7 Best LPN Programs in Palm Bay, FL (2023 Updated)
As demand for licensed practical nurses (LPNs) continues surging across Florida and nationwide due to aging populations and increased prevalence of chronic conditions, nursing schools in Palm Bay are responding by expanding their program options. With LPNs taking on more frontline healthcare responsibilities like monitoring patients, administering medications, changing dressings, and assisting with activities of daily living, becoming a licensed practical nurse offers tremendous career growth potential not requiring the full study term of an RN program.
Palm Bay itself represents an ideal location to undertake LPN training given the dense concentration of healthcare providers across Melbourne, Palm Bay, and broader Brevard County. This provides students abundant opportunities for high-quality clinical placements where they gain invaluable real-world experience working under the guidance of seasoned nursing professionals. Meanwhile, the low cost of living in Palm Bay coupled with strong expected job growth makes this region very attractive for aspiring LPNs.
For those exploring LPN programs in the Palm Bay vicinity, there are a few key considerations to help identify schools that will provide the knowledge, skills, and training necessary to pass the NCLEX-PN licensure exam and excel in a nursing career. Based on factors like accreditation, instructor qualifications, breadth/depth of curriculum, training facilities, graduate outcomes, and more, the below colleges and technical institutes rise to the top.
Key Criteria for Selecting Top LPN Programs
Accreditation Status
Leading LPN programs hold accreditation from either the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or Florida Board of Nursing, signaling that they meet strict educational standards. Accredited status contributes to stronger graduate outcomes.
Licensure Exam Pass Rates
The National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses, or NCLEX-PN, represents the ultimate test every LPN graduate must pass to become licensed. Programs reporting strong pass rates produce graduates best equipped with the abilities and confidence to excel on this exam.
Hands-On Clinical Training
Quality LPN training intertwines classroom foundation with extensive clinical experience across hospital, clinic, nursing home, and other settings. More exposure through rotations seeing diverse patient cases under licensed nurse supervision accelerates real-world skill development.
Faculty Qualifications & Student-Teacher Ratios
Students benefit most learning from seasoned instructors holding four-year nursing degrees along with professional registrations and years of direct industry experience. Low student-teacher ratios also enable more personalized instruction and feedback.
Facilities & Academic Resources
From simulation labs with advanced patient manikins to robust libraries and modern technology resources, the depth of facilities and learning tools available provide critical LPN training infrastructure that enhances retention and readiness.
Graduate Outcomes
In addition to licensure exam pass rates, LPN programs exhibiting strong graduate employment rates and starting salaries demonstrate ability to sufficiently equip students to secure nursing roles, especially amid local staffing shortages.
1. Brevard Nursing Academy
Boasting stellar ratings and reviews, Brevard Nursing Academy offers a rigorous, respected practical nursing program centered around classroom lectures, extensive lab skills practice, and immersive clinical rotations. Approved by the Florida Board of Nursing, the full-time 11-month Diploma pathway enrolls class sizes averaging 12 students, ensuring abundant individualized attention from registered nurse instructors carrying over 15 years field experience on average. The comprehensive curriculum leverages cutting-edge simulation labs and covers core topics like pharmacology, medical-surgical interventions, mental health, obstetrics, pediatrics and more. Upon completing over 650 hours of clinical training at three local hospitals, graduates have passed the NCLEX exam at rates of 90-100% over the past 5 years, consistently exceeding both state and national averages.
Alex, a 2022 Brevard Nursing Academy alum describes her experience: “Between the small classes, caring teachers, clinical placements starting month one, and job interview prep, Brevard Nursing Academy prepared me extremely well to pass the NCLEX exam and quickly land a job right out of graduation. I’d recommend it to anyone looking to successfully transition into a meaningful, in-demand LPN career.”
2. Jay College of Health Sciences
At Jay College of Health Sciences, passionate students receive intensive hands-on education across the school‘s industry-leading simulation lab environment. Mimicking hospital settings with high-fidelity manikins, this facility supplements lectures and skills labs with critical experience training for techniques like catheter insertion, tracheotomies, measuring vital signs, documentation, and more. Jay College‘s accomplished instructors average 10+ years of practical nursing experience each, resulting in graduates thoroughly prepared for clinical rotations and later full-time LPN responsibilities.
Supporting over 500 graduates annually, Jay College students further benefit from the school‘s strong hospital and nursing home partnerships which smooth the path securing clinical training placements and, ultimately, job placement after licensure. Reflecting their quality education, Jay College students consistently achieve standout >90% first-time NCLEX-PN pass rates, higher than Florida and U.S. averages each year, making this downtown Palm Bay program a top choice for aspiring LPNs.
3. Horizon Health Care Institute
Through Horizon Health Care Institute's LPN program, students gain over 500 hours of supervised clinical experience rotating across the program's virtual hospital plus doctors' offices, elder care facilities, community health clinics, and other sites. This exposure cements essential skills like dressing wounds, starting IV lines, administering injections, and overseeing patient vitals that graduates immediately apply working in entry-level practical nurse roles. Horizon's 10-month full-time or up to 18-month part-time pathway options also accelerate entry into the field versus longer Associate's degree alternatives.
Horizon graduates praise the Institute's career prep services like resume/interview workshops along with nursing faculty members providing letters of recommendation. In recent years, over 90% of enrolled students have secured LPN nursing jobs within their first six months post-graduation. Horizon's selective admission criteria also contributes to pass rates near 95% or higher for first-time NCLEX exam takers since 2018.
4. Jay College
Jay College offers aspiring LPNs two options – a focused 12-month diploma track with concentrated practical nursing curriculum or a 20-month Applied Science pathway for those seeking enhanced clinical knowledge and future bridge to an RN degree. Regardless of program length, students spend over 400 hours training across Jay's cutting-edge simulation center with computerized manikins and models before transitioning into supervised clinical rotations held at major regional hospitals and long-term care centers. Graduates consistently post strong licensure exam pass rates, while Jay College's robust industry partnerships support job placement with leading healthcare employers.
Jay College's expert nursing faculty averages 15 years of field experience each. Small classes capped at an 8:1 student-teacher ratio enable highly personalized instruction with abundant one-on-one support, mentorship, and regular skills assessments to confirm comprehension and readiness before advancing students. Graduates especially value Jay College's emphasis on instilling bedside manner techniques and cultural competencies increasingly sought after by nurse hiring managers.
5. Educare Envision College of Nursing
Through Educare Envision's LPN program, students gain over 500 hours spent training across multiple care environments to produce graduates ready to provide exceptional practical nursing services. Students master techniques like dressing wounds, starting IVs, administering injections, overseeing patient vitals, and properly charting data. Guidance from seasoned nursing professors combined with clinical work in doctors' offices, clinics, rehab centers and private homes cement essential experience. The program's selective admission process also contributes to standout >95% NCLEX-PN first-time pass rates since 2017.
Educare Envision assists graduates pursuing LPN roles by connecting them with healthcare partners needing to fill open positions. Thanks to this facilitation and the applied skills training incorporated throughout the program, over 85% of students secure LPN nursing jobs within three months of receiving their licenses. Educare Envision's LPN program represents an affordable, accelerated route to begin making a meaningful impact caring for patients.
6. Doxa Academy
At Doxa Academy Charter School, qualifying high school upperclassmen can undertake an intensive LPN diploma program compressing two years of core content like anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, communications, hands-on skills labs, and over 500 hours of clinical rotations into an 11-month course. This fast-track opportunity allows students to sit for the NCLEX-PN immediately following graduation, rather than requiring an additional year of study like most traditional LPN bridge curriculums. Doxa Academy graduates consistently surpass national NCLEX exam pass rate averages.
This innovative pathway provides significant cost savings over standalone LPN programs while positioning teens for high-demand practical nurse roles in doctors' offices, clinics, schools, and transitional care facilities throughout Brevard County. Doxa's college and career prep supplements further help graduates leverage their diploma when applying to Bachelor's programs. As an added benefit, earning their LPN provides a self-sustaining career option as students continue their studies.
7. Eastern Florida State College – Palm Bay Campus
The Palm Bay campus of Eastern Florida State College (EFSC) offers a highly regarded three-semester Licensed Practical Nurse program blending online and traditional course formats across an 18-month timeline. Following prerequisites like Biology, Psychology, and College Algebra, students immersed in over 672 hours of clinical work trained under EFSC's expert nursing faculty holding Masters or Doctoral degrees and years of industry experience. Rotations across hospitals, private practices, elder care facilities and more provide exposure caring for diverse populations and age groups.
Strong graduate outcomes underpin the program's reputation, with first-time NCLEX-PN pass rates exceeding 85% each year since 2016 and a deep employer network providing graduates abundant job opportunities, often prior to licensure. EFSC's academic transfer agreements with four-year colleges and affordable tuition rates compared to private school options provide additional advantages.
Selecting Your Best LPN Program Match
All the above LPN training programs represent quality options to ignite or advance a nursing career. As you evaluate prospective schools, be sure to thoroughly research factors like admissions requirements, costs, facilities, licensure pass rates, and graduate outcomes. Schedule campus tours and meetings with instructors and career services teams. Identify the best program fit aligning with your learning needs, style and professional ambitions to chart a direct path to making a meaningful imprint caring for Palm Bay area patients.
