441.10 Licensed practical nurses.

(1) Subject to s. 441.07 (1g), the board shall grant a license as a licensed practical nurse to an applicant for licensure who satisfies all of the following conditions:

(a) The applicant is 18 years of age or older.

(b) The applicant does not have an arrest or conviction record, subject to ss. 111.321, 111.322, and 111.335.

(c) The applicant has completed 2 years of high school or its equivalent as determined by the board.

(d) The applicant holds a diploma of graduation from a school for licensed practical nurses approved by the board or that the board has authorized to admit students pending approval.

(e) The applicant pays the fee specified in s. 440.05 (1).

(f) The applicant passes the examination approved by the board for licensure as a licensed practical nurse in this state. The applicant may not take the examination before receiving a diploma under par. (d) unless the applicant obtains a certificate of approval to take the examination from the school of nursing the applicant attends and submits that certificate to the board prior to examination.

(1c) The board shall grant a multistate license, as defined in s. 441.51 (2) (h), to an applicant for a multistate licensed practical nurse license under s. 441.51. Subject to s. 441.07 (1g), the requirements under sub. (1) shall apply to such an applicant, except that the requirements under s. 441.51 (3) (c) for granting a multistate license shall supersede the requirements under sub. (1) to the extent of any conflict.

(4) Any school for licensed practical nurses, in order to be approved by the board, must offer a course of not less than 9 months.

(5) The holder of a license under this section is a “licensed practical nurse" and may append the letters “L.P.N." to his or her name. The board may reprimand or may limit, suspend, or revoke the license of a licensed practical nurse under s. 441.07.

(6) On or before the applicable renewal date specified under s. 440.08 (2) (a), a licensed practical nurse practicing for compensation shall submit to the board, on forms furnished by the department, an application for license renewal, together with a statement giving name, residence, nature and extent of practice as a licensed practical nurse during the prior year and prior unreported years, the nursing workforce survey and fee required under s. 441.01 (7), and other facts bearing upon current competency that the board requires, accompanied by the applicable license renewal fee determined by the department under s. 440.03 (9) (a).

(7) No license is required for practical nursing, but, except as provided in s. 257.03, no person without a license may hold himself or herself out as a licensed practical nurse or licensed attendant, use the title or letters “Trained Practical Nurse" or “T.P.N.", “Licensed Practical Nurse" or “L.P.N.", “Licensed Attendant" or “L.A.", “Trained Attendant" or “T.A.", or otherwise seek to indicate that he or she is a licensed practical nurse or licensed attendant. No licensed practical nurse or licensed attendant may use the title, or otherwise seek to act as a registered, licensed, graduate or professional nurse. Anyone violating this subsection shall be subject to the penalties prescribed by s. 441.13. The board shall grant without examination a license as a licensed practical nurse to any person who was on July 1, 1949, a licensed attendant. This subsection does not apply to any licensed practical nurse who holds a multistate license, as defined in s. 441.51 (2) (h), issued by a jurisdiction, other than this state, that has adopted the enhanced nurse licensure compact under s. 441.51.

(8) The board may license without examination any person who has been licensed as a licensed attendant or licensed practical nurse in another state or territory or province of Canada if the person's general education, training, prior practice and other qualifications, in the opinion of the board, are at least comparable to those of this state for licensed practical nurses and current licensing or renewal. The fee for licensing without examination is specified in s. 440.05 (2).

(9) The board may grant a temporary permit to a practical nurse who has graduated from a school approved by the board or that the board has authorized to admit students pending approval but who is not licensed in this state, upon payment of the fee specified in s. 440.05 (6), to practice for compensation until the practical nurse qualifies for licensure. The board may grant further renewals in hardship cases. The board may promulgate rules limiting the use and duration of temporary permits and providing for revocation of temporary permits.

History: 1971 c. 125, 215; 1975 c. 39, 199; 1977 c. 29, 418; 1979 c. 34, 162, 337; 1981 c. 380; 1981 c. 391 s. 211; 1983 a. 273 ss. 3, 8; 1987 a. 27, 264; 1991 a. 39; 1999 a. 22; 2001 a. 107; 2005 a. 96; 2007 a. 20; 2009 a. 28, 42; 2013 a. 114, 124; 2015 a. 55, 195; 2017 a. 135.