Last spring, Shayna London graduated from the practical nursing program at Chattahoochee Technical College, took her NCLEX-PN exam and got a job at Woodstock Nursing and Rehab Center.
For London, becoming a licensed practical nurse is a stepping stone, but an important one to her nursing career.
“I wanted the hands-on experience I knew I’d get as an LPN, and the program changed my life,” she said. “It made me think differently. You use your memory and critical-thinking skills so much. It was really a great education.”
Because London’s long-term goal was to become a registered nurse, her advisor at Chattahoochee Tech steered her toward classes that gave her a jump start on an associate degree.
“I’m two courses away and have already been accepted into the BSN program at Kennesaw State University,” she said.
London wants to work in trauma care and ultimately become a nurse anesthetist.
“Keeping my grades up allowed me to transfer my HOPE scholarship to Kennesaw. I’m a single parent, so I needed to work as soon as possible and while I was in school,” she said. “Being an LPN allowed me to do that and gave me a solid foundation for my career.”
With the landmark 2010 Institute of Medicine report (“The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health”) advocating for a bachelor’s degree as the entry-level diploma into nursing, and much of the nursing community pushing to have 80 percent of all nurses hold their BSN by 2020 — there’s a debate about the need for LPN programs.
“They’ve been talking about everyone having a BSN since I became a nurse in 1961, but they still can’t make it happen because we don’t have enough teachers,” said Larry Hannigan, RN, MS, program director for practical nursing at Chattahoochee Tech. “Thousands of nurses get their master’s degree every year and would be qualified to teach, but they go back into practice because of the huge pay differential.”
Not every nursing student has the time or can afford the tuition for a four-year degree. The nation needs nurses, which is why practical nursing programs are still in place, Hannigan said. For $6,000 to $7,000 at a Georgia technical college, a practical nursing diploma is a bargain.
‘Good entry point’
“To become a licensed practical nurse is a good entry point into the profession, but they’ll earn more and advance farther as a registered nurse,” Hannigan said. “We encourage our students to go on with their education, and about 60 percent do so immediately.”
Practical nursing suits many nontraditional students, some of whom delayed their education to raise children or who are changing careers for greater job security.
Applicants face a competitive admissions process. “We had 188 qualified applicants for our 35 spots in Jasper recently,” Hannigan said.
Students are selected based on their grade point averages in prerequisite courses and test scores.
Chattahoochee Tech offers practical nursing programs at its Paulding, North Metro and Appalachian campuses.
In a year, practical nursing students complete 685 hours in the classroom and 485 hours of clinical experience. They learn nursing fundamentals, leadership basics and are exposed to medical/surgical, obstetrics, labor and delivery, pediatric and mental health specialties.
“We’re one of the few practical nursing programs that send students to Grady [Memorial] Hospital for clinical rotations. We thought they’d complain about being in downtown Atlanta, but they love it,” Hannigan said.
Students also gain hands-on experience at other hospitals, surgery centers, doctor’s offices, public health offices, nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, home health agencies, dialysis providers and pharmacies.
“For a one-year program, we’re very proud of the range of experience we’re able to give them. Our students are well-prepared to be nurses,” Hannigan said.
The program is challenging, said Catrina Davis, a practical nursing student at Chattahoochee Tech who will graduate this month.
“You don’t sleep much, but we have wonderful instructors who guide us through everything,” Davis said. “Since the recession, I couldn’t stay at home [with her children] anymore, and I’d always wanted to work in health care.
“The practical nursing program was a more affordable way for me to get into nursing. I knew I could bridge to an associate degree program, yet work right away, and that will make such a difference to me and my family.”
While the economy has slowed hiring, Hannigan estimates that about 80 percent of his most recent class had jobs before they graduated. While a licensed practical nurse is limited to working directly under a registered nurse or a physician, they can work almost anywhere health care is provided.
“Not as many [LPNs] work in hospitals today, because many hospitals are looking for higher registered nurse ratios, but they’re needed in nursing homes, urgent care centers, home health and hospice,” Hannigan said. “I’ve had graduates go into the jails or school systems, and one went into industry as an occupational nurse.”
He said that LPNs make about $17 to $25 an hour, whereas registered nurses make $25 to $60 an hour. With the demand for nursing homes and home health growing at a high rate, the Georgia Department of Labor projects a 19 percent job growth for LPNS through 2016.
Davis, who was a secretary before she was a stay-at-home mother, has found nursing to be much more fulfilling than working in an office. As a nurse, she hopes to work in an emergency room or urgent care center.
“I love the fast pace of the ER and I love being around patients,” she said. “ The best thing about nursing is that there are so many paths. You can find what fits you.”
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