Innovating Nursing Education: The LPN Academy’s Path to Excellence

In the dynamic setting of a community internal medicine (CIM) clinic, the adverse effects of the nationwide licensed practical nurse (LPN) recruitment crisis and ongoing understaffing became untenable. The clinic struggled with up to eight unfilled LPN positions simultaneously, with a constant churn of LPNs getting hired and resigning rapidly leading to a high attrition rate among newly hired LPNs. This level of turnover necessitated constant onboarding, resulting in staff fatigue within the CIM team. In addition to eroding a positive work atmosphere, frequent attrition presented a significant financial burden on the department. According to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the average hourly salary of the LPN is $28.72 (2024). Taking that into account, the orientation of an LPN costs approximately $6,893 per orientee.
To counter these obstacles, an interdisciplinary initiative comprising key stakeholders such as physicians, nurse managers, nurse supervisors, nurse administrators, NPD practitioners, and preceptors resulted in the establishment of an innovative LPN Academy. By synthesizing insights from a literature review of distantly similar LPN orientation programs, the academy was structured with an eight-week timeline, aiming to support and foster professional growth, thereby reducing attrition rates.
The nurse manager and supervisor initiated the recruitment process by engaging with LPN students at local community colleges, creating a welcoming pathway for new graduates.
Concurrently, leadership and nursing profession development (NPD) practitioners consulted with the nurse residency program director for registered nurses (RNs) to set program standards and define initial goals and expectations. NPD practitioners developed a curriculum facilitating the transition of newly graduated LPNs into the clinical setting. The content incorporated adult learning principles through multimodal sessions covering professional communication, clinical skills, and ongoing growth and development opportunities.
The LPN Academy, comprising eight 1-hour sessions, merges educational content with interactive activities, providing a forum to address cohort-specific queries. Nursing leadership ensured LPNs were able to attend with dedicated time for all sessions.
Program effectiveness was assessed through pre- and post-session surveys measuring LPN knowledge, attitudes, and skills. A comprehensive evaluation at the program’s conclusion focused on metrics such as LPN comfort levels, content satisfaction, knowledge acquisition, and clinical practice impact. After one year, five of six cohort members remained within CIM.
Survey results demonstrated a significant improvement in comfort levels, knowledge acquisition, and resource utilization across all topics introduced from the beginning to the end of the program. All LPNs who successfully completed the academy expressed their endorsement of the program to other novice LPNs.
18 months following the implementation of the academy, the average number of LPN vacancies decreased from eight to three. The LPN Academy successfully graduated five LPNs across two cohorts, resulting in a retention rate of 83%, saving $34,000 in orientation costs.