LPN Programs in Wisconsin

State Info

The humid continental state is Wisconsin is just as much in need of health care professionals as all of the other states are. If you want to get your foot in the door of the stable and ever expanding health care industry, then the best way is to qualify as an LPN.

Once you are an LPN you will be able to advance your career in leaps and bounds while at the same time working and generating an income. There are several great schools in Wisconsin where you will be able to do your LPN training. Starting a career in the health care field will guarantee job security and will be the best career move that you have ever made.

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 t be older than 18
• Need to have a high school diploma or an equivalent qualification
• 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 LPN 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 Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing. This amount of money is $90. You will then also have to renew your license once every two years at a cost of $82.

Salaries

You have probably heard many times form many people that becoming an LPN is the best way to get your foot in the door of the health care industry. This sentiment is true. Once you are an LPN you will be able to work towards getting an RN qualification or a BSN qualification. With this n mind it is interesting to look at the salary comparison table below to see what average salary you can expect to earn in each position in the state of Wisconsin.

Financial Aid Available

In Wisconsin there are a number of financial aid options that are available for any students who feel that they need aid in order to get their LPN qualification.

Scholarships

Scholarships are given for a variety of reasons and constitute an amount of money that you are not required to repay. To get a scholarship you have to usually fall into one or all of these categories:

You need to be a person who really needs the money and can demonstrate this need
You need to be a person who achieved well in high school and in any other training or education programs you have previously taken part in. In this case you will need to have been in the top tier and received really excellent grades.
You need to be willing to work in an undeserved or understaffed facility designated by the state in return for which you will be given a scholarship to fund your studies.

Ask Your Employer

Your employer may be willing to help you fund your studies. This benefits them as well as you, especially if you are currently employed in the health care industry, perhaps as a CNA. Even if you doubt that your employer will be willing or able to help you it cannot hurt to ask. The worse they can do is turn you down.

Loan Forgiveness Programs

You may end up taking out a loan in order to fund your studies. Yu must remember that loans consist of an amount of money that you will eventually have to pay back. This amount of money will accrue interest which means that you will be paying back much more money than you loaned in the first place. In many cases you will not be required to repay your loan until after you have finished studying. In some cases you don’t have to start repaying the loan until you are employed. However remember that many loans will accrue even more interest over this time. Before taking out a loan make sure that you have a payment scheme in mind to help you deal with the loan when the time comes. If you take out a loan to fund your studies try to get a federal loan as these have lower interest rates. It will not be easy however as the requirements to qualify for a federal loan are quite stringent and you may struggle to meet them. Private loans on the other hand are easier to get but tend to have much higher interest rates. When it comes time to repay this loan y0ou may want to consider a loan forgiveness program. These are often offered by the state, but can also be offered by facilities and institutions that employ LPN nurses. With a loan forgiveness program you will be required to work for a set amount of time for a specified organization of health care facility. In return for his a portion of your student loan will be ‘forgiven’, that is, it will be paid back for you so that you do not have to do so yourself. The facilities that you will be required to work in are usually ones that are understaffed and require assistance. In this way you can earn money and experience for your resume at the same time. This experience will make it easier for you to get a job later on.

Work and Study Programs

Some nursing schools and colleges offer work and study programs where you will be able to work at the same time that you are learning. In this way you can earn money while studying which will allow you to cover your expenses. These programs cannot accommodate everyone so make sure you inquire about them at the various schools as early as possible.

List of Schools

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Choosing an LPN school in Wisconsin may not be easy especially when you look at how many options there are. Here is a list of your options along with the contact details you will need to make further inquiries:

Blackhawk Technical College
6004 S County Road G
Janesville, WI 53546
(608) 757-7678

Chippewa Valley Technical College
620 West Clairemont Avenue
Eau Claire, WI 54701
(715) 833-6419

College of Menominee Nation
N 172 Hwy 47/55
Keshena, WI 54135
(800) 567-2344

Fox Valley Technical College
1825 N. Bluemound Drive
P.O. Box 2277
Appleton, WI 54912
(920) 735-5664

Gateway Technical College
3520 30th Avenue
Kenosha, WI 53144
(414) 656-2365

Herzing College Madison
5218 East Terrace Drive
Madison, WI 53718
(608) 249-6611×819

Lakeshore Technical College
1290 North Avenue
Cleveland, WI 53015
(920) 458-4183

Madison Area Technical College
3550 Anderson Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53704
(608) 246-6484

Mid-State Technical College
500 32nd Street North
Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494
(715) 422-5510

Milwaukee Area Technical College
700 West State Street
Milwaukee, WI 53233
(414) 297-6241

Moraine Park Technical College
2151 N Main St
West Bend, WI 53090
(262) 335-5757

Nicolet Area Technical College
5364 College Drive
Rhinelander, WI 54501
(715) 365-4648

Northcentral Technical College
1000 W. Campus Drive
Wausau, WI 54401
(715) 675-3331 x4508

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
2740 West Mason St.
Green Bay, WI 54307
(920) 498-5482

Choosing a school

The next challenge is to choose a good school from the many options that are available to you. In order to make the best decision possible you are going to have to take a lot of factors into account. Never choose a school based only on one criterion. Consider all of the different aspects of the choice. This is where you are going to study for your LPN qualification so it is not a decision you want to make lightly. When comparing schools to find the best option you should consider the following:

• Location of the school
• Tuition fees
• Accreditation
• Percentage of NCLEX-PN passed candidate from the school in past 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

Being a nurse is not necessarily an easy job. If you want to be a nurse than you need to think long and hard about the requirements involved. For one thing, you will need to have the right personality. In order to be an effective nurse in Wisconsin you should have the following traits:

• 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