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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    Licensed Practical Nurse Single State Licensure Requirements Snapshot

    Pennsylvania Licensure Requirements

    High School Diploma & Completion of Practical Nursing Program

    1 Examination

    No Experience Requirement

    3 Hours of Child Abuse Education
     

    $95.00 Initial Fee

    $76.00 Renewal Fee

    A nurse licensed to practice by the State Board of Nursing. Practical nursing is the performance of selected nursing acts in the care of the ill, injured or infirm under the direction of a licensed professional nurse, a licensed physician or a licensed dentist which do not require the specialized skill, judgment and knowledge required in professional nursing.

    Education Requirement: 

    High School Diploma & Completion of Practical Nursing Program
    To become a practical nurse, you must finish high school or obtain a GED and satisfactorily complete a program in practical nursing prescribed and approved by the board in a school, hospital or other educational institution, of not less than fifteen hundred (1,500) hours and within a period of not less than twelve months.

    You also must complete 3 hours of approved training in how to recognize and report child abuse.

    Examination Requirement: 

    You must pass the NCLEX-RN® (or its predecessor SBTPE).

    Education Required for Biennial Renewal 

    To renew your license every two years, you must complete 2 hours of Board-approved training in how to recognize and report child abuse.

    Initial Licensing Fee: 

    $95 if you went to nursing school in Pennsylvania

    $115 if you went to nursing school outside of Pennsylvania

    $120 if you're applying based on having a license from another state

    $145 if you're applying with a license from another state but need to take the exam

    Licensure Renewal Fee: 

    $76.00 every two years

    Other Pathways to Licensure: 

    Licensure By Endorsement

     A registered nurse who has graduated from an approved professional nursing education program in the United States or Canada and who obtained licensure in another jurisdiction having passed an examination considered by the Board to be equivalent to the examination required for licensure in this Commonwealth but who does not hold a multistate license in another Compact state may be granted Single state licensure by endorsement.

    Licensure via Act 41

    Act 41 grants all boards and commissions within the Commonwealth the authority to endorse licensees from other states, territories or jurisdictions (with substantially equivalent licensing requirements) who are active, in good standing and without discipline against their license or criminal conviction but do not hold a multistate license in another Compact state. 

    Multistate Licensure

    Multistate license holders whose principal state of residence is not Pennsylvania may practice in the Commonwealth without additional licensure. If your principal place of residence is Pennsylvania, you can apply for a multistate license.