Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Career Assessment Tool — North Dakota

This tool will help you decide if becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse is the right choice for you.

You will learn about what LPNs really do, how to get trained in North Dakota, and what comes next in your career.

Important: Answer all questions honestly. This is just for you—there are no wrong answers.

What is a Licensed Practical Nurse?

A nurse sits at eye level with an older adult and listens while a colleague reviews information nearby. — Listening and teamwork are part of patient care. AI-generated illustration.

A Licensed Practical Nurse, or LPN, provides direct patient care under the supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN) or physician. LPNs work in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, home health care, and other healthcare settings. LPNs perform nursing tasks that are more advanced than a CNA but less independent than an RN. This is a mid-level nursing position that bridges the gap between entry-level and advanced nursing roles.

What Will You Actually Be Doing Every Day?

Two nursing tasks: checking a seated patient’s blood pressure and recording information with a colleague. — LPNs check vital signs, document care, and share information with the team. AI-generated illustration.

Here are the real tasks LPNs do:

Provide basic patient care (bathing, grooming, toileting)
Take and record vital signs (blood pressure, temperature, pulse, breathing)
Administer medications orally and by injection (under RN supervision)
Change dressings on wounds and monitor healing
Assist patients with eating and drinking
Help patients move and exercise
Collect blood and urine samples for testing
Insert and monitor catheters
Chart patient information in medical records
Report patient changes and concerns to the RN immediately
Comfort and communicate with patients
Assist with medical procedures and examinations
Help teach patients about their medications and care

What You Need to Know: LPN work is more complex than CNA work but still physically demanding. You will be on your feet for long shifts. You must understand medications and recognize when something is wrong with a patient. You will work nights, weekends, and holidays. The work requires both hands-on skills and thinking skills. You are responsible for patient safety and must work under RN supervision at all times. You will face emotional situations and sometimes difficult patients.

What Training Do You Need in North Dakota?

Nursing students practice with a training mannequin while an educator guides them in a skills laboratory. — Practice nursing skills with guidance before using them in patient care. AI-generated illustration.

The Requirements:

Complete a Board-approved Practical Nursing program (about 1 year for a certificate; 2 years for an associate degree)
Programs include classroom learning, skills labs, and clinical practice
Complete clinical rotations in different healthcare settings
Pass the NCLEX-PN exam (National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses)
Apply for licensure with the North Dakota Board of Nursing
Background check and health screening requirements

Prerequisites:

High school diploma or GED
Minimum age requirements (usually 18)
Some programs may require prerequisite courses (anatomy, physiology, chemistry)
CPR certification (the Dakota Nursing Program requires current BLS CPR before you apply)

Timeline and Cost:

Item	Details
How long does training take?	About 1 year (3 semesters) for a certificate; 2 years for an associate degree
How much does it cost?	About $9,800 to $14,300 in the Dakota Nursing Program (2025-26 estimate; includes tuition, fees, books, and supplies). Costs vary by school and site.
Do employers help pay?	Yes! Many healthcare employers offer tuition reimbursement or scholarships
Are scholarships available?	Yes, through state programs and healthcare organizations

Where Can You Get Training in North Dakota?

Bismarck State College (Bismarck and area sites) — certificate
Dakota College at Bottineau (Bottineau, Minot, Valley City) — certificate
Lake Region State College (Devils Lake, Grand Forks, Jamestown, Mayville) — certificate
Williston State College (Williston, Watford City) — certificate
North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS), Wahpeton — diploma
Dickinson State University, Dickinson — associate degree (AASPN)
Sitting Bull College, Fort Yates — associate degree (ASPN)

What is the NCLEX-PN Exam?

After you finish your LPN program, you must pass the NCLEX-PN (National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses). This is a computerized exam that tests your knowledge and judgment as a practical nurse. Here is what it covers:

What the Exam Tests:

Safe and effective care of patients
Medication administration and safety
How to recognize changes in a patient's condition
Communication and patient teaching
Understanding anatomy, physiology, and disease processes
Infection control and safety procedures
Legal and ethical responsibilities of an LPN
How to work with the nursing team
Basic nursing care procedures

Exam Format:

Computer-based adaptive testing
Between 85 and 150 questions (varies per test taker)
Time limit: 5 hours total (includes tutorial and breaks)
Questions get harder as you answer correctly; easier if you answer incorrectly
Official results come from the Board of Nursing, usually within 6 weeks (unofficial quick results may be bought after 2 business days)

About the Exam: You can take the NCLEX-PN soon after you graduate, once the Board of Nursing says you are eligible to test. The exam fee is $200. If you do not pass, you must wait at least 45 days to try again, and you can test up to 8 times a year. Your LPN program will prepare you. Many programs include NCLEX prep courses.

How Much Money Will You Make?

Type of Pay	Amount
Entry-level (just starting)	About $24.49 per hour (lowest 10% of pay in ND, BLS, May 2025)
Middle (median) yearly pay in ND	$62,300 per year (BLS, May 2025)
Middle (median) hourly pay in ND	$29.95 per hour (BLS, May 2025)
Experienced LPNs	About $65,020 per year (top 25% earn this or more, BLS, May 2025)
Top-paid LPNs	About $74,130 per year (top 10% earn this or more, BLS, May 2025)

Remember: Pay depends on where you work. Nationally, LPNs in nursing homes and government jobs earn more than LPNs in hospitals or doctor offices (BLS, May 2025). Some employers pay extra for night, weekend, or holiday shifts. The more specialized skills you develop, the higher your pay. LPNs earn significantly more than CNAs.

Pay by Area in North Dakota (middle/median yearly pay, BLS May 2025)

North Dakota (statewide)	$62,300
Bismarck	$61,690
Fargo area (incl. Moorhead, MN)	$62,300
Grand Forks area (incl. East Grand Forks, MN)	$60,500
Minot	$61,110
Rural eastern ND	$63,120
Rural western ND	$62,540

Areas not listed had too few workers in this job for BLS to report pay.

What Comes After LPN?

A nurse and mentor discuss further education using a notebook, textbook, and laptop. — Talk with a mentor about your next step in nursing. AI-generated illustration.

Being an LPN opens many doors for your nursing career:

Path 1: Advance to Registered Nurse (RN)

This can take about 1 more year. In the Dakota Nursing Program, LPNs can go on to a second year to earn an associate degree and become an RN. Many LPNs do this. You gain more independence and make significantly more money. Many employers support LPNs going back to school for their RN.

Path 2: Specialize in a Nursing Area

You can get additional certifications and training:

IV therapy certification
Wound care specialist
Oncology (cancer care)
Pediatric (children) nursing
Geriatric (elderly care) certification
Hospice and palliative care
Home health nursing

Path 3: Advance Within LPN Roles

Many LPNs advance without additional degrees:

Charge nurse positions
Nursing supervisor or manager roles
Clinic nurse manager
Staff educator or trainer for new nurses
Quality assurance roles

Path 4: Stay as an LPN and Build Experience

Many LPNs have fulfilling, well-paying careers without advancing to RN. You develop deep expertise in your specialty area and become trusted by patients and doctors.

Should You Become an LPN?

LPNs are vital to healthcare. You work with patients every day and directly impact their recovery and comfort.

LPN is a good choice if:

You want more responsibility and independence than a CNA role offers
You are ready for about a year of focused study and training
You can handle medications and critical thinking about patient care
You want to work in healthcare without the time/cost of a 4-year RN degree
You are interested in specializing in a nursing area
You want earning potential of about $51,000-$74,000 per year
You can work nights, weekends, and holidays
You handle stress and difficult situations well

Think twice if:

You do not like taking responsibility for decisions
You cannot go back to school for about a year
You are afraid of needles or giving injections
You cannot handle the emotional side of healthcare
You cannot work flexible shifts including nights and weekends
You do not want to work under another nurse's supervision
The cost of LPN training worries you (though scholarships exist)

The Choice is Yours: LPN training is shorter and less expensive than RN training, but offers more pay and responsibility than CNA work. Take this assessment honestly. Research programs. Talk to working LPNs. Then decide what's right for you.

The LPN Career Assessment

Before you commit to about a year of training, answer these questions honestly. This will help you decide if becoming an LPN is right for you.

PART 1: Why Do You Want To Be An LPN?

Choose the statement that best fits you:

Your answer tells you about your motivation. Strong healthcare motivation predicts success in LPN training. Money alone is not enough to get through the coursework.

PART 2: Are You Ready for LPN Training?

LPN training is faster than RN but still demanding. Answer honestly about your readiness.

PART 3: What is Your Plan After LPN?

Think about your long-term goals in nursing. Choose what appeals to you most:

Your Plan Matters: LPN is a pathway, not a dead end. Thinking about your future now helps you choose the right first step and employer.

Your LPN Assessment Report

Your Motivation Score

Your Readiness Score

Your Next Step

Recommendations for You

Sources & Learn More

Everything on this page comes from these sources. Each one opens the page the information came from, so you can check it yourself or keep reading.

Career information: Licensed Practical Nurse on O*NET OnLine — what the job involves, the skills it uses, and related jobs.
Pay and employment data: North Dakota pay for Licensed Practical Nurses — from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025.
North Dakota job outlook, 2024–2034 — state projections from Projections Central.
Education and training: North Dakota schools that train Licensed Practical Nurses — colleges and programs in this state, with how many people finished recently. From the U.S. Department of Labor, using federal college data (IPEDS).
More career exploration: RUReady.ND.gov career planning — North Dakota’s own career and college planning site. An account may be required.

Pay and outlook figures on this page were taken from the sources above in September 2026. Occupation code: 29-2061.00. Numbers are updated by the agencies over time, so check the links for the newest figures.