Overview
Career outlook
Employers hire licensed practical nurses to provide basic patient care such as monitoring vital signs, administering medications, and assisting with daily needs under the supervision of registered nurses and physicians.
Getting in
What Athena Career Academy asks for, taken from its own admissions page.
What you'll need
- Transcripts
- CPR certification
- Drug screen
- Immunizations
- Background check
No admission test required. Attend an informational meeting with admissions, complete the online application, submit high school or GED transcript, government ID and social security card, AHA BLS CPR, a physical within one year of start, drug screen within 90 days of start, immunization records (PPD/CXR, MMR, varicella, hepatitis B, tetanus, flu, COVID series) and BCI/FBI background check with fingerprinting. Day program is one year, evening program 16 months; new classes start about every three months (next PN start 10/20/2026).
Checked Oct 2026 on the school's site. Requirements change each cycle, so confirm before you apply.
Paths
Routes into LPN. The first step is where you enroll today.
Medication Aide to LPN
Your medication administration experience counts. Bridge from certified medication aide into practical nursing and full LPN licensure.
CNA to LPN
Step up from nursing assistant to licensed practical nurse. The fastest license upgrade in nursing, and the standard bridge toward RN.
Find your next step.
Getting in starts with a path. Pick one, then follow the people who already did it.