Registered nursing is projected to be one of the fastest-growing health occupations in the District of Columbia. About 1,062 additional RNs will be needed in the nation's capital by 2018, according to an occupational report by the federal Department of Employment Services. Demand will also add about 182 LPNs to the D.C. healthcare sector in the same period, a 10 percent rise, says the report. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the District of Columbia healthcare industry employs 9,510 RNs and 1,740 LPNs who earn average annual salaries of $76,210 and $49,400, respectively according to the US of Bureau Labor Statistics. Nurses who like politics can get involved with numerous healthcare and professional organizations and help shape the future of nursing in a region famous for fine restaurants, cultural events, and historic monuments.
One major nursing college offers an LPN to RN (ADN and BSN) program in the District of Columbia.
University of the District of Columbia in Washington, DC, launched its accelerated LPN to RN program in 2002 in response to a growing nursing shortage. The one-year track provides LPNs with an Associate in Applied Science degree leading to RN licensure. The nursing program is housed within the College of Arts and Science. Associate degree nurses can transfer seamlessly to an RN to BSN program if they wish to pursue further education.
