Practical Nursing (PN): Frequently Asked Questions

To attend clinical practice at almost all of the facilities used by our program, immunization for COVID-19 is required. Facilities may or may not accept exemptions, and the school has no control over this. There are a legally required number of clinical hours to be licensed in WA, so if you cannot attend clinical practice, you cannot be licensed. 

Education:

• RN programs are four semesters or six quarters full time.  LPN programs are four quarters full-time.  Both programs take longer if the student goes part-time.  Most programs are full-time, but there are a few part-time options.  Both programs require the same prerequisite courses in Washington. You can take the prerequisite courses for nursing at Edmonds.  See the Edmonds College Advising Office to register for the required courses.
• There are two levels of RN education: an associate or bachelor’s degree.  Regardless of the level of education, the scope of practice is the same (i.e., they can do the same things on the job).  You can find information about nursing programs in Washington at WA DOH Nursing Program Information
• You can become an RN at a community college and graduate with an associate degree. You can then do an RN to BSN bridge program to get your bachelor’s degree.  Many community colleges in the state with RN programs are listed on WA DOH Nursing Program Information.
• You can become an RN directly with a bachelor’s degree at a university without the intermediate step of the associate degree, but these programs are very difficult to get into.  The universities with BSN programs are listed on WA DOH Nursing Program Information. You can take the prerequisites for pre-nursing at a community college and transfer to the university after admission to their nursing program.
• There are fewer PN programs than RN programs in the state, and they are listed on WA DOH Nursing Program Information.  Edmonds College is the only program in the North Sound area, and we are a part-time Edmonds College PN Program
• There are bridge programs for LPNs to become RNs.  You can earn LPN wages while going to school, and many employers have tuition benefits to help pay for the bridge program.  Those programs are listed on WA DOH Nursing Program Information.
• Nursing school admission is VERY competitive.  The best advice for prospective nursing student is to apply to several programs.

Practice:

• An RN practices independently, whereas an LPN practices under the supervision of an RN.
• RNs practice in most healthcare settings.  LPNs can also practice in most healthcare settings, although in the North Sound region, the opportunities for a job in an acute care hospital are more limited.
• The clinical skills for both are very similar, depending on the facility they work in.

Job market and salary:

• The job market is the same. There are MANY job openings for both levels of licensure. There is a shortage of nurses everywhere.  You will always be able to find a job as a nurse, RN, or LPN.
• RNs make more money than LPNs, but the specific salary depends on the facility.  You can look at job opportunities and salaries on specific facility websites or general employment websites such as Indeed. This webpage, Nursing Salary Guide, lists nursing salaries, but it may not be up-to-date or accurate, so use it as a reference only.

Prerequisites (proposed curriculum revision) consist of  the following seven classes:

• English 101- English composition 1 (5 credits) 
• Psychology 100- General Psychology (5 credits) 
• Math 146 Statistics (5 credits)
• Biology 211- Cell Biology (5 credits, *can substitute Biology 160)
• Biology 241- Anatomy and Physiology I (5 credits) 
• Biology 242- Anatomy and Physiology II (5 credits)
• Chemistry 121- Introduction to Chemistry (5 credits)

*Required is a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA in the seven prerequisite courses with no less than 2.0 in any one course. You may repeat a course without penalty.

**There is no expiration date on your prerequisite courses, but we would like to see the science and math classes taken within the last 10 years. 

The new (proposed curriculum revision) prerequisite requirement is Math 146-statistics.

*Math 146 is required to continue to an RN program.

Our Practical Nursing program is part-time and will take 6 quarters to complete. Students will attend Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters with summers off for two academic years (21 months). They will take 7-8 credits per quarter, and the quarterly schedule can be found here: Quarterly Class Schedule | Practical Nurse. 

The best place to start is with a general college advisor, not the nursing program. The advisors know how to place you into the correct courses and work out a schedule that meets your needs. You can speak to an Advisor by clicking on the Advising Front Desk button here: Advising

Since this is a hybrid program, some of the content is delivered online, but you must visit campus and attend clinicals in the north King County/South Snohomish County area. Students have lab or clinical one to two days per week. Lab classes are held on weekdays during the daytime.  Clinicals are mostly day shifts but there may be evening hours required occasionally. Our faculty work hard to be sure you have all of this information ahead of time so you can make arrangements. 

We have students who have commuted from as far south as Chehalis, as far north as Stanwood, from the Olympic Peninsula, and Whidbey Island.

**Please note that classes are not 1-hour lectures. Everything in person consists of a “hands-on” lab or clinical which can be between 4-12 hours in length.

In the past, online and in-person question and answer sessions have been held. However, they were never required so we have discontinued this practice due to low turnout. 

We recently updated the content of the videos on our main webpage, so we encourage prospective applicants to watch them first, then reach out with specific questions or to request a meeting with our Nursing Program Navigator to get your more in depth questions answered at nursingapplications@edmonds.edu. 

We do not have one at the present time, but are exploring the possibility of developing one in the near future.

There are community and technical colleges in Washington that offer LPN to associate degree RN programs, LPN to BSN programs, and there are two out of state schools who have programs approved by the WA nursing commission. See the DOH website for details: ​Nursing Programs

We have full approval from the​ ​Washington State Board of Nursing. 

The Edmonds College Practical Nursing program holds pre-accreditation status from the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation, located at 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20037, 202-909-2526. Holding pre-accreditation status does not guarantee that initial accreditation by NLN CNEA will be received.

Over the last 5 years, an average of 83.4% of our PN students completed the program on their first attempt. If we include students who had to step out and come back in a later cohort, then we have a 5 year average of 91.6% completion. Similarly, 97% of our students who have taken their NCLEX-PN test in the last 5 years passed on their first attempt. Please see the “Program Success Data” link on our menu/sidebar for additional information. 

There is a shortage of LPNs in the state and graduates can often choose between several jobs once they have their license. In the past 3 years, 97% of our graduates were employed as LPNs within 6 months after graduation.

In the last graduate satisfaction survey we sent in 2024, an average of 75.82% of our graduates felt well prepared, and the other 24.18% felt adequately prepared to meet the program outcomes. In the last employer satisfaction survey, an average of 72.6% of the employers felt the graduates were well prepared and 20% felt they were adequately prepared to meet the program outcomes in their first six months on the job. No students or employers responded that graduates were not prepared. 

Approximately 50-60 students will apply to the program each year. We currently admit 30 students per cohort

Prerequisites consist of the following seven classes**:

English 101- English composition 1 (5 credits) 
Psychology 100- General Psychology (5 credits) 
Math 146- Statistics (5 credits)
Biology 211- Cell Biology (5 credits, can substitute Biology 160)
Biology 241- Anatomy and Physiology I (5 credits) 
Biology 242- Anatomy and Physiology II (5 credits)
Chemistry 121- Introduction to Chemistry (5 credits)

**All classes must be completed by the application deadline, or the end of spring quarter. If you are finishing your prerequisites in the spring, please leave the grade space blank on your application and submit your updated unofficial transcript to nursingapplications@edmonds.edu after grades are posted so we can update your application data to include those credits. Failure to do so means your application is incomplete and we will not be able to consider it for this application cycle. 

We require a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA in the seven prerequisite courses with no less than 2.0 in any one course. To calculate your GPA, add up the decimal grades for each of your prerequisite courses, then divide that number by 7. Please use the table below to help convert letter to decimal grades:

A+ = 4.0	B+ = 3.3	C+ = 2.3	D+ = 1.3
A = 4.0	B = 3.0	C = 2.0	D = 1.0
A - = 3.7	B - = 2.7	C - = 1.7

You may repeat a course without penalty. There is no expiration date on your prerequisite courses, but we would like to see the science and math classes taken within the last 10 years. 

The TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) test is a standardized exam that covers reading, math, English, and science. It consists of 170 questions, and you have approximately 3 hours and 29 minutes to complete the test. We recommend that you study prior to taking it, and study guides can be found at:

• Edmonds College Library and Bookstore (only for students currently enrolled in classes at Edmonds College)
• Bookstores and online booksellers
• Public libraries
• ATI website
• Link to practice tests on EC Library website : TEAS - Test Preparation - Resource Guides at Edmonds College

At this time, we do not offer the TEAS test at Edmonds College. Please check out the Testing and Assessment Services webpage for further information on how to take the TEAS: ​Testing and Assessment Services: Tests - TEAS. 

We do not have a cut score. We would like to see total TEAS scores in the proficient range, about 58% or above. We also want the Reading sub-score to be above 50%.

You can retake the TEAS, but it is not recommended to do so without reviewing your results. This is free on the ATI website. After you take the test, go back into your account and click on “Focused Review.” This will show you what you missed and has links to information to study on the ATI website. Use this as a study guide before retaking the test.

At this time our program does not require applicants to have a CNA certificate, but it is strongly recommended. Applicants receive special consideration, if necessary, if they are a CNA, MA, or have served in the military medical corps. You are required to have 6 months of work experience in a patient-care field, and this does not include volunteering.

No. However, International students can apply into the Pre-Nursing Program. 

Please email us! This will be the quickest way to get a response. Licensed Practical Nursing: Contact Us