A PN license is a state-issued credential that authorizes you to work as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). It’s the entry-level nursing license in the United States, requiring about 12 months of training and a passing score on the NCLEX-PN exam. In Texas and California, the same license is called a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) license, but the role is functionally identical.
What a Licensed Practical Nurse Does
Practical nurses provide basic medical care to patients who are ill, injured, recovering from surgery, or living with disabilities. Day-to-day tasks typically include monitoring vital signs, changing wound dressings, inserting catheters, collecting lab samples, administering medications, and helping patients with bathing, dressing, and mobility. PNs also document patient status and communicate changes to the rest of the care team.
The key distinction from a Registered Nurse (RN) license is autonomy. A PN works under the direction of a physician, dentist, or registered nurse. Several clinical responsibilities are outside a PN’s legal scope: performing a comprehensive initial patient assessment, formulating a nursing diagnosis, developing a nursing care plan, or independently interpreting clinical data. PNs contribute to these processes, for example by reporting how a patient responds to treatment and suggesting changes, but the RN holds responsibility for the plan itself. Certain components of IV therapy are also restricted in most states.
Where PNs Work
Skilled nursing facilities employ more practical nurses than any other setting, with over 171,000 PNs working in those facilities as of 2023 Bureau of Labor Statistics data. General hospitals are the second-largest employer at roughly 84,900, followed closely by home health care services at about 78,100. You’ll also find PNs in physician offices, outpatient clinics, rehabilitation centers, and schools.
The setting shapes the work. In a nursing home, you might manage medications and wound care for a consistent group of residents over months or years. In home health, you could be the only medical professional a patient sees on a given day, handling routine monitoring and reporting back to a supervising RN by phone. Hospital-based PNs tend to focus on post-surgical recovery floors or long-term care units rather than emergency or intensive care.
How to Get a PN License
The path has three steps: complete a state-approved practical nursing program, pass the national licensing exam, and apply for your state license.
Practical nursing programs run about 12 months and are offered through community colleges, vocational schools, and some hospital-affiliated training centers. You’ll need a high school diploma or GED to enroll. Coursework covers anatomy, pharmacology, nutrition, and patient care fundamentals, with a significant portion of the program spent in supervised clinical rotations at healthcare facilities.
After graduation, you sit for the NCLEX-PN, a computerized adaptive exam that adjusts its difficulty based on your answers. The test delivers between 75 and 145 questions (15 of which are unscored pretest items), and you have up to five hours to complete it. Content spans four broad categories: safe and effective care environment, health promotion and maintenance, psychosocial integrity, and physiological integrity. That last category is the largest, covering everything from basic comfort measures to pharmacology and managing complications.
The computer stops the exam once it has enough statistical confidence to determine whether you’ve met the passing standard. Getting the minimum 75 questions doesn’t necessarily mean you passed or failed; it means the algorithm reached a decision quickly.
Keeping Your License Active
PN licenses require periodic renewal, and every state sets its own rules. Most states use a two-year renewal cycle. Georgia, for example, requires LPNs to complete 20 hours of continuing education every two years. Other states may require more or fewer hours, or offer alternative pathways like enrollment in an RN program. Failing to meet renewal requirements can result in a lapsed license, which means you cannot legally practice until it’s reinstated.
Continuing education topics vary, but common requirements include infection control updates, medication safety, and ethics. Many courses are available online, and employers sometimes cover the cost or provide in-house training that counts toward the requirement.
Salary and Job Outlook
The median annual wage for licensed practical and vocational nurses is $64,150, which works out to about $30.84 per hour according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Pay varies significantly by setting and geography. PNs in hospitals and home health agencies often earn more than those in nursing facilities, and wages in metropolitan areas or states with higher costs of living tend to be above the national median.
PN License vs. RN License
The practical nursing license is sometimes described as a stepping stone, and many PNs do eventually pursue an RN credential. The differences matter if you’re weighing your options. An RN program takes two to four years depending on whether you earn an associate or bachelor’s degree, and the licensing exam (NCLEX-RN) is a separate, more advanced test. RNs earn higher salaries, have broader clinical authority, and can supervise PNs. A PN cannot legally direct or supervise a registered nurse.
For people who want to enter healthcare quickly, the PN route offers a meaningful advantage: you can be working in a clinical role within about a year of starting your program. Some LPN-to-RN bridge programs then let you build on your practical nursing education without starting from scratch, shortening the timeline to an RN license by several months. Your PN license remains valid while you pursue further education, so you can work and study simultaneously.