If you have considered a career in nursing before and you happen to live in the greater Albuquerque area, this is for you. Albuquerque is a city where health care touches nearly everyone directly, whether through a parent’s hospital stay, a grandparent’s home health aide or a routine visit to urgent care. Here, nursing isn’t an abstract career path; it’s something residents encounter daily, as patients, family members, or neighbors rely on health care professionals. If you have been wondering whether nursing could be your next step, Pima Medical Institute’s Practical Nursing certificate program is worth considering.
The Practical Nursing certificate program takes approximately 12 months to complete at Pima Medical Institute’s Albuquerque campus. This program is a focused certificate that prepares you to sit for the NCLEX-PN and pursue licensure as a practical nurse.
Practical Nursing in Albuquerque: What the Job Actually Looks Like
Understanding what drives nursing demand in Albuquerque is what makes the health care jobs in this city so impactful.
This city is home to an aging population with growing needs. If you have older family members or neighbors in the Albuquerque area, you have probably already noticed the pressure on the health care system. New Mexico’s senior population is growing faster than most states, with the number of the state’s population aged 65 and older increasing by 43.7 percent between 2010 and 2020, according to UNM’s population projections, and by 2040 nearly one in four will be 65 or older. Long-term care facilities, assisted living centers and home health agencies throughout the city need licensed practical nurses to provide the kind of consistent, hands-on daily care that this population depends on.
According to Projections Central, New Mexico LPN employment is projected to grow 15.9 percent between 2022 and 2032, with an average of 180 job openings per year, well above the national LPN growth rate over the same period. The 2024 Health Care Workforce Report by Think New Mexico projects the state will be short more than 5,140 nurses by 2035. These statistics are encouraging for anyone in Albuquerque entering this field because it suggests the jobs are there and you can stay close to home.
Albuquerque is home to a significant Spanish-speaking population, and job postings across the city often list Spanish language skills as a valued qualification. Speaking Spanish is not a requirement for this field or in this city, but if you already speak the language, it can open doors to new opportunities.
The communities that need you most are already here. Albuquerque has a strong network of community health centers, federally qualified clinics and safety net facilities that provide care to residents who might otherwise go without it. New Mexico ranks third in the country for poverty rate at 17.8 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau 2023 American Community Survey, which is part of what drives the size and consistency of that network.
The employers in Albuquerque are established and hiring. Presbyterian Healthcare Services, UNM Hospital, Lovelace Health System and the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center are among some of the most recognized employers of licensed practical nurses in Albuquerque, across medical-surgical, outpatient, behavioral health and long-term care settings. These are potential positions at institutions that have been part of Albuquerque’s health care community for decades.
Our Practical Nursing Certificate Program: What You Will Learn
Pima Medical Institute’s Practical Nursing certificate program moves through six sequences over approximately 12 months. The curriculum builds not just scientific knowledge but real-world clinical skill as well, so that by the time you step into a clinical setting, you already understand not just what you’re doing but why it matters.
You will cover:
- Medical math, terminology and nutrition; the foundational tools of safe, accurate clinical practice
- Anatomy and physiology across four sequences built into the program
- Introduction to nursing and pharmacology, which are the principles of nursing and the medication knowledge that shapes your clinical decisions
- Elder care and nursing theory, which encompasses patient care for older adults
- Adult medical, surgical and community health nursing
- Maternal and child nursing including care across the reproductive and pediatric spectrum
- Pharmacology and intravenous therapy, which includes IV therapy and expands your scope of practice
The program also includes human development across the lifespan, communication and composition and strategies for practical nursing success.
405 Clinical Hours: Working With Real Patients Before You Graduate
Before you graduate, you will complete 405 hours of supervised clinical training in actual health care settings across the final four sequences of the program. You will be in hospitals, long-term care facilities, community health settings and specialty practices, caring for real patients alongside licensed nurses and clinical instructors.
Those hours matter for two reasons. First, they give you hands-on experience that turns classroom knowledge into clinical instinct. Second, they put you inside Albuquerque’s health care network while you are still a student. The nurses and coordinators you work alongside during clinical training become professional connections you can reference as you begin your job search.
Learn More About Clinical Externships
Licensure: Becoming an LPN in New Mexico
Graduates of the Practical Nursing certificate program are eligible to apply to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) through the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Passing the NCLEX-PN qualifies you for licensure as a practical nurse in New Mexico through the New Mexico Board of Nursing.
New Mexico participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), which issues multistate licenses to nurses whose primary state of residence is New Mexico. A multistate license allows you to practice in other NLC member states without applying separately in each one, which matters if you are a military spouse, plan to relocate or want flexibility in where your career takes you.
Before you begin the program, you will need to meet the admissions requirements, including a minimum score on the Pre-Entrance HESI Exam-PN. Your admissions advisor can walk you through what to expect and how to prepare.
What Does It Cost?
Total program cost at Pima Medical’s Albuquerque campus is $30,171, which includes tuition, textbooks, supplies, a registration fee, a uniform, a technology fee and applicable taxes.*
*For the most current tuition costs, go to Albuquerque addenda in the Academic Catalog.
Federal financial aid is available for eligible students, including Federal Pell Grants, federal student loans and scholarships. The financial services team can walk you through what you qualify for and what your out-of-pocket cost looks like after aid.
The Job Outlook for LPNs in New Mexico
Nationally, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, with approximately 54,400 openings projected each year on average over the decade. The median annual wage for LPNs was $62,340 as of May 2024.*
*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/licensed-practical-and-licensed-vocational-nurses.htm (visited August 6, 2026).
New Mexico’s own projections point to stronger growth. According to Projections Central, the state is expected to see 15.9 percent LPN employment growth between 2022 and 2032, with an average of 180 openings per year. With a projected shortage of more than 5,140 nurses by 2035, graduating into this market means stepping into a field where the need is already there.
Is This Program Right for You?
This program is a strong fit if your situation looks like one of these:
- You have been thinking about nursing for a while and are ready to stop thinking and start moving
- You have your eye on becoming a registered nurse eventually, but you want to start working in nursing now rather than waiting years to get there.
- You are already working in health care as a medical assistant or another support role and want the credential and licensure that expands what you can do and what you can earn
And it works especially well if:
- You are drawn to the kind of patient care where you are present with people over time and where the relationships you build are part of what makes the work meaningful
- You speak Spanish and want to bring that skill into a clinical setting where it makes a real difference to the patients you work with
- You see nursing as a starting point, not a ceiling. Licensed practical nurses who want to keep advancing often pursue RN licensure through bridge programs, and the clinical experience and professional connections you build as an LPN are the foundation that makes that next step possible
You do not need prior nursing or health care experience to apply this program. The Practical Nursing certificate program is built for students who are starting fresh, and 405 clinical hours ensure you graduate with real patient care experience and skills.
Ready to Get Started?
Pima Medical Institute enrolls students regularly at the Albuquerque campus. To learn more, visit the Practical Nursing certificate program page or call 1-800-477-PIMA to speak with an admissions advisor.
