Career guide
Licensed practical nurse
Licensed practical nurses give hands-on nursing care: assessments, medications, wound care and treatments, working with registered nurses and the care team.
- StatusRegulated profession
- Training2-year diploma
- Pay scale$32.84–$41.35 an hour
- Openings now2
A day in the job
On a medical or long-term care unit you take report, look after a group of residents or patients, give medications and treatments, do dressings, record changes and report them. LPNs often lead the health care aides on a unit.
Where you could work: Long-term care, hospitals, home care, clinics
How to get there
- Complete an approved Practical Nursing diploma
- Public colleges across BC offer it, among them Vancouver Community College and Camosun College
British Columbia schools: Vancouver Community College (opens in a new tab), Camosun College (opens in a new tab)
Licence and registration
- Pass the REx-PN entry-to-practice exam
- Register with the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM)
- Renew every year
Official starting point: BC College of Nurses and Midwives (opens in a new tab)
Trained outside Canada?
Nurses educated outside Canada usually start with the National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS), then apply to the BCCNM.
Important: Requirements can change and may differ for internationally educated professionals. CareZelo links to official bodies but does not determine eligibility.