Start a New Mexico Career in Practical Nursing

Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) care for patients under the direction of Registered Nurses (RNs) and doctors. These healthcare team members provide aid by keeping patient records, providing comfort for patients and monitoring their vital signs. LPNs also perform basic bedside duties and alert RNs or doctors if signs of complications arise.


It’s never been a better time to become an LPN, since the national employment rate for these professionals is expected to increase 12 percent by 2026, according to the Projections Managing Partnership (PMP). If you are interested in healthcare and want to begin a career with just one year of training, Practical Nursing may be the perfect career path for you.

Required Prerequisites to LPN Licensure

All Practical Nurses must first graduate high school or earn their GED equivalent. After that, a program of training approved by the New Mexico Board of Nursing (NMBON) must be completed. Most LPN programs last about a year, while some accelerated classes may take as little as 8 months.

Popular LPN Schools in New Mexico

For applicants to earn credit from an LPN program that will help them obtain their state license, the program must be approved by the OSBN. These are a few of the schooling options for those located in New Mexico:

  • Pima Medical Institute. This school’s campus in Albuquerque offers a Practical Nursing Certificate. This program takes about 11 months and includes nursing topics such as pharmacology, immunology and wound care.
  • Carrington College. Also with a location within Albuquerque, this school’s Certified Practical Nursing program follows the same standards as other campuses around the country. Graduates of the program can apply for the NCLEX-PN and apply for their state license.
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Receiving the Practical Nursing License

Students who have completed the above requirements can apply for their LPN license through the NMBON’s exam licensure option. If applicants fail the NCLEX-PN, they can retake it two more times within the first three years that they become eligible. The NMBON license application must be submitted online.

Practical Nursing Income and Job Opportunities

New Mexico has a favorable projected employment increase for Practical Nurses through the year 2026. The PMP estimates that LPN employment rates will increase by 8.7 percent by that time. Practical Nurses in New Mexico can expect an average increase of 180 new job openings per year.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that New Mexico LPNs’ mean salary was $23.11 per hour in 2017, slightly higher than the national mean salary of $21.65 per hour for Practical Nurses.

New Mexico LPN Statistics

The city with the highest number of Practical Nurses in New Mexico in 2017 was Albuquerque, with 1,150 LPNs working in the metropolitan area that year. Albuquerque also has the highest LPN employment per 1,000 jobs. However, LPNs employed in the Southwest New Mexico nonmetropolitan area were paid the highest in the state, with mean incomes over $25 per hour.

With a strong mean salary for its LPNs, New Mexico is a great place to begin a career in Practical Nursing. Job security shouldn’t be an issue for LPNs in the future, and those interested in healthcare can begin their careers with just one year of study.

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FAQs

How much do licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses earn in the state of New Mexico?

According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in the state of New Mexico made an average of $48,330 per year in 2019. Entry-level licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses earned around $33,680 and some experienced professionals earned salaries as high as $63,070.

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