Practical Nursing Diploma Program

Portland, OR

Have you always dreamed of being in the health care field, helping patients with their basic needs during appointments and stays? Gain the fundamental knowledge about the nursing profession and health care system by becoming a vocational nurse.

13

Months

66.5

Credit Hours

198

Lab Hours

763

Clinical Hours

Learn the Fundamentals of Patient Care

  • Learn foundational skills to care for patients from birth to senior.
  • Program includes NCLEX-PN review to help you prepare for the licensure exam.   
  • Complete your diploma in as few as 13-months.  

Program Overview

Train to become an important member of the health care team-and to qualify to pursue roles in a variety of health care settings. Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) provide basic care to patients under the supervision of registered nurses (RNs) and physicians.

As an LPN, you could do everything from helping feed new babies, changing bandages in acute care, keeping chemotherapy patients comfortable during treatment, and helping older patients dress. You’ll also update patient charts and communicate important information to the rest of the health care team.

Daytime students can complete their diploma in as few as 13-months.

Schedule a Private Tour Today

Think you’d love to work as a practical nurse? Schedule a virtual or in-person Career Planning Session and tour the Concorde Portland campus.

  1. **Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected national growth in job openings for licensed practical/vocational nurses 2023-2033 https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/licensed-practical-and-licensed-vocational-nurses.htm Projections are national. Local job market demand may vary.

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Curriculum

Types of nursing careers represented by nurses in scrubs

Concorde Portland’s practical nursing diploma teaches the knowledge and skills you need to prepare to serve patients with a wide range of conditions and needs. You’ll learn practical skills for taking vital signs, inserting catheters and more in the classroom. Then, you’ll apply those skills during clinical experience in a variety of real-world settings.

  • Foundations of Nursing
  • Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology
  • Human Growth and Development
  • Introduction to Medical-Surgical Nursing
  • Mental Health Nursing Care
  • NCLEX Review   
  • Pharmacology 

  • Provide safe, caring and compassionate nursing care to diverse patients across the lifespan in various healthcare settings using evidenced based practice to improve outcomes. 
  • Function as a competent, entry-level healthcare provider applying leadership and management skills and embracing ethical and legal principles in the provision of culturally appropriate nursing care. 
  • Collaborate with members of the inter-professional healthcare team to provide optimal care for diverse patients and their families. 
  • Communicate effectively through verbal, nonverbal and technological methods with patients, families and members of the inter-professional healthcare team. 

Career Outlook

Nurses are Key to a Health Care System

The nursing field is expected to continue to grow nationally, driven in part by projected growth in the population and aging baby boomer generation. 

Growth is expected for a number of reasons, including and increased emphasis on preventive care; growing rates of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity and demand for healthcare services from aging population. While people live longer, more people will retire, and this will include nursing professionals. 

While the very population that needs nursing care grows, the gap in active nursing professionals will grow. A challenge that will drive additional demand for skilled nursing graduates.

Where LPN & LVNs Work

  • Hospitals
  • Long-term Care Facilities
  • Physician Offices & Clinics
  • Home Health Agencies
  • Hospice Care
3%

Projected national job demand for Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurses from 2023-2033 

Financial Aid

As part of our commitment to your success, Concorde ensures that you have access to comprehensive information and guidance in navigating the financial aid process. Concorde offers financial aid and scholarship programs to those who qualify.

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Financial Aid

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Scholarships

Find the perfect scholarship for your health care goals based on your background, programs or other criteria.

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Scholarship Opportunities

Previous Education Grant

The Previous Education Grant is designed to assist new, enrolling students who are pursuing education in a healthcare program and who have previously graduated from an accredited postsecondary institution with an associates, bachelors or masters degree.

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Institutional Accreditation and Licensure

Accreditation and licensure are an important part of an academic institution’s operation.

Visit our Accreditations and Licensure page for more details about our accreditations and licensure.

  • BON: Granted Continuing Board Approval

    The Practical Nursing program at Concorde Career College-Portland campus has been granted continuing Board approval by the Oregon State Board of Nursing.

Frequently Asked Questions

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You can complete the PN (Practical Nursing) program in as little as 13 months. However, program length can vary by Concorde campus. Please check with an admissions advisor for program length information.

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  1. Program length may be subject to change dependent on transfer credits and course load. Please refer to current course catalog for more information. Concorde does not guarantee admittance, graduation, subsequent employment or salary amount.

  2. Professional certification is not a requirement for graduation, may not be a requirement for employment nor does it guarantee employment.

  3. Financial aid is available to those who qualify but may not be available for all programs. Concorde does not guarantee financial aid or scholarship awards or amounts.

  4. Clinical hour requirements and delivery may vary by campus location and may be subject to change. Concorde does not guarantee clinical site assignments based upon student preference or geographic convenience; nor do clinical experiences guarantee graduation, post-clinical employment or salary outcomes.

  5. Registration and certification requirements for taking and passing these examinations are not controlled by Concorde, but by outside agencies, and are subject to change by the agency without notice. Therefore, Concorde cannot guarantee that graduates will be eligible to take these exams, at all or at any specific time, regardless of their eligibility status upon enrollment.

  6. Externships are a non-paid in-person learning experience, whose length and location may be subject to change. Concorde does not guarantee externship placement, graduation, post-externship employment or salary outcomes.