How to Get a Nursing License in South Dakota

12,950 Registered Nurses out of 2,982,280 employed in the US were working in South Dakota. 697,510 Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses were helping people all across the US in 2019 and 1,980 of those were doing their job in South Dakota. These figures have been obtained from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

If you want to become a nurse, there are certain qualities you must have. You should also possess certain qualities to do your job properly as a nurse. If you want to find out what you need to do to become a nurse, read the following guide for more information.

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics

As per the latest estimates by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, both Registered Nurses as well as Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses will enjoy excellent employment growth between 2018 and 2028. RNs will enjoy a 12% job growth whereas that figure will be 11% for LPNs and LVNs.

The following steps have to be completed if you want to become a nurse in South Dakota.

1. 1. Complete the Necessary Education

The educational requirements differ for RNs and LPNs. If you want to become a Registered Nurse, you will need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution as a minimum requirement. For LPNs, a postsecondary nondegree award will be good enough to start their career in most cases. Having higher educational credentials is always beneficial.

2. 2. Clear the Licensing Exam

To become a nurse in any state of the US, you need to clear the NCLEX. This is a mandatory requirement. Registered Nurses have to pass the NCLEX-RN to apply for license whereas Licensed Practical Nurses have to clear the NCLEX-PN test.

3. 3. Apply for Licensure

Once you have cleared the NCLEX stage, you become eligible to apply for your license. However, you still have to go through a background check and submit your fingerprints. Once, these little hurdles are complete, you will be given your license to practice.

It takes Registered Nurses more time than Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses to start their careers. If you want to become an RN, you should be prepared to spend anywhere between 4 to 6 years. It normally takes LPNs around 1 to 2 years to get their licenses.

The following requirements are to be met to become a nurse in South Dakota.

Registered Nurses made $59,540 as annual mean income in 2019 in the state of South Dakota. Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses in the state earned $38,760 as annual mean salary. This data has been taken from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

You May Also Like

How to Become a Nurse in Tennessee
How to Become a Nurse in Texas
How to Become a Nurse in the District of Columbia