Licensed Practical Nurse Program

During the 2003 – 2007 Agreement, 74 CSEA-represented NYS employees were enrolled in the Partnership’s Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Program designed to help existing employees upgrade their skills to become LPNs.

The LPN program aims to address the critical shortage of nursing staff in NYS agencies. The strategy, viewed by labor and management as forward looking, is to meet agency needs through a program of training for existing employees. Direct care employees are recruited from within state service and retrained for LPN positions.

The LPN program was piloted for 65 employees from the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD), and 9 employees from the Office of Mental Health (OMH).

LPN candidates were selected for the program by a local labor-management team according to predetermined, jointly developed criteria. The program paid for them to attend various LPN training programs at BOCES, community colleges, or other educational institutions. Funds covered the costs of review classes, tuition, materials and supplies, uniforms, licensure, and testing fees. Employees continued to receive their normal paycheck, even though part or all of their time was spent preparing for LPN certification. At the conclusion of the education and licensure, employees are guaranteed an LPN position.

Read success stories about LPN graduates Jean Blish and Renee MacGowan, and 2004 graduate Colleen Militello Hosie.

The program is currently open to CSEA-represented employees at OMRDD and can be extended to other agencies by agreement of an agency's education and training subcommittee.

Other Funding Sources

In addition to the full-time LPN program, interested employees may use their tuition benefits and/or licensure examination fee reimbursement to help fund their training.

For more information about the LPN Program, call: (518) 486-7814 or (800) 253-4332; fax: (518) 473-9457; or e-mail: learning@nyscseapartnership.org.