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New York Health Careers

Licensed Practical Nurses

What Do Licensed Practical Nurses Do?

Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) are health professionals who work under the supervision of a registered nurse (RN) or a physician and provide basic patient care. Their duties may include:

  • Taking vital signs, monitoring patients’ health, and keeping records about patients’ health;
  • Administering medications, changing bandages, and other basic nursing care;
  • Carrying out prescribed medical and nursing treatments;
  • Educating patients and listening to their concerns and discussing their health care;
  • Supervising nursing aides in the delivery of patient services in some settings;
  • Observing, documenting, and reporting patient condition and progress to RNs and physicians; and
  • Providing emotional support to patients and their families.

For more information, go to: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/licensed-practical-and-licensed-vocational-nurses.htm.

Where Do Licensed Practical Nurses Work?

LPNs work in nursing homes, private physician practices, hospitals, and a variety of other health care settings. Most LPNs work full time, and LPNs may work nights, weekends, and holidays depending on the health care setting they work in.

How Much Do Licensed Practical Nurses Earn?

In 2022, the average annual income reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in the United States was $55,860. The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) reports that, in 2023, licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in New York earned a median annual salary of $59,889 (licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in the 25th percentile made approximately $48,010 while those in the 75th percentile made approximately $65,656).

Supply and Demand

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the number of jobs for Licensed Practical Nurses and Licensed Vocational Nurses in the U.S. will increase by 6% between 2021 and 2031. The New York State Department of Labor projects that the number of jobs for Licensed Practical Nurses and Licensed Vocational Nurses in the state will increase by 19% between 2020 and 2030. As the population ages, growing demand for LPNs is expected to increase, especially in long-term care settings. Additionally, as technology advances allow more offices, clinics, and ambulatory settings to offer services that were once only available in hospitals, these settings may increase the use of LPNs.

For more information on projections of LPNs by New York labor regions, 2018-2028, click here.

Educational Requirements

LPNs must complete an accredited education program, which are typically about one year in length and include clinical practice in a hospital or other health care setting and classroom study that covers basic nursing content including:

  • anatomy;
  • physiology;
  • medical-surgical nursing;
  • pediatrics;
  • obstetrics;
  • psychiatric nursing;
  • medication administration;
  • nutrition; and
  • first aid.

Some LPN educational programs are available to high school students, usually through a local BOCES. Most LPN programs are offered to adults as academic or continuing education courses through a BOCES, community or junior college, and some four-year colleges. The New York LPN to RN Articulation Model establishes a mechanism for an LPN to achieve educational mobility and expediency by eliminating barriers in nursing education programs.

Financial Support

Grants, scholarships, and awards for students entering the nursing field are available at local, state, and federal levels. For more information, click here.

New York Licensure Requirements

Graduates of LPN education programs must pass an exam, known as the NCLEX-PN, to get a license and work as an LPN in New York and in all U.S. states. For more information, go to: http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/.

Education Programs in New York (subject to change)

To view the New York State Education Department list of all LPN programs in New York, click here.
The following list is derived from the same NYSED source.

Central Region

Otsego Northern Catskills BOCES
31 Center Street 3rd floor
Oneonta, NY 13820
(607) 286-7715
Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES
The Center for Learning
12 Allen Street
Auburn, NY 13021
(315) 253.4899
Broome-Delaware-Tioga BOCES
435 Glenwood Road
Binghamton, NY 13905
(607) 763-3300
Madison-Oneida BOCES
4937 Spring Road
Verona, NY 13478
(315) 361-5500
Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES
Liverpool Campus
4500 Crown Road
Liverpool, NY 13090
(315) 453-4455
or
Cortland Campus
1710 State Route 13
Cortland, NY 13045
(607) 758-5111
Delaware-Chenango-Madison-Otsego BOCES
Chenango Campus
6678 County Route 32
Norwich, NY 11315-3554
(607) 335-1200
and
Harrold Campus
270 Boces Drive
Sidney Center, NY 13839-3105
(607) 865-2500.

Genesee Valley Region

SUNY Brockport 
Rochester Educational Opportunity Ctr.
161 Chestnut Street
Rochester, NY 14604
(585) 232-2730
Genesee Valley BOCES
(Genessee-Livingston-Steuben-Wyoming Counties)
80 Munson Street
LeRoy, NY 14482
(585) 344-7788
LPN courses also available in Batavia, Greece, and Leicester, NY
Marion S. Whelan School of Practicing Nursing
Finger Lakes Health Geneva General Hospital
196 North Street
Geneva, NY 14456
(315) 787-4005
Greater Southern Tier BOCES
Elmira Campus-Langdon Plaza
303 North Main Street
Elmira, NY 14901
and
Coopers Educational Center
9579 Vocational Drive
Painted Post, NY 14870
(607) 739-8170
Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES
131 Drumlin Court
Newark, NY 14513
(315) 332-7400
Isabella Graham Hart School of Nursing
Rochester Regional Health Learning Center
1630 Portland Ave
Rochester, NY 14621
(585) 922-1400

Long Island Region

Eastern Suffolk BOCES
350 Martha Avenue
Bellport, NY 11713
(631) 286-6500
and
Adult Education Center
100 Second Ave
Brentwood, NY 11717
(631) 289-2200
VEEB Nassau County 
30 E Cherry Street
Hicksville, NY  11801
(516) 572-1704
Western Suffolk BOCES
Wilson Technologic Center
152 Laurel Hill Road
Northport, NY 11768
(631) 261-3600
Hunter Business School
3601 Hempstead Turnpike
Unit 19
Levittown, NY 11756
(516) 796-1000
Suffolk County Community College
Eastern Campus
121 Speonk-Riverhead Road
Riverhead, NY 11901
(631) 548-2500
 

Metropolitan Region

LaGuardia Community College
31-10 Thomson Ave.
Long Island City, NY 11101
(718) 482-5248 or
(718) 482-5774
Bronx Community College
West 181st Street and University Avenue
2155 University Avenue
Bronx, NY 10453
(718) 289-5100
Hostos Community College
500 Grand Concourse
Bronx, NY  10451
(718) 518-4444
Monroe College
2501 Jerome Avenue
Bronx, NY 10468
(718) 933-6700
AMG School of Licensed Practical Nursing
147 Prince Street, 2nd floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 596-5300
Clara Barton High School
Career & Technical Education Center
901 Classon Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11225
(718) 636-4900
Curtis High School
105 Hamilton Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10301
(718) 390-1800
or (718) 273-7380, ext.305
Mildred Elley School
25 Broadway, 16th floor
New York, NY 10004
(866) 878-0041
(212) 380-9004
Medgar Evers College
1650 Bedford Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11225
(718) 270-4900
Transition Career Institute
School of Nursing
30-50 Whitestone Expressway
Suite 400
Flushing, NY 11354
(718) 362-9500

Mid-Hudson Region

Dutchess BOCES
5 BOCES Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
(845) 486-8045
Orange-Ulster BOCES
53 Gibson Road
Goshen, NY 10924
Also at Middletown and Newburgh Campuses
(845) 781-4642
Rockland BOCES
BOCES Educational Resource Center (BERC)
65 Parrott Rd
West Nyack, NY 10994
(845) 627-4700

Northeast Region

Capital Region BOCES
1015 Watervliet-Shaker Road
Building A
Albany, NY 12205
(518) 862-4709
Champlain Valley BOCES
1585 Military Turnpike Extension
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
(518) 561-0100
HFM BOCES
Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery BOCES
2755 State Highway 67
Johnstown, NY 12095
(518) 736-4681
Herkimer BOCES
Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego
77 North Street
Ilion, NY 13357
(315) 867-2000
Maria College
700 New Scotland Avenue
Albany, NY 12208
(518) 438-3111
Mildred Elley
855 Central Avenue
Albany, NY 12206
(888) 290-3847
WSWHE BOCES
Washington-Saratoga-Warren-
Hamilton-Essex
Southern Adirondack Education Center
1051 Dix Ave
Hudson Falls, NY 12839
(518) 746-3400
Samaritan Hospital
School of Nursing
1300 Massachusetts Ave
Troy, NY 12180
(518) 268-5130
SUNY Canton
State University of New York
34 Cornell Drive
Canton, NY 13617
(315) 386-7011 or
(315) 379-3898

Northern Region

Jefferson-Lewis-Hamilton-Herkimer-Oneida BOCES
Charles Bohlen Jr Tech Center
20104 NYS Route 3
Watertown, NY 13601
(315) 779-7200
and
Howard Sacket Tech Center
5836 State Route 12
Glenfield, NY 13343
(315)377-7300
North Country Community College
23 Santanoni Avenue
Saranac Lake, NY 12983
(888) TRY-NCCC
LPN program also available in Malone, NY and Ticonderoga, NY

Western Region

Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES
1825 Windfall Road
Olean, NY 14760
(716) 376-8278
LPN courses available in Belmont, NY
and Olean, NY
Erie I BOCES
Potter Career & Technical Center
705 Potters Rd
West Seneca, NY 14224
(716) 821-7331
and
Workforce Development Center
1526 Walden Ave, Ste 200
Cheektowaga, NY  14225
(716) 821-7500
Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES
Hewes Education Center
2615 Maple Ave
Ashville, NY 14710
(716) 664-4866
LPN also available in Cassadaga and Buffalo, NY
Niagara County Community College-SUNY
3111 Saunders Settlement Road
Sanborn, NY 14132
(716) 614-6222
Orleans-Niagara BOCES
Orleans Career and Technical Education Center
4232 Shelby Basin Road
Medina, NY 14103
or
Workforce Training Center
606 6th St
Niagara Falls, NY 14301
(716) 731-6800, ext.4445
Trocaire College
360 Choate Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14220
(716) 826-1200
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