Top LPN Programs in South Dakota

South Dakota LPN Schools, License Requirements, Salary, and Job Outlook

South Dakota is located in the mid-western region of the United States. The government of South Dakota, along with the nursing industry, tries to meet the changing health needs of the society. Licensed practical nurses form an important part of the nursing industry as they look after sick, disabled, and injured patients. They do not function independently; they work with a group of medical professionals or under the guidance of a physician or Registered Nurse.

South Dakota has a good scope in coming years for LPNs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has predicted that there will be 16% growth in the number of jobs for practical nurses in the country by 2024. There is a total of 4 accredited nursing schools in South Dakota that are currently offering LPN programs. Increasing demand and lucrative salary of LPNs in the U.S. have drawn the interest of many students towards this field.

LPN Programs in South Dakota

OUR METHODOLOGY +

A nursing school ranks on the top according to the following criteria-

• Higher Passing Rate of Alumni in NCLEX
• Financial Aid that a school provides
• Higher number of students

The nursing schools were then included in the ranking on the basis of following factors-

• Well-developed Architecture
• Better Infrastructure
• Superior Technology
• Ranking in US News and World Report
• Teachings offered by world-class faculty
• Inclusion of world-class facilities
• World-class Opportunities

We hope that the list will help you to opt the best college as per your preferences in the state. The programs available in these colleges will give you an opportunity to begin your journey as a successful nurse.

Here is the list of top nursing schools in South Dakota offering licensed practical nurse programs. These institutions are rendering good facilities and infrastructure to enhance the quality of nursing in the state –

Licensure Requirements

After completing the course from a state-approved LPN program, candidates must clear the NCLEX-PN test to work in a professional environment. Licensure is necessary as nursing is a responsible profession. Those candidates who have completed their LPN education in the state can get the license by clearing the exam, whereas the out-of-state practical nurses can apply for licensure through endorsement.

Licensure by Examination

Once the candidates are done with the LPN training, they have to clear the licensing exam, i.e., the NCLEX-PN.
The applicants need to submit the following documents in order to be eligible for the licensure test:

• A completed application
• Report of criminal background check
• Information regarding the nursing program, like certification, completed by the applicant

Register with the Pearson Vue following the instructions provided in the NCLEX Candidate Bulletin. Click on the link www.pearsonvue.com/nclex or call at 1-866-496-2536, to get registered.

Online registration for licensure on Pearson Vue and submission of an application to the South Dakota Board of Nursing should be done simultaneously.

After fulfilling the conditions mentioned above and approval of your application by the board, you are considered eligible. Pearson Vue sends you ATT via email. You can then schedule the test on the desired venue and day.

Out-of-State LPNs

South Dakota became a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact on January 1, 2001. If the practical nurse is working in any other state of the U.S. with a valid LPN license and wants to get transferred in South Dakota and continue working, s/he can do so by getting a licensure by endorsement. If the nurse's state of residence is also a compact state, the candidate just needs to provide evidence of the authenticity of his/her license.

On the other hand, if the primary state of residence is not a compact state, the candidate can get the licensure through endorsement. The applicants should have completed a board-approved nursing program.

The candidate must submit the following things to the board in order to get the license through endorsement.

• A complete application with a fee of $100
• The official transcripts of the nursing program should be sent to the South Dakota Board of Nursing. The candidate must request the college (from where the LPN course is done) to send the official transcript of the course directly. In case; the nursing program is closed, it is candidate's responsibility to provide the details by locating the custodian of the school records.
• Submit criminal background check report and fingerprint report.
• Employment verification- The document must include the number of hours you have worked in a professional environment. The candidate should have worked for a minimum of 140 hours in the last year or a total of at least 480 hours in the last six years. The employment verification form must be completed by the current or the previous employer. In case; you do not hold any work experience and have just graduated, you do not need to fill this form. If the candidate is unable to furnish verification, s/he can contact the SD Board of Nursing for a nurse refresher course.
• Verification of the current license- To get the verification done, the candidate needs to visit https://www.nursys.com/ for the completion of the electronic verification process and fee payment. When the board receives the application, it verifies by visiting the official site of nursys.
• Those states, who are not registered on nursys, the applicants from such states would be obliged to use the Verification of Licensure Form. Fill the form and forward it to your original state of licensure. The majority of states charge an amount for completing the verification form.

Foreign Educated LPNs

Those LPNs, who have completed the course from a college outside the territory of the U.S. and have not practiced, can apply for licensure. The applicant would be considered eligible if s/he meets the following conditions:

• The candidate should have a Social Security Number.
• The student must have completed a 4-year government-approved program that qualifies the nursing requirements as indicated by the Nursing Board of South Dakota, at the time when the applicant had graduated.
• It is also required that the candidate completes the CGFNS Certification program. The candidate can contact the CGFNS office at:

3600 Market Street
Suite 400, Philadelphia
PA 19104-2651
OR, make a call at 215-349-8767
OR, mail at [email protected]

The candidate can also get information at the official site www.cgfns.org.
Note: This requirement is not to be fulfilled by the Canadian applicants who have graduated in English.

• On the completion of the CGFNS course, it is required that the reports of the program are sent by the CGFNS to the South Dakota Nursing Board.

Next, complete the application form and send it to the South Dakota Nursing Board with a fee of $100. Along with that, send an application with a fee of $200 and register with the Pearson Vue.

• Criminal Background Check: It is mandatory for all the candidates to submit fingerprints to get the criminal background check. The international applicants must make a request to the board asking for criminal background check packet.

The application would not be processed until a complete set of fingerprint card and application is not received by the board.

Temporary Permit

Candidates eager to practice can start working as an LPN by applying for a temporary work permit. Aspirants can work with the permit after giving the NCLEX-PN test and until the time the results are not out. It can not be renewed and remains valid for 90 days. Temporary work permit would be issued by the board on receiving the following documents:

• An application for licensure by examination
• A fee of $25
• A criminal background check report
• Complete information about the nursing program which the candidate has completed
• Completed application for a temporary work permit with a fee of $25.
• NCLEX Registration.

The application for a temporary permit can be downloaded by clicking the below-given link:
https://doh.sd.gov/boards/nursing/documents/TEMPPERMITAPPLICATIONLPNEXAM.pdf

The NCLEX-PN license has to be renewed from time to time as practicing with the invalid license is illegal. The South Dakota Nursing Board allows renewal of only active licenses. The renewal fee is $90. The candidate can get the renewal done through the online process. For that s/he must have the following things:

• Initial and the last letters of the name in the renewal postcard received. In case; you did not receive a postcard; you can check the licensure information by clicking here.
• The social security number
• LPN license number
• Employment Verification Form- The form must mention the number of contact hours that the applicant has worked (at least 140 hours in 12 months or a total of 480 hours in the past six years).

The payment can be made through Mastercard, Visa, American Express or Discover. The candidate can change or verify his name or address during the renewal process. At the end of the process, a receipt would be generated. A print out of this receipt should be kept as an evidence of payment.

License Reinstatement

If the license is not renewed before the expiration date, it gets lapsed and has to be reinstated. The candidates can check the status of their license through South Dakota Nurse Aide Registry that contains the records of all the licensed nurses. Submit the below-mentioned things to get the license reinstated.

• A completed application for reinstatement of license
• An employment verification form
• A fee of $140 (Renewal fee- $90, Reinstatement fee- $50). The fee should be paid in the form of money order or a personal check payable to South Dakota Board of Nursing.

Request Inactive Status

Those nurses, who do not want to practice nursing, can request for inactive status. Their license should be active and in good standing. You will have to submit a fee of $10 for the same.

Click the below-given link to download the Inactive Request Form:
https://doh.sd.gov/boards/nursing/documents/InactiveRequest.pdf

South Dakota Nursing License Verification

The verification of LPN license can be performed by visiting the following link.
https://www.sdbon.org/verify

To conduct the license verification online, the candidate must provide any one of the following information:

• Social Security Number
• First and Last Name
• License Number

The nurses can contact the South Dakota Board of Nursing at 605-362-2760 in case of any queries.

Request for a Duplicate License

The nurse can request for a duplicate license, in case; the original license has been stolen or destroyed. Along with the application, submit a fee of $20.

The link to download the application form for a duplicate license is as follows:
https://doh.sd.gov/boards/nursing/documents/DupRequest.pdf

Average Annual Salary of Licensed Practical Nurses in South Dakota

As per the information provided by indeed.com, the average annual salary of LPNs was $38,000 (as of 27 October, 2016). The survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the mean hourly wage of a practical nurse was $17.44, while the annual mean wage was $36,270 in the state of South Dakota (as of 27 Oct, 2016).

Information Source: Salary.com

As per the data available at salary.com, LPNs earned the maximum salary (i.e.,$41,149) in Rapid City, whereas their income was least in Aberdeen with $26,088 (as of 2 Nov, 2016).

Various Job Titles for LPNs with Average Annual Salary

Job Titles	Salary
Long Term Care LPN	$20,000
Renal Dialysis Nurse	$40,000
LPN Ambulatory	$26,000
Nurse RN LPN	$37,000
CNA Medical Surgical	$20,000
Nar Nursing Assistant Hope	$19,000
Clinical Nurse LPN	$28,000
LPN Primary Care	$35,000
Patient Care Technician Student	$13,000
Medical Assistant Family Practice	$22,000
Correctional Prison Facility LPN	$17,000
LPN Cma Rma	$23,000
LPN Long Term Care	$25,000
LPN LVN	$31,000
Psychiatric Nurse	$43,000

Information Source: Indeed.com

As per the information provided by indeed.com, the Psychiatric Nurses earned the maximum salary (i.e., $43,000), whereas Patient Care Technician Students received the least salary (i.e., $13,000).

Job Outlook for Licensed Practical Nurses in South Dakota

Growing at a rapid pace globally, LPN industry has a great future in the United States of America in terms of both salary and job opportunities. LPNs are paid a decent salary in the state. According to the reports of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 4.487 LPNs were employed per 1000 jobs (as of May 2015). Various settings that offer employment opportunity to the LPNs include extended care facilities, nursing homes, hospitals, private homes, and doctor’s office.