Key Takeaways
The Fortis LPN program in Richmond can be completed in as little as 60 instructional weeks.
Graduates can access diverse career paths, including LPN-to-RN bridge programs and specialized nursing roles.
LPN employers may provide health insurance, retirement plans, and even tuition reimbursement for continued education.
The prospect of earning a degree to pursue a career in healthcare can seem daunting. But licensed practical nurses (LPNs) are not required to earn a college degree. Instead, they can enroll in a practical nursing diploma program to qualify for the licensure exam.
Attending an LPN program in Richmond, VA, can provide individuals with many benefits, including the ability to enter the workforce as a nurse relatively quickly and affordably.
What Is an LPN Program?
LPN programs are typically one- to two-year educational programs that prepare aspiring nurses to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN), which must be passed to obtain a practical nursing license.
LPN programs teach students the skills they need to carry out primary nursing tasks, including tracking patients’ histories, providing basic wound care, and administering medications. Combining classroom instruction with clinical experience, LPN programs are designed to provide aspiring nurses with a basic yet comprehensive education.
What Will You Learn in an LPN Program?
Fortis’ LPN program in Richmond, VA, can be completed over a period of 60 or 96 instructional weeks, depending on a student’s personal needs and preferences. The hybrid program combines hands-on clinical practice with classroom instruction, and offers the following courses:
Anatomy and Physiology
Introduction to Informatics
Basic Skills, Quality, and Safety in Nursing Practice
Pharmacology
Foundations of Nursing
Gerontological Nursing
Mental Health Nursing
Medical-Surgical Nursing I
Maternal-Newborn Nursing
Pediatric Nursing
Concepts of Leadership and Collaboration
Medical-Surgical Nursing II
Transition to PN/VN Practice — Capstone
Concepts of Community Based Nursing
Human Growth and Development
Fundamentals of Human Nutrition
Students receive instruction on how to provide holistic care based on patients’ personalized needs. They learn to incorporate evidence-based information and critical thinking into their own nursing decision-making processes, so they can provide patients with quality care.
Students also learn about effective communication in healthcare settings, how to manage continuity of care, and how to hold themselves accountable as professionals rooted in ethics and legal standards.
5 LPN Program Benefits
Below are 5 key program benefits of attending an LPN program in Richmond, VA.
1. Cost-Effective Training
It is almost always more cost-effective to attend an LPN program than an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. LPN programs are an excellent choice for individuals who want to pursue a lifelong nursing career, but are not ready to commit to a more intensive and expensive degree program.
2. Fast Track to the Workforce
For many, time and cost are major factors in choosing career training. Those who want to work in healthcare may not be able to wait the four years it takes to earn a college degree before entering the workforce, or may not have access to the funding to pursue further education. In many cases, LPNs can complete their training in just over one year.
3. Extensive Career Options
Those who complete an LPN program in Richmond, VA, effectively set themselves up for a successful career. With additional training, such as through an LPN-to-RN bridge program, students in the LPN program can become RNs relatively quickly and affordably. Additional career training options, including medical assisting and specialized nursing training, are also options.
4. Manageable Workload
Individuals who are already working to support themselves or their family often find that a hybrid-delivery LPN program is easier to manage than a more intense four-year degree program. With just a few hours a day needed to pursue classwork and some hands-on clinical training, students can train to be an LPN while balancing their other obligations.
5. Job Security and Benefits
Transitioning into nursing right after high school or from another job with lower pay and few benefits can change individuals’ lives. Most organizations that employ LPNs are required to offer health benefits by law, and they may also offer additional benefits such as dental plans, paid vacation, long-term care and disability insurance, 401(k) retirement plans, and sometimes even tuition reimbursement for individuals who go on to pursue additional education in the field.
Become a Professional Nurse With Fortis’ LPN Program in Richmond, VA
Nursing is a rewarding career for those who enjoy helping others. As an LPN, you can qualify to work in any of a number of types of settings, such as a nursing home, hospital, penal institution, or outpatient facility, without the need for years of education that can cost well into the tens of thousands of dollars.
If you are ready to take the next step in your professional career in healthcare, Fortis’ Practical Nursing program can help you get the training you need, obtain a nursing license, and start providing quality healthcare. This hybrid program involves a few online courses, with the rest available at our Richmond, VA, campus.
Learn how to become the nurse you have always wanted to be with Fortis.
Recommended Readings
How Long Does It Take to Become an LPN?
Nursing as a Second Career
The Role of a Nursing Home Nurse