Practical Nursing (LPN)

Make a Difference. Start Your Nursing Career at Virginia Western.

If you are compassionate, motivated, and ready to make a meaningful impact in the lives of others, the Practical Nursing Program at Virginia Western can help you achieve your goals. Whether you have always dreamed of becoming a nurse, are seeking a rewarding career change, or are looking for a stable profession with excellent employment opportunities, our program provides the knowledge, hands-on clinical experience, and supportive learning environment needed to prepare you for success as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).

Through a combination of classroom instruction, simulation, laboratory practice, and supervised clinical experiences, students develop the skills and confidence needed to provide safe, compassionate, and evidence-based nursing care. Graduates are prepared to sit for the NCLEX-PN® licensure examination and begin rewarding careers in hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, physician offices, home health, and other healthcare settings.

What can I do as a practical nurse?

As a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), you’ll provide compassionate, hands-on care while making a difference in the lives of patients every day. Working as part of a healthcare team, you may:

• Administer medications
• Perform wound care and treatments
• Monitor patients and report changes
• Assist with IV therapy (as permitted)
• Educating patients and families
• Document and communicate patient care

LPNs are in demand in hospitals, long-term care facilities, rehabilitation centers, physician offices, clinics, home health, hospice, schools, and community health settings.

Start a rewarding career where your skills, compassion, and dedication make a difference every day.

Virginia Western admits new Practical Nursing students twice each year.

Admission is competitive, and applicants must:

• Apply to the Practical Nursing Program
• Meet all admission requirements
• Complete the HESI Admission Assessment as part of the selection process

Related Programs

• LPN to RN Nursing Bridge Program (Associate of Applied Science)
• Nursing (Associate of Applied Science)

Program Approval

This program is approved by the Virginia Board of Nursing. Virginia Board of Nursing, Perimeter Center, 9960 Maryland Drive, Suite 300, Henrico, VA, 23233-1463.

Practical Nursing Program Philosophy

The Virginia Western Community College Practical Nursing Program is committed to preparing compassionate, knowledgeable, and safe entry-level nurses. We foster a supportive learning environment that promotes critical thinking, clinical judgment, professionalism, and lifelong learning. Graduates are prepared to provide high-quality, patient-centered care to diverse populations in a variety of healthcare settings.

2026-27 Practical Nursing Faculty

Please be aware that per the Code 23.1-903.5 by Virginia General Assembly, Practical Nursing education within the VCCS will be a common curriculum beginning Fall 2027. As we know more information and details are approved, we will post the updated information on the Fall application website.

Mission Statement & Goals

The Virginia Western Community College Practical Nursing Program’s mission is to prepare students to provide competency based, empathetic, safe, and effective health care in a culturally diverse society and in a wide variety of health care settings.

To effectively implement the program mission, the college and program faculty have made a commitment to:

• Utilize the Nursing Process to meet clients’ needs and promote collaborative care.
• Perform nursing interventions (client assessment, skills performance, dosage calculation, medication administration, and client teaching) based on assessed need.
• Explain factors that impact client care (environment, culture, family, and biopsychosocial) across the lifespan.
• Incorporate professional communication skills (verbal, nonverbal, written, and electronic) to promote optimum outcomes.
• Attain eligibility to sit for NCLEX-PN.

5 Year NCLEX-PN Pass Rates

• 2021 – 88.9%
• 2022 – 90.91%
• 2023 – 100%
• 2024 – 88%
• 2025 – 100%

Student Learning Outcomes

Based on Quality and Safety Competencies (QSEN) Students will be able to:

1. Engage in practices that provide safe and holistic nursing care throughout the lifespan grounded in science and the nursing process. (Safety)
2. Apply nursing judgment to ensure the delivery of patient-centered care and promotion of health for patients within a family and community environment. (Patient-Centered Care)
3. Demonstrate the use of critical thinking/clinical judgement skills while utilizing the nursing process to provide care to patients throughout the lifespan. (Critical Thinking & Clinical Judgement).
4. Collaborate effectively within nursing and interdisciplinary healthcare teams to foster open communication, respect, and shared decision making to ensure safe, quality patient care. (Teamwork)
5. Demonstrate the use of the best current evidence to guide clinical decision making to provide safe care for patients and families across the lifespan. (Evidence-Based Practice)
6. Integrate information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, and support decision making in the practice of nursing care. (Informatics)
7. Utilize concepts related to culture, ethnicity, and spirituality in the delivery of patient care. (Culture)

Professional Licensure Disclosure

Current and prospective students located outside the state of Virginia or who may be considering licensure in a state other than Virginia should review the disclosure information for this program here: Virginia Western Professional License Disclosures for Students Outside of Virginia.