Licensed Practical Nurse Jobs in Nashville, TN
Licensed practical nurses in Nashville earn a median of $29.78 an hour, and LPNs work everywhere from TriStar Skyline on Dickerson Pike to the VA's Alvin C. York campus in Murfreesboro. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring, what it pays and how to get licensed.
Current licensed practical nurse Openings in Nashville, TN
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Licensed Practical Nurse Work in Nashville
Nashville's LPN market is spread wider than its RN market. Hospitals still hire practical nurses for med-surg and rehab floors, such as TriStar Skyline in north Nashville and Ascension Saint Thomas Rehabilitation Hospital, but much of the demand sits outside acute care: physician practices like Heritage Medical Associates, senior living and home care offices along Westwood Place in Brentwood, and the long-term care units at the VA's Alvin C. York Medical Center off I-24 in Murfreesboro.
That mix matters when you job hunt. Hospital LPN roles tend to come with sign-on bonuses and IV certification expectations, clinic roles offer weekday hours, and the VA pays on the federal GS scale with a published salary range. Because Tennessee is a Nurse Licensure Compact state, a Tennessee multistate license also travels if you later move to another compact state.
Top Nashville Employers Hiring Licensed Practical Nurses
These Nashville-area employers have posted LPN roles on their own career sites:
- TriStar Skyline Medical Center - the HCA Healthcare hospital on Dickerson Pike posts LPN openings for its 250-plus bed campus.
- Ascension Saint Thomas Rehabilitation Hospital - the inpatient rehab hospital hires full-time and PRN LPNs, with an $8,000 sign-on bonus on its 2026 full-time posting.
- VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System - the VA hires LPNs for the Community Living Center at the Alvin C. York VA Medical Center in Murfreesboro, most recently in August 2026.
- Heritage Medical Associates - the physician group with 14 locations across Davidson, Wilson and Williamson counties posts clinic roles open to LPNs, including pediatrics in Mt. Juliet.
- Brookdale Senior Living - the senior living company hires LPN Care Coordinators out of its Westwood Place office in Brentwood.
Licensed Practical Nurse Salaries in Nashville
- Entry level: about $22 to $26 per hour for newly licensed LPNs.
- Experienced: roughly $27 to $32 per hour, with the metro median at $29.78.
- Senior / top of range: $33 to $36 per hour for experienced LPNs in coordinator and specialty roles.
These are estimates drawn from 2025 federal wage data for the Nashville metro and local employer postings, such as Brookdale's $28.00 to $35.66 an hour range for an LPN Care Coordinator. VA LPN positions in Murfreesboro post at GS-3 to GS-6, or $51,033 to $81,582 a year. Shift, IV certification, acute care experience and sign-on bonuses move pay the most.
How to Become a Licensed Practical Nurse in Nashville
You need to finish a practical nursing program approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing, part of the Tennessee Department of Health, and then pass the NCLEX-PN. Tennessee uses the title Licensed Practical Nurse, not LVN. The main local route is the Practical Nursing diploma at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Nashville on White Bridge Pike: 1,296 clock hours, about 12 months of full-time day classes with clinicals. TCAT Nashville requires an information session and a prerequisite course first; its next prerequisite runs in January 2027 for the May 2027 class. LPNs who want to move up later can use the LPN to RN Pathway at Nashville State Community College's White Bridge campus next door.
What the Job Involves
LPNs give medications, take vital signs, change dressings, collect specimens, and watch patients for changes, reporting to RNs and physicians. In a hospital or rehab unit that means a full patient assignment on a 12-hour shift; in a clinic it means rooming patients, giving injections and vaccines, and handling phone triage and refill requests; in senior living it means coordinating care plans and supervising aides.
Skills Employers Look For
- An active Tennessee or multistate compact LPN license
- Current CPR/BLS certification
- IV certification, or willingness to earn it within six months
- Six months or more of med-surg or acute care experience for hospital roles
- Accurate medication administration and charting in an EHR
- Calm communication with patients, families and RNs
Career Path and Advancement
Many Nashville LPNs start in rehab, long-term care or a physician practice, then move into hospital med-surg roles or coordinator jobs that pay toward the top of the range. The most common next step is the RN license: Nashville State's LPN to RN Pathway lets working practical nurses bridge into registered nursing, which opens the much larger RN job market at Vanderbilt, TriStar, Saint Thomas and Nashville General.
Related Careers in Nashville
If practical nursing interests you, these Nashville healthcare guides are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Who licenses LPNs in Tennessee?
The Tennessee Board of Nursing, under the Tennessee Department of Health, licenses practical nurses. You must complete a Board-approved practical nursing program and pass the NCLEX-PN before you can work as an LPN in Nashville.
How much do LPNs make in Nashville?
The Nashville metro median is $29.78 an hour, based on 2025 federal wage data. Most new LPNs start around $22 to $26 an hour, and experienced LPNs in coordinator or specialty roles can reach $33 to $36.
How long does LPN school take in Nashville?
The Practical Nursing program at TCAT Nashville is 1,296 clock hours, about 12 months of full-time day classes. Plan for a few extra months up front, because the school requires an information session and a prerequisite course before you start.
Can I use my Tennessee LPN license in other states?
Tennessee is a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so a Tennessee multistate license lets you practice in other compact states. VA jobs, including those at the Alvin C. York campus in Murfreesboro, accept an active license from any U.S. state.
Do Nashville hospitals still hire LPNs?
Yes, though fewer than RNs. TriStar Skyline posts LPN openings and Ascension Saint Thomas Rehabilitation Hospital hires LPNs for its rehab floors, often with IV certification and some med-surg experience preferred.
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