8 Steps to Becoming LPN in Pennsylvania

Step1
Enroll in an accredited LPN training program and graduate. If you complete your training in the state of Pennsylvania, you will save money on your licensing application fee. You also save time since you do not have to submit an officially sealed transcript from the educational institution from which you graduated.

Step2
Contact the State Board of Nursing, Examination Division by calling 717-772-1746. Request the paperwork to apply for licensure as a Pennsylvania practical nurse.

Step3
Pay the LPN licensing application fee by sending it to the State Board of Nursing, Examination Division at Post Office Box 8411 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 17105. If you have graduated from an accredited LPN program within the state of Pennsylvania, the fee is $35. If your education took place out of state but within the United States, the fee is $100.

Step4
Log on to the Internet and visit the NCLEX exam website. It governs the national licensure of practical nurses. Request a schedule for the next opportunity to sit for the NCLEX-PN exam. If you do not have a computer with Internet access, you may call the National Council of State Boards of Nursing by dialing 866-496-2539. The fee for this exam is $200, payable by credit card or certified funds.

Step5
Submit to a background check. Pennsylvania law prohibits you from becoming a licensed practical nurse if you have been convicted of a drug related felony within the last 10 years.

Step6
Wait to receive your permission to participate in the LPN testing. You will receive a form entitled Authorization to Test (ATT) from the agency that actually administers the assessment and is dependent on your passing the background check and being deemed eligible—by virtue of your schooling—to participate in the NCLEX-PN testing.

Step7
Take the exam, pass it and receive your official LPN certificate in the mail within about 30 days. The certificate will contain your registration number that you must put in a safe place; this number is required every time you renew you Pennsylvania LPN registration. If you believe that your notification is slow in coming, you can also check the website of the Pennsylvania State Department to see if a license has been issued in your name (see Resources).

Step8
Repeat the exam--if you failed the first time around--but remember that you must wait 91 days before you can once again be tested. Do not panic; you can retake the exam as often as you need until you pass.