Licensed Practical Nurse Jobs in Wichita, KS
Licensed practical nurses in Wichita earn a median of about $29 an hour, and Ascension Via Christi alone had a dozen Wichita LPN openings posted this fall. Here are the current openings, followed by who hires LPNs and how to get licensed in Kansas.
Current licensed practical nurse Openings in Wichita, KS
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Licensed Practical Nurse Work in Wichita
Wichita's LPN market runs through its two hospital systems. Ascension Via Christi staffs LPNs on med-surg, telemetry, stepdown, cardiovascular and float teams at St. Joseph on East Harry and its other Wichita hospitals, plus primary care and gastroenterology clinics. HCA's Wesley Healthcare hires IV-certified LPNs for cardiac, acute care, surgical and rehabilitation units, anchored by Wesley Medical Center on North Hillside near College Hill.
Outside the hospitals, the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center on East Kellogg posts LPN roles on the federal GS scale, and Sedgwick County's COMCARE mental health center hires psychiatric LPNs. Pay here runs a little below the Kansas median, but the volume of openings and short commutes on Kellogg and I-135 keep the field busy.
Top Wichita Employers for Licensed Practical Nurses
These Wichita employers hire licensed practical nurses for hospital, clinic and public health work:
- Ascension Via Christi - the largest hospital system in Wichita hires LPNs for med-surg, float, telemetry, cardiovascular and clinic teams.
- Wesley Healthcare - HCA's Wichita system hires IV-certified LPNs for cardiac, acute care, surgical and rehabilitation units.
- Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center - the East Kellogg VA hires LPNs for specialty care on the federal GS pay scale.
- Sedgwick County - the county hires psychiatric LPNs for COMCARE, its community mental health center.
Licensed Practical Nurse Salaries in Wichita
- Entry level: about $23 to $26 an hour for newly licensed LPNs.
- Experienced: roughly $26 to $31 an hour with IV certification and a few years on a unit.
- Senior: $31 to $37 an hour for night, charge and specialty roles.
These are estimates built from BLS May 2025 wages for the Wichita metro, where the LPN median is $28.99 an hour, and from local postings. An Ascension Via Christi float LPN posting at St. Joseph lists $22.75 to $29.45, and VA LPN roles post at GS-3 to GS-6, about $46,000 to $81,000 a year. IV certification, nights, weekends and hospital work over clinic work all move pay up.
How to Become a Licensed Practical Nurse in Wichita
Kansas uses the title Licensed Practical Nurse, and the Kansas State Board of Nursing issues the license after you finish an approved practical nursing program and pass the NCLEX-PN. The WSU Tech Practical Nursing technical certificate at WSU Tech South on East Harry is board approved and leads to NCLEX-PN eligibility. Butler Community College's bi-level nursing program lets students sit the NCLEX-PN after level one, at its El Dorado and Winfield sites. Kansas treats IV therapy as a separate certification for LPNs, and many Wichita hospital postings ask for it. Kansas is in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so a multistate LPN license from another compact state also works here, under Kansas scope of practice.
What the Job Involves
LPNs give medications, take vital signs, change dressings, collect specimens, monitor patients and report changes to the RN or provider. On hospital units they handle an assigned patient group under RN supervision; in clinics they room patients, give injections, handle prior authorizations and field patient calls. Charting in the electronic health record is part of every shift.
Skills Employers Look For
- Active Kansas or multistate LPN license
- IV therapy certification
- BLS from the American Heart Association or American Red Cross
- Medication administration and accurate charting
- Calm judgement when a patient's condition changes
- Willingness to float, work nights or rotate weekends
Career Path and Advancement
Many Wichita LPNs start on a med-surg or float team, add IV certification, and move into clinic, cardiology or behavioral health roles. The biggest step is becoming a registered nurse: WSU Tech's LPN-to-ADN bridge accepts nurses with an active Kansas LPN license and IV therapy certification, Butler offers an LPN-to-RN advanced standing track at El Dorado, and Wichita State and Newman University offer BSN routes after that.
Related Careers in Wichita
If practical nursing interests you, these related Wichita roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it LPN or LVN in Kansas?
Kansas uses Licensed Practical Nurse, or LPN. The Kansas State Board of Nursing issues the license, and Wichita employers post these jobs under the LPN title.
How much do LPNs make in Wichita?
The BLS May 2025 median for LPNs in the Wichita metro is $28.99 an hour, about $60,300 a year. New nurses usually start in the low to mid $20s, and experienced LPNs on nights or specialty units can pass $31 an hour.
Do I need IV certification to work as an LPN in Wichita?
Not for every job, but Kansas treats IV therapy as a separate certification for LPNs, and many Wesley and Ascension hospital postings require or prefer it. It is also required for the WSU Tech LPN-to-ADN bridge, so it pays to earn it early.
Can I work in Wichita with an LPN license from another state?
If you hold a multistate license from a Nurse Licensure Compact state, you can work in Kansas on it and follow Kansas scope of practice. A single-state license from outside Kansas means applying to the Kansas State Board of Nursing for a Kansas license.
Where can I train to become an LPN near Wichita?
WSU Tech South on East Harry offers a board-approved Practical Nursing technical certificate that leads to the NCLEX-PN. Butler Community College's bi-level program, taught at El Dorado and Winfield, makes students NCLEX-PN eligible after level one. Check each school for current start dates, length and prerequisites.
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