Licensed Practical Nurse Jobs in Colorado Springs, CO
Licensed practical nurses in Colorado Springs work in long-term care, skilled nursing, pediatric home care and hospital clinics, and CommonSpirit posts LPN pay at its St. Francis Nursing Center from $25.55 to $42.15 an hour. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring and how to get licensed.
Current licensed practical nurse Openings in Colorado Springs, CO
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Licensed Practical Nurse Work in Colorado Springs
Most LPN hiring in the Springs happens outside the big acute-care towers. Long-term care and post-acute rehab are the largest buyers of practical nurses here, from CommonSpirit's St. Francis Nursing Center to Mountain View Post Acute on Tenderfoot Hill Road in the Cheyenne Mountain area. Pediatric home care is the second track, with agencies sending LPNs into family homes from Fountain and Security-Widefield up to Briargate and Monument. UCHealth also keeps LPNs on its Colorado Springs roster, though the hospitals at Memorial Central and Memorial North lean mostly on RNs.
The military economy shapes the workforce too. With Fort Carson, Peterson and Schriever in the metro, a steady share of LPN applicants are military spouses arriving on orders, and Colorado's membership in the Nurse Licensure Compact means many of them can start work on a multistate license from their home state without waiting on a new one.
Top Colorado Springs Employers Hiring Licensed Practical Nurses
These Colorado Springs employers have posted LPN openings or recruit practical nurses for their local sites:
- CommonSpirit Health - the Penrose-St. Francis system hires LPN II nurses for long-term care at St. Francis Nursing Center, with IV therapy certification required within three months of hire.
- UCHealth - the region's largest health system posts full-time LPN roles in Colorado Springs alongside its Memorial and Grandview hospitals.
- Mountain View Post Acute - the skilled nursing and rehab center on Tenderfoot Hill Road recruits licensed nurses and CNAs for short-term rehab and long-term residents.
- Care Options for Kids - the pediatric home health agency hires LPNs for one-on-one homecare cases across the Colorado Springs area.
Licensed Practical Nurse Salaries in Colorado Springs
- Entry level: about $25 to $29 per hour for newly licensed LPNs.
- Experienced: roughly $29 to $36 per hour with two or more years in long-term care or home health.
- Senior: $36 to $42 per hour for experienced LPNs with IV certification, charge duties or night and weekend shifts.
These are estimates built from pay ranges in local postings, which Colorado's pay transparency law requires employers to publish. Shift differentials, IV therapy certification, years of experience and setting all move pay, and skilled nursing and home care generally pay more per hour than physician clinics. Sign-on bonuses come and go with staffing needs, so check each posting.
How to Become a Licensed Practical Nurse in Colorado Springs
You need to finish a state-approved practical nursing program, pass the NCLEX-PN exam and hold an LPN license from the Colorado State Board of Nursing, part of the Division of Professions and Occupations at the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. Colorado uses the title LPN, not LVN. Locally, Pikes Peak State College runs a Practical Nursing certificate of 36 credits over three semesters, with day and evening options, and LPNs who want to keep going can move into the college's LPN Advanced Placement route to the RN degree. A multistate license from another Nurse Licensure Compact state is valid in Colorado.
What the Job Involves
LPNs give medications, change dressings, take vital signs, monitor patients for changes in condition and report to the supervising RN or provider. In long-term care they often run a medication cart for a hall of residents, update care plans and chart in an electronic health record. In home care, an LPN may manage a child's trach or feeding tube care during a full shift in the family's home.
Skills Employers Look For
- Active Colorado or compact multistate LPN license
- BLS certification from the American Heart Association
- IV therapy certification, or willingness to earn it soon after hire
- Safe medication administration and accurate documentation
- Wound care and basic assessment skills
- Calm communication with residents, families and RNs
Career Path and Advancement
Many Colorado Springs LPNs start on a long-term care hall or in pediatric home care, add IV certification, then move into charge nurse or MDS coordinator roles in skilled nursing. The bigger step is the RN: Pikes Peak State College's LPN Advanced Placement option and the RN-BSN programs at UCCS's Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing give working LPNs a local path to registered nursing and the higher pay at UCHealth and Penrose-St. Francis.
Related Careers in Colorado Springs
If practical nursing interests you, these Colorado Springs guides cover nearby roles:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Colorado license to work as an LPN in Colorado Springs?
You need an LPN license issued by the Colorado State Board of Nursing, or a multistate license from another Nurse Licensure Compact state. If your home state is not in the compact, you apply to Colorado for licensure by endorsement before you can start.
How much do LPNs make in Colorado Springs?
Newly licensed LPNs generally start around $25 to $29 an hour, and experienced LPNs earn about $29 to $36. CommonSpirit's posted range for an LPN II at St. Francis Nursing Center runs from $25.55 to $42.15 an hour, depending on experience.
How long does it take to become an LPN in Colorado Springs?
The Practical Nursing certificate at Pikes Peak State College takes three semesters, about a year, if you have finished any prerequisites. After graduating you sit for the NCLEX-PN and apply for your Colorado license.
Do Colorado Springs employers require IV certification for LPNs?
Many do. CommonSpirit's long-term care LPN posting, for example, requires IV therapy certification within three months of hire. Having it before you apply makes you a stronger candidate for skilled nursing and rehab jobs.
Can a military spouse transfer an LPN license to Colorado Springs?
If you hold a multistate license from a compact state and move to Colorado as your primary residence, you can work on it while you apply for a Colorado multistate license. Spouses from non-compact states apply to the Colorado State Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement.
Ready to apply? Browse all Licensed Practical Nurse jobs in Colorado Springs, CO on LocalJobPage and apply today.