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 Fortis College-Richmond asks for, taken from its own admissions page.
What you'll need
- Background check
- Drug screen
- Interview
- Transcripts
High school diploma or equivalent, personal information sheet and admissions interview; nursing applicants must be 18 or older, pass a school administered criminal background check and drug screen, submit government ID and a signed Allied Health and Nursing Program waiver. Working CNAs with recent clinical hours may receive transfer credit. No exam, GPA, fee or deadline stated.
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
CMA LPNYour medication administration experience counts. Bridge from certified medication aide into practical nursing and full LPN licensure.
- Timeline
- 1 year
- State
- All states
Support available to Spanish learners
Southwestern College
View path
CNA to LPN
CNA LPNStep up from nursing assistant to licensed practical nurse. The fastest license upgrade in nursing, and the standard bridge toward RN.
- Timeline
- 1 year
- State
- All states
Support available to Spanish learners
East Arkansas Community College
View path
Acceptees
Acceptees whose paths lead to this program, and how they got in.
Find your next step.
Getting in starts with a path. Pick one, then follow the people who already did it.