Licensed Practical Nurse Jobs in Tampa, FL
Licensed practical nurses in Tampa earn a median of about $30 an hour, and most of the work sits outside the big hospital floors, in VA clinics, home health, rehab and the physician offices spread from Temple Terrace to Riverview. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring and how to get licensed.
Current licensed practical nurse Openings in Tampa, FL
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Licensed Practical Nurse Work in Tampa
Tampa's acute care hospitals lean heavily on RNs, so LPN hiring follows a different map. The James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard hires practical nurses for its specialty clinics and its Community Living Center. AdventHealth staffs LPNs for home health out of its Temple Terrace office and for Centra Care and physician practices along Bloomingdale Avenue in Riverview. BayCare uses LPNs across BayCare Medical Group's outpatient offices, urgent care, HomeCare and Behavioral Health, and TGH Rehabilitation Hospital hires them for inpatient rehab.
The result is more daytime clinic shifts and home visits that keep you driving between Brandon, North Tampa and the Hillsborough suburbs. It is also a fast route into healthcare: a Tampa practical nursing program takes about 15 months, and LPNs can bridge to RN locally.
Top Tampa Employers Hiring Licensed Practical Nurses
These Tampa employers hire LPNs for clinics, home health, rehab and veteran care:
- James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital - the VA hospital in North Tampa posts practical nurse roles for specialty clinics and its Community Living Center on the federal GS pay scale.
- AdventHealth - hires LPNs for home health out of Temple Terrace and for Centra Care and AdventHealth Medical Group practices in Riverview.
- BayCare - lists LPN career paths in BayCare Medical Group, urgent care, HomeCare and Behavioral Health across Hillsborough County.
- TGH Rehabilitation Hospital - the Tampa General inpatient rehab hospital, run with Lifepoint, hires LPNs for rehabilitation nursing.
Licensed Practical Nurse Salaries in Tampa
- Entry level: about $22 to $26 per hour for newly licensed LPNs.
- Experienced: roughly $28 to $31 per hour with a few years in a clinic, rehab or home health setting.
- Senior: $32 to $36 or more per hour for IV-certified LPNs and senior federal grades.
These are estimates from federal wage data for the Tampa metro, where the LPN median is about $30 an hour, and from ranges local employers post: AdventHealth's Tampa-area LPN postings run from about $20 to $37 an hour, and the VA posts practical nurse pay from about $46,800 to $73,500 a year. IV therapy certification, setting, shift and federal grade are what move pay most.
How to Become a Licensed Practical Nurse in Tampa
Florida uses the title Licensed Practical Nurse. You complete a Board-approved practical nursing program, pass the NCLEX-PN and get licensed by the Florida Board of Nursing, part of the Florida Department of Health, with Livescan fingerprints. Erwin Technical College on East Hillsborough Avenue runs a 15-month, 1,350-hour Practical Nursing program that requires a TEAS score of at least 65%, and Rasmussen University's Brandon campus also offers Practical Nursing. Before giving IV therapy, Florida requires LPNs to complete a course of at least 30 hours plus supervised clinical practice under Board rule 64B9-12.005.
What the Job Involves
LPNs give medications and injections, take vital signs, change dressings, collect specimens, update patient charts and report changes in condition to the RN or physician. In clinics they room patients and assist with procedures, in home health they visit patients on a route, and in rehab and long-term care they handle a team of residents on each shift.
Skills Employers Look For
- Active Florida or multistate LPN license
- BLS certification
- Florida IV therapy certification
- Medication administration and accurate charting
- Electronic health record experience
- Reliable transportation for home health routes
Career Path and Advancement
Many Tampa LPNs start in a clinic, rehab unit or home health route, add IV certification, and move into charge or lead roles. The biggest step up is RN: Hillsborough College's Nursing: LPN Transition Option is the associate degree track built for LPNs, and from there the path runs to a BSN at USF, the University of Tampa or Hillsborough College's online RN-to-BSN.
Related Careers in Tampa
If practical nursing interests you, these related Tampa guides are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do LPNs make in Tampa?
The median LPN wage in the Tampa metro is about $30 an hour, or roughly $62,500 a year. New LPNs usually start in the low to mid $20s, and IV-certified or senior LPNs can reach $32 to $36 an hour.
How long does it take to become an LPN in Tampa?
Erwin Technical College's Practical Nursing program runs about 15 months and 1,350 clock hours. After graduating, you apply to the Florida Board of Nursing, complete Livescan fingerprinting and pass the NCLEX-PN.
Can LPNs start IVs in Florida?
Yes, once qualified. Florida Board of Nursing rule 64B9-12.005 requires an IV therapy course of at least 30 hours plus supervised clinical practice, and your employer verifies your competency before you administer IV therapy.
Is it LPN or LVN in Florida?
Florida uses Licensed Practical Nurse, or LPN. The Licensed Vocational Nurse title is used in Texas and California, not Florida, so search Tampa listings for LPN or practical nurse.
How can an LPN become an RN in Tampa?
Hillsborough College offers a Nursing: LPN Transition Option, an associate degree in nursing track designed for practicing LPNs. Rasmussen University in Brandon also offers an associate degree in nursing, and after either you take the NCLEX-RN.
Ready to apply? Browse all Licensed Practical Nurse jobs in Tampa, FL on LocalJobPage and apply today.