Licensed Practical Nursing

The Lane Licensed Practical Nursing Program prepares students to take the NCLEX-PN licensure exam to become Practical Nurse (LPN). This course of study requires approximately one to one and half years of full time study and prepares the student to provide direct patient care utilizing critical thinking skills in a variety of settings.

Licensed Practical nurses may be employed in the following settings including ambulatory care centers, hospitals, home health and hospice, skilled nursing facilities, long term care settings, at schools providing care for children and families of those children, in occupational settings promoting employee health, for public health departments, in physician offices. They work under the supervision of physicians and registered nurses and may involve administration of medications, intravenous therapy, cleaning and dressing of wounds, glucose monitoring, blood pressure monitoring, patient education, general assessment of persons in need of health care, delivering the needed care, and evaluation of the patients' outcomes after the care has been provided.

Employment opportunities for graduates who pass the licensure exam are variable in the Eugene/Springfield area, but those who are willing to seek employment in settings other than the acute care settings can usually find employment giving nursing care. Starting salaries vary according to the type of care the nurse will be providing, but in the acute care setting the average pay for LPNs is about $21/hour or about $43,500/year. New graduates will make somewhat less than this amount, as will those working in long term care, doctor's offices, and clinics.

If in the future, if the graduate wishes to progress toward becoming a Registered Nurse, LPN's have an option to apply for the LPN to RN Bridge program. Upon completion of the "Bridge" students would then be eligible to enter the "Second year of an Associate of Applied Science Degree Registered Nurse (RN) Program" in a participating Community College that is part of the Oregon Consortium for Nursing Education (OCNE). If a student then wishes to progress toward completion of a Bachelor Degree with a major in Nursing, there are many options in the state of Oregon. OCNE RNs have the option to complete a final year through Oregon Health Sciences University or in any of the other RN to BSN programs. For more information please refer to the State of Oregon information.

To Our Students: Please be informed that Lane Community College Division of Health Professions requires all students to submit appropriate personal information (such as immunization records, federal and state background checks, drug screens and others) to CastleBranch, a company specializing in the collection and storage of student health care information. Submission of required documents must be accomplished prior to the beginning of classes. Both the drug screens and background checks must be clear (e.g. absence of positive results for narcotics, marijuana, alcohol and/or other illicit substances for drug screen) to ensure clinical placements and graduation from Health Profession programs. Specifics on required documents, costs, timelines, and how to access CastleBranch, will be included in the letter of program acceptance and/or discussed at the Mandatory Program Orientation.

Dear Students:
Please be aware that you will be required to have a minimum 2.0 gpa at the time of graduation in order to graduate and receive your certificate or associate's degree from LCC. Please also be aware that only LCC courses count toward your final gpa.

Links to the left will enable you to learn more about the profession of nursing and about LCC's outstanding nursing programs. For information on how and when to apply for admission to the LPN program, take a look at the Application Information. Find out additional information on what you can expect to do as a licensed practical nurse.