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 Kapiolani Community College asks for, taken from its own admissions page.
What you'll need
- Prerequisite courses
- Transcripts
ATI TEAS taken at a testing center (no minimum stated); prerequisites (PHYL 141/142, PHRM 203, English, math) with grade C or higher and a 2.5 prerequisite GPA, sciences within 5 years, plus a state-approved nurse aide course (135 h) and a 15 h medical terminology course; KCC cumulative GPA 2.0 minimum. Application windows: October 1 to December 15 (Leeward CC site cohort) and April 1 to May 15 (Kapiolani site cohort); about 15 to 20 students accepted each semester. No reference letters required.
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.