Diploma Program
Practical Nursing Program (LPN Prep)
Nashville, TN
CLASSES START
Jan 6th
12 Mo. Program Length | 37 Credits |
On-campus Format | Hands-on Training |
Diploma Program
Practical Nursing Program (LPN Prep)
Nashville, TN
Earn a nursing diploma with Herzing University in Nashville
| Accreditation | Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission |
|---|---|
| Transfer credit | Up to 27 approved credits |
| Format | Online general education classes + core on-campus courses at our Nashville, TN campus |
| Pathways | Degree pathways to further your nursing education (BSN, MSN) |
| QuickPaths | Transfer credit, stackable credentials, and adaptive learning technology build a faster pathway to a higher education with Herzing University |
A second home near you
Join a vibrant class of students and faculty eager to help you find your way to a new career path.
Herzing University
Nashville Campus
Call us
(615) 206-2858Visit us
100 Centerview DrNashville, TN 37214
Practical Nursing Diploma Program - Nashville, TN
The Diploma in Practical Nursing is a 37-credit career diploma program which prepares you to begin your nursing career as a practical nurse.
The Nashville campus program provides students with fundamental knowledge and skills in pharmacology for nurses, growth and development, medical-surgical nursing, introductory specialties, and practical hands-on experience.
Career-focused curriculum
Discover the crucial knowledge and skills required to succeed in your work and build a foundation for continued career growth.
Flexible schedule
We work hard to help you maintain school-life balance, striving to be as flexible as possible for busy non-traditional students.
Experienced faculty
Get face-to-face instruction from experienced and credentialed faculty with real-world success in the field.
Lifelong support
We support your ongoing career advancement by providing comprehensive, personalized student services with lifelong career coaching.
Rolling admissions
No application deadlines to worry about. Apply when you’re ready and prepare to get started soon.
Learn More Today!
Curriculum
Nashville practical nursing program classes & curriculum details
Over the course of the PN program, you will learn the basics of nursing procedures, measuring vital signs, administering medication, and developing communication skills necessary to collaborate with other healthcare providers.
Online and on-campus: The curriculum includes general education courses you can complete online, with required nursing courses you will complete at our campus in Nashville, Tennessee.
| Program | Monthsi | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma in Practical Nursing | 12 | 37 |
i. Average number of months for students to complete program
Required Courses in Nursing
A minimum of 28.00 semester credit hours is required.
Required Courses in General Education
Students enrolled in this practical nursing program must complete a minimum of 8.00 semester credit hours in general education distributed among the following disciplines.
Personal and Professional Development Courses
1.00 semester credit hours are required.
Resuming students should refer to the section on re-entering for additional requirements.
Distribution of Contact Hours by Course
Distribution of Contact Hours by Course Course or Category Lecture Lab Clinical Total Contact Hours Credits NP 100 Growth and Development 15.00 0.00 0.00 15.00 1.00 NP 110 Pharmacology for Nurses with Lab 22.50 15.00 0.00 37.50 2.00 NP 120 Fundamentals of Nursing with Lab and Clinical 45.00 45.00 22.50 112.50 5.00 NP 125 Medical Surgical Nursing I for LPNs 45.00 0.00 90.00 135.00 5.00 NP 231 Nursing Specialty 45.00 0.00 95.00 140.00 4.00 NP 236 Medical Surgical Nursing II for LPNs 45.00 0.00 135.00 180.00 5.00 NP 275 LPN Practical Experience 0.00 0.00 135.00 135.00 3.00 NP 280 Preparation for NCLEX-PN 45.00 0.00 0.00 45.00 3.00 SC 144 Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology 45.00 30.00 0.00 75.00 4.00 HC 101 Medical Terminology 15.00 0.00 0.00 15.00 1.00 EN 104 English Composition I 45.00 0.00 0.00 45.00 3.00 PD 202 Professional Development II 15.00 0.00 0.00 15.00 1.00 Totals 382.50 90.00 477.50 950.00 37.00
Requirements
Enrollment requirements
To be considered for admission into the Practical Nursing program at Herzing University - Nashville, you must meet the following requirements:
- Completed high school diploma, GED or equivalent
- Minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA
- Meet a minimum composite score of 48 on the most current version of the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS)
- Meet and interview with a Herzing University admissions advisor
Now Enrolling!
Waived Enrollment Fee
Natalie Hassan Became Possible
Experienced PN program faculty helped Natalie both professionally and personally, changing her life for the better in many ways.
Job outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of licensed practical and vocational nurses (LPN/LVN) is expected to rise 6% from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average across all U.S. occupations.*
Now is an excellent time to pursue a degree qualifying you for jobs in a growing field with numerous opportunities for career advancement.
Discover career pathways in nursing
Licensed practical nurses provide basic nursing care under the direction of Registered Nurses (RN) and physicians in hospitals, doctor’s offices, nursing homes, and other types of healthcare facilities. Your duties include taking vital signs, changing bandages, updating patient records, keeping patients comfortable, and other tasks as permitted by the regulations in your state of practice.
LPN represents an excellent starting point for students looking to begin working as a nurse fast and build a strong foundation to pursue future career opportunities, including RN.
You can potentially transfer credit earned in the PN program into a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
While Registered Nurses (RN) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) often work together in collaboration in hospitals and other healthcare facilities, their roles and responsibilities are very different. Learn more about the biggest differences between practical nurses (LPN/LVN) and registered nurses (RN).
PN program coursework is meant to be challenging, but not impossible. As a Herzing student you’ll find support every step of the way, from faculty, staff, instructors and other students enrolled in the program. You’re never alone—and never be afraid to ask for help when you need it!
Learn more about how hard nursing school is at Herzing University, and read some testimonials from former students describing their experience.
You may find some programs offering 6 month or 9 month paths to a PN diploma to become an LPN. Be mindful that accelerated diploma/degree programs aren’t for everyone and such a fast track can be overwhelming. If you’re considering a few months’ difference in time as a tipping point in your decision, remember the quality of your education is most important!
Herzing University’s 1-year PN diploma program gets you an excellent hands-on education in a short amount of time. You’ll learn the foundational concepts and skills in nursing needed to excel in your new career as an LPN.
No, there are no accredited PN programs that are 100% online. LPN programs describing themselves as “online” will offer a hybrid option where you can take some classes online to supplement your primary classroom coursework.
Students enrolled in the Herzing PN program may complete general education courses online—but the bulk of the coursework must be completed on campus.
Ultimately there is no replacement for real hands-on clinical experience, practice in simulation labs and direct in-person support from nursing instructors with real healthcare experience. Learning the skills required to become an LPN requires the live educational experience to become an excellent Licensed Practical Nurse.
Potential employers may prefer a candidate with experience as a CNA, but it’s not necessarily a requirement for getting a job as an LPN (same goes for going from CNA to RN).
You aren't required to go from CNA to LPN and there is no prerequisite to be a CNA before enrolling in the Herzing University PN program.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses earn an average salary of $60,790 per year ($29.23 per hour).* Discover the average salary for a licensed practical nurse broken down by state.
Quite simply, yes! A PN diploma and a job as a LPN is a great way to quickly get involved in the nursing profession and get a better feel for what it means to be a nurse. Earning your diploma helps get you into a career with above average pay, and can springboard you into the next level of nursing education should you choose to continue advancing your education and career.
We can help you come to a better determination. Send us a request for more information and we can answer any questions you have about the PN program, and discuss how beneficial it can be for you to become a LPN.
Although the majority of LPNs work in nursing homes, retirement communities or assisted living facilities, many LPNs work in:
- Physician's offices
- Hospitals
- Colleges
- Insurance carriers
- Home care
- Community food and housing
You can see a full industry profile for Licensed Practical Nurses from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Because many hospitals are upping their educational requirements for nurses in general, the demand for LPNs in hospitals is falling relative to registered nurses with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
However, any claim they are being “phased out” isn’t accurate. LPNs remain in demand in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, home care and many other environments. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts job opportunities for LPNs will rise approximately 5% from 2022-2032.*
The landscape is changing, but LPNs remain a vital contributor in the nursing community.
Considering a career as an LPN?
Your first step is to get a hands-on education to learn the fundamentals of nursing in a career-focused program. Herzing University's practical nursing program combines classwork with clinical experiences to help you earn your diploma and prepare you to become an LPN in as few as 12 months. Our program is available at several of our ground campuses:
While practical nurses (LPN) and medical assistants often perform similar tasks, there are a few key differences to be aware of, including:
- Educational requirements
- Average salary
- Scope of practice
- Ongoing career opportunities
- Future outlook for jobs
Learn more about the difference between practical nursing and medical assisting and how to go from MA to LPN.
Disclosures & Accreditation
Herzing University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Effective May 7, 2024, this Practical Nursing program is a candidate for initial accreditation by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. This candidacy status expires on May 7, 2026.
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 975-5000
http://www.acenursing.org/search-programs
Note: Upon granting of initial accreditation by the ACEN Board of Commissioners, the effective date of initial accreditation is the date on which the nursing program was approved by the ACEN as a candidate program that concluded in the Board of Commissioners granting initial accreditation.
2023 Calendar Year
| Campus | NCLEX® Pass Ratei | Completion Rate | Completion Rate 150% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | 85.71% | 30.51% | 32.20% |
| Birmingham | 100.00% | 15.97% | 18.49% |
| Brookfield | 82.81% | 29.46% | 32.14% |
| Kenosha | 84.44% | 29.31% | 31.90% |
| Madison | 100.00% | 36.11% | 38.89% |
| Nashvilleii | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Orlando | 85.71% | 23.08% | 28.21% |
| Tampa | 100.00% | 25.94% | 28.44% |
iNCLEX® pass rates reflect the rates as published by the respective board of nursing. iiThe Nashville Campus will not graduate their first cohort of PN students until 2024. | |||
* Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics 2023 / Occupational Outlook Handbook 2022. BLS estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geography market in which you want to work and degree field, will affect career outcomes and earnings. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the average salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, salary increase or other career growth.
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