Vocational Nursing

LVN Overview

An LVN is a Licensed Vocational Nurse. An LVN is also known as an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) in other American States.  LVNs/LPNs work under the supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN), Nurse Practitioner (NP), physician, physician's assistant or dentist.  They can perform basic nursing duties independently and assist RNs and physicians in more complex nursing situations.  LVNs/LPNs work in a variety of healthcare settings including many areas of acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities (nursing homes), assisted-living facilities, long-term acute care (LTAC) hospitals, memory units, dialysis centers, schools, clinics, adult and child daycare centers, correctional facilities, psychiatric and substance abuse facilities, doctor offices, surgery centers, hospice, home healthcare, and insurance companies.

 

How much does an LVN earn?

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses:

• Avg. Starting Salary: $45,100

• Average Salary: $54,300

• Projected Job Growth: 26.7%

 

The average salary listed reflects the mean average wage for workers in this industry, while the average starting wage is tied to workers at the beginning of their careers. The earning potential for employees with certifications and associate of applied science degrees may exceed the average salary.

 

Data for Collin County was obtained from JobsEQ and O*Net. Average salary for occupation is as of 2023 and job growth projected is from 2023-2029.

 

How does an LVN get licensed?
At the completion of a State approved Vocational Nursing Program, the successful graduate will take a State Board examination.  This exam is called the NCLEX-PN (National Council Licensing Exam for Practical Nurses).  Because this is national examination, it is easy to transfer a Texas LVN license to other States.  This is called “license reciprocity”.

The Texas Board of Nursing (TBON) must approve each applicant’s eligibility to attend a nursing program and attain nursing licensure upon graduation. All accepted applicants must undergo an FBI criminal background check with fingerprinting and photographing. For patient safety, most clinical sites require this information before a student can attend their clinical experiences. As such, applicants will be removed from the acceptance list unless the Board of Nursing grants approval and proof is submitted to the program director.

 

The details of previous arrests or criminal convictions will be evaluated by the TBON.   Depending upon the severity of the crime(s), the TBON may require a Declaratory Order for them to further investigate. This process can take several months to complete. It is strongly advised to have copies of ALL court documents, attorney reports, and anything else for which the TBON may ask, readily available to send upon request. Do NOT send anything to the TBON unless you are instructed by the TBON to do so.

 

For further information, refer to the Texas board of nursing website at https://www.bon.texas.gov/licensure_eligibility.asp.html.

All of the Nursing Programs at Collin College are approved by the Texas Board of Nursing (TBON), Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

 

Collin College is recognized as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nurses (NLN).

Can I advance from an LVN to become an RN (Registered Nurse)?
Once established as a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), there are educational options for “bridging” or advancing to become an RN for which the LVN can apply.   The LVN-to-RN Bridge Program at Collin College is a three-semester program.   At the completion of the LVN-to-RN Bridge Program, the graduate will attain an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and can take the RN licensing exam.  Please see this webpage for specifics about the LVN-to-RN Bridge Program.

Visit the LVN-to-RN Page  

 

After attaining an ADN and RN license, can I advance to a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing?
Yes. Collin College offers an on-line Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing (BSN) program.   Students must have an ADN degree, certain pre-requisite courses and RN license to apply to the BSN program.   The BSN program is fully on-line.  Please see this webpage for specifics about the RN-to-BSN Program.

Visit the LVN-to-RN Page

How much will the Collin College Vocational Nursing Program cost?
Tuition and fees are based on a student’s “Place of Legal Residence.” It is important to note that these fees are APPROXIMATE and may increase at any time during the program.

 

Current resident of Collin County (1 yr or more)	$6,500 Total
Out-of-Collin County resident	$8,900  Total

 

This ESTIMATED cost includes all mandated requirements for the program such as tuition, fees, uniforms, textbooks, ATI learning materials, drug testing,and skills kit, application to the Texas Board of Nursing and LVN licensing exam. 

 

Is the full cost paid at the start of the program?  
No.  Payments are paid for each semester, however costs for textbooks and skills kits are at one time in the first semester. 

 

Does Collin College offer a payment plan?
Yes.   Refer to Collin College website for details or call the Bursar’s Office.

 

Is financial aid available?
There are scholarships and grants for financial need and/or previous academic success. All students requesting financial aid will need to complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Financial Aid (FAFSA) form. Additional scholarships are also available through private companies and civic service groups (i.e. Tylenol Corp., Lions Club, etc). Contact the Collin College Financial Aid Office for information and assistance.  Veterans should contact the VA Department at Collin College.

Collin College offers a 12-month (consecutive) full-time, Vocational Nursing Program.  The preprogram requirement of BIOL 2404 requires an additional semester. Classes meet Mondays through Thursdays for about 8 hours each day. Students can expect to be in class or studying for 60-65 hours per week. Clinical experiences are included in this time and may occur during the day or evening depending on clinical site availability.

 

Is there a part-time option for the Vocational Nursing Program?
No. There is no part-time option. This is a full-time program as explained above.

 

Is there an attendance requirement?
All Vocational Nursing programs in the State of Texas are clock-hour programs as regulated by the Board of Nursing and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. This means that the student must have a minimum number of class hours and a minimum number of clinical hours. Therefore, attendance is crucial for successful completion. Only a minimal number of absences are allowed. Students with dependent children or dependent parents must have adequate daycare arrangements with a reliable back-up plan for their care.  Also, many clinical days start at 5:15 a.m. or 6 a.m.  (before most daycare centers open) so arrangements must be made for the dependent’s transportation by someone other than the student.

 

Are personal laptop computers needed?
All students are REQUIRED to have their own laptop computers equipped with Microsoft Office which are brought to class daily.  Chromebooks are NOT permitted as they are not compatible with the nursing software programs required.

 

Are personal vehicles needed for transportation?
All students are REQUIRED to have reliable transportation. Although carpooling is often done within student groups, there will be times when individual students have clinical assignments outside of the usual site for special learning experiences. It is the student’s responsibility to arrive and leave promptly.

 

Are students drug tested?
All students are drug tested prior to admission and routinely at random times throughout the program. Collin College has an absolute, no tolerance policy regarding non-prescribed controlled drugs or illegal recreational substances. It is important to note that THC (tetrahydrocanabinol), the psychoactive component in marijuana, remains illegal under federal law and can impair cognitive and motor functions critical to providing high-quality patient care. Therefore, strict adherence to drug free policies, including the prohibition of THC use, it necessary for all nursing students. 

 

Is tutoring available for help with coursework and skills?
Faculty members are available to tutor during office hours or by appointment.

 

Is CPR certification required?
All accepted applicants must have completed an American Heart Association CPR course for healthcare providers and hold a current CPR card prior to starting the program. It is the applicant’s responsibility to obtain this certification. Contact the American Heart Association (AHA) for locally offered courses. Please note: CPR certification must be done via AHA.

 

Do I need to take the TSI exam if I didn't take the SAT or ACT?
Yes. Any score is accepted. Search "TSI" on the collin website (www.collin.edu) to register. Students must be TSI complete to enter into the Vocational Nursing program.

 

When does each campus start a new Vocational Nursing class?

Collin College offers the VN program on three (3) campuses:

• Wylie Campus: Fall admission

• Celina Campus: Fall admission 

• Technical Campus  Spring admission

What is the minimum and maximum student age for admission?
The minimum age is 16 years old. There is no maximum age.

 

What is the educational requirement to be considered for admission?
The applicant must be accepted as a student in Collin College.

 

Do I need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19?

Yes. Although Collin College does not require this for academic courses, our clinical sites do require that students and faculty be fully vaccinated. Without being fully COVID vaccinated, students would not be able to to meet the clinical objectives required by the Texas Board of Nursing for successful completion of the Program, graduation and LVN licensure. There are NO EXCEPTIONS and NO EXEMPTIONS.

 

Do you accept students who have previously been in other nursing programs?
At this time, the VN Program is unable to accept transfer students and/or students who have been unsuccessful in other nursing programs.  Exceptions are only made at the discretion of the Dean of Nursing on behalf of previous Collin College nursing students. 

 

Which entrance exam is required for admission?
All applicants must take the TEAS exam administered by ATI Testing. Details about this exam and instructions for registration will be provided at information sessions. This exam is a timed, computer exam that tests competency in four sections:  Reading; Math; English; and Science. 

An applicant MUST score a minimum of 60% on each of the Reading and Math sections and a minimum of 50% on the English Language section to be considered for admission to the Vocational Nursing Program. An applicant may take the exam twice during an application period. The best score on each of the 4 sections will be given ranking points for admission. We will NOT use composite scores for ranking points.

 

Is the Vocational Nursing admission criteria the same as the criteria for the traditional ADN, LVN-to-RN Bridge, and BSN Programs?
No. Each program has its own admission criteria.  Admission criteria specifics are listed below.

 

Vocational Nursing Admission Points
• Applicants will be ranked for admission by a point system.

• Applicants with the highest points will be offered a spot in the program.

TEAS Exam Reading Score
(Any score less than 60% will NOT be considered for admission.)
95-100% = 20 points // 90-94% = 19 points // 85-89% = 18 points // 80-84% = 17 points // 75-79% = 16 points // 70-74% = 15 points // 65-69% = 14 points // 60-64% = 13 points 

 

TEAS Exam Math Score
(Any score less than 60% will NOT be considered for admission.)
95-100% = 20 points // 90-94% = 19 points // 85-89% = 18 points // 80-84% = 17 points // 75-79% = 16 points // 70-74% = 15 points // 65-69% = 14 points //    60-64% = 13 points 

 

TEAS Exam Language Score

(Any score less than 50% will NOT be considered for admission.)
95-100% = 10 points // 90-94% = 9 points // 85-89% = 8 points // 80-84% = 7 points // 75-79% = 6 points // 70-74% = 5 points // 65-69% = 4 points // 60-64% = 3 points // 55-59% = 2 points // 50-54% = 1 point

 

TEAS Exam Science Score
(There is no minimum score requirement for science as A+P is not a required prerequisite course but points will be given for scores of 60% or above.)
90-100% = 5 points // 80-89% = 4 points // 70-79% = 3 points // 60-69% = 2 points 

Previously completed BIOL 2404 
Grade of A= 6 points //  Grade of B= 5 points //  Grade of C= 2 points

Previously completed A+P I (BIOL 2401)
Grade of A = 4 points //  Grade of B = 3 points //  Grade of C = 1 point

PLUS
Previously completed A+P II (BIOL 2402) 
Grade of A = 4 points //  Grade of B = 3 points //  Grade of C = 1 point

 

Honorable discharge from military service or active military reserves
Yes = 3 points

 

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)  
(Certification status will be checked on the hhs.texas.gov website) Yes = 3 points

 

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
(Certification status will be checked on the nremt.org website) Yes = 3 points

Registered Medical Assistant (RMA)
(Certification status will be checked on the hhs.texas.gov website) Yes = 3 points

 

Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) (Certification status will be checked on the hhs.texas.gov website)  Yes = 3 points

 

Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) (Certification status will be checked on the Texas State Board of Pharmacy / www.pharmacy.texas.gov) Yes = 3 points   

 

Certified Phlebotomy Technician (Certification status will be checked on American Medical Certification Association website or the website that the license is issued) 

The pre-program requirement of BIOL 2404 is required to enter  into the Vocational Nursing program.  Extra points towards admission selection are given for the grade received in BIOL 2404. 

 

If a candidate has already successfully completed BIOL 2401 and BIOL 2402 (A+P I & II) with a C or better, the Registrar will evaluate the accreditation of the college and the course syllabus content to waive the BIOL 2404 requirement. BIOL 2401 and BIOL 2402 will substitute for BIOL 2404. Applicants can be actively taking BIOL 2404 while applying to the program but extra points towards selection will not be awarded since no grade will have been determined. 

View the Information Session.

Step #1:

Apply for admission to Collin College. Upon acceptance to the college, students will receive a Campus-Wide Identification (CWID) number. This is important and necessary when completing the application for the Vocational Nursing Program.

 

Step #2:

Register for the TEAS exam at ATItesting.com. The exam can be taken anywhere it is offered in the United States.

Study guides for this exam may be purchased through the ATI website or major bookstores or public libraries or the Collin College library.   Practice exams may be purchased and completed via the ATI website before taking the actual TEAS exam, if desired.   Remediation/tutoring is available through the Collin College Tutoring Center free of charge to Collin College students with a CWID number.

 

The exam will test the following at a 12th grade level:  
1) Reading speed and comprehension,
2) Command of English language (grammar, vocabulary, spelling),
3) Science knowledge     (and)
4) Mathematic ability.

 

Step #3:

Take the TEAS exam.   A student may take the TEAS exam twice within the application period.   To be considered for admission, TEAS results must be taken within one (1) year of the application deadline.

 

Step #4:

Fill out the VN Program application that is available online.  Provide all required documents:  
     1)  Transcript showing previously completed courses - BIOL 2404 or BIOL 2401 and BIOL 2402
     2)  Proof of military service (if applicable)  
     3)  Proof of current State CNA, EMT, RMA, CMA, CPhT, or CPT certification (if applicable)

Step #5:

Applicants will be ranked on a point system according to their TEAS scores, A+P grades, and bonus points for US military service, and CNA, CNA, RMA, or EMT, CPhT, CPT certifications. Incomplete applications will not be considered for admission. All applicants will be notified of initial acceptance or non-acceptance via e-mail shortly after the application deadline date.   

 

Applicants with complete application and acceptable scores on TEAS who do not rank high enough for initial acceptance to the class will be placed on a wait list. Accepted students who do not complete all requirements will be replaced with people on the wait list.

 

Step #6:

ALL accepted students MUST attend an in-person orientation session prior to the program start. Before the orientation, accepted students will have to obtain an FBI criminal background check. Instructions will be sent with the letter of acceptance. Failure to attend the orientation session will forfeit the student’s place in the class and a candidate from the wait-list succession will be selected. Unacceptable criminal background checks without Board of Nursing (Declaratory Order) approval will be stricken from the acceptance list and a wait-list candidate will be selected.

 

Failure to submit a current CPR card, acceptable blood titers, vaccinations, TB test results, proof of medical insurance and other required documentation by the deadline date supplied will forfeit the student’s place in the class and a candidate from the wait-list will be selected.

LVN Fall 2025 Application

The deadline for the application will be May 16, 2025.