Summersville, WV 26651
(304) 872-1236

Putnam County Career and Technology Center
School of Practical Nursing
Post Office Box 640
Eleanor, West Virginia 25070-0640
(304) 586-3494 Ext. 206

Randolph County Vocational Center
School of Practical Nursing
200 Kennedy Drive
Elkins, WV 26241
(304) 636-9195

Roane Jackson Technical Center
School of Practical Nursing
4800 Spencer Road
Leroy, WV 25252-9700
(304) 372-7335

Summers County Career Center
School of Practical Nursing
Rt 20 North, Box 11A
Hinton, WV 25951
(304) 466-6040

United Technical Center
School of Practical Nursing
Route 3, Box 43 C
Clarksburg, WV 26301
(304) 624-3284

Wood County School of Practical Nursing
300 Campus Drive
Parkersburg, WV 26104
(304)424-8305 Fax: 424-8343

Wyoming County Vocational Technical Center
School of Practical Nursing
HCR 72, Box 200
Pineville, WV 24874
(304) 732-8050

Choosing a school

Because there are a few different schools to choose from in West Virginia you may be wondering how you can be expected to make a good choice about which school to study at. Well, there are some very basic considerations to take into account in this regard:

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

Personality requirements

To be a nurse there are a number of personality requirements you should first meet. If you do not have one of the following, or if you think that you may be lacking in one of these domains, then you may want to consider other fields of work:

• 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