If you are interested in a career in the medical field, becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) may very well be your fastest and most practical course to take. In the state of Florida, the requirements to receive your pratical nursing license are pretty straight forward.
You will be required to complete a one year Practical Nursing Program as well as hands on clinical work, receive a CPR card and pass the NCLEX-PN Exam. This will qualify you to apply to the Florida Board of Nursing for licensing.
Areas that you can expect to study include basic courses in:
- Anatomy and physiology
- Pharmacology
- Nutrition
- Pediatrics
- First aid
- Patient care
Once licensed, you will be required to renew your LPN license every 24 months. Renewal requirements are 24 hours of CEC (Continuing Education Credits) including a mandatory 2 hour course on Preventing Medical Errors, a one time 1 hour course on HIV/Aids and a 2 hour course on Preventing Domestic Violence every third renewal.
Job Outlook
There is a continuing and growing shortage of nurses in the state of Florida making the job out look very good for those willing to invest their time to become licensed. Perhaps the best advantage of becoming an LPN in Florida is the fact that many of the facilities where you might work provide aid for continuing your professional development with educational benefits such as tuition assistance.
Nursing can be a very rewarding field both in monetary and personal terms and with its limited amount of educational and clinical requirements becoming a Florida LPN offers one of the fastest returns on investments available.
