PRN LPN Jobs in Oklahoma: Ultimate Guide [2024]

Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) in Oklahoma have more work options than they may realize, including PRN jobs.

Discover the most common work settings for LPNs, some lesser-known settings and job types, the job outlook for LPNs, and more in this guide to PRN LPN jobs in Oklahoma.

Where Do LPNs Work?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the most common work settings for LPNs are nursing and residential care facilities, which employ 35 percent of licensed practical nurses. The following are other significant employers of LPNs and the percentage of licensed practical nurses each industry employs:

Hospitals (state, local, and private): 15%
Home healthcare services: 13%
Offices of physicians: 12%
Government: 6%

Other industries that employ much smaller percentages of LPNs include the following:

Outpatient Care Centers: 3.03%
Employment Services: 0.9%
Insurance Carriers: 0.05%
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services: Estimate not released

What Other LPN Positions are Available in Oklahoma?

Some LPN positions in the above categories may not have immediately come to mind. For example, public schools in Oklahoma (a.k.a. government) employ LPNs as school nurses. LPNs in Oklahoma can also work as camp nurses or correctional facility nurses.

Furthermore, LPNs interested in remote nursing jobs in OK could consider working for insurance carriers or even as nursing or healthcare writers.

How Much Do LPN Jobs in Oklahoma Pay?

Although the average LPN salary in Oklahoma is below the national, this income is sufficient for LPNs to cover typical living expenses. Compare the average LPN hourly wage in Oklahoma to the national average, as well as to the state living wage and minimum wage:

Mean national LPN wage: $29.23
Mean hourly LPN wage in Oklahoma: $24.94
Living wage in Oklahoma: $19.33
State minimum wage: $7.25

This hourly wage is the average for employed LPNs. However, full-time or part-time staff positions are not the only licensed practical nursing jobs available in Oklahoma. There are nursing jobs in Oklahoma that offer significantly higher hourly pay in addition to flexibility and variety: per diem nursing jobs.

What Are Per Diem Nursing Jobs?

Per diem or PRN nursing jobs are single shifts that LPNs can pick up at facilities needing to fill critical gaps in clinician schedules. In other words, facilities contract nurses one shift at a time as needed. These shifts typically pay significantly higher hourly rates because of the temporary and urgent nature of the jobs.

How Can I Find PRN Nursing Jobs in Oklahoma?

Finding PRN LPN jobs in Oklahoma is easy with Nursa. Nursa is an open healthcare marketplace connecting hospitals and other healthcare facilities to PRN nurses and nursing assistants. With Nursa, LPNs can choose when and where they want to work, picking up only the shifts that interest them and fit their needs and schedules.

PRN LPN Jobs in the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area

The Oklahoma City metropolitan area in central Oklahoma is the largest metro area in the state. You can find PRN LPN jobs in Oklahoma City, the state capital and principal city. You can also find per diem LPN jobs in secondary cities, including Norman and Edmond. Also, browse LPN jobs in the following suburbs and exurbs of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area:

Do you live in Caddo County, west of the Greater Oklahoma City metro area? Discover PRN jobs in the town of Carnegie.

PRN LPN Jobs in the Tulsa Metropolitan Area

LPNs in the Tulsa metropolitan area in northeastern Oklahoma can pick up PRN LPN jobs in the city of Tulsa. Do you live in the first ring of suburbs outside of Tulsa? Pick up LPN jobs in Broken Arrow.

If you live in the second ring of suburbs outside Tulsa, you may find per diem LPN jobs in the following locations:

Do you live in Osage County? Pick up jobs in Fairfax and Barnsdall.

PRN LPN Jobs in Other Parts of Oklahoma

Licensed practical nurses working in other parts of Oklahoma can find PRN jobs in the following locations:

Vian in Sequoyah County, Fort Smith, AR-OK metropolitan statistical area
Lawton, Lawton metropolitan area
Mooreland in Woodward County, Woodward, OK, micropolitan statistical area
Sulphur, the seat of Murray County in the Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area
Jay and Grove in Delaware County, located in the Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area

What Is the Job Outlook for LPNs?

As with the nursing profession in general, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the employment of licensed practical nurses will grow faster than the average for all occupations, an estimated 5 percent from 2022 to 2032. This growth rate translates into approximately 54,400 openings annually for licensed practical nurses. Many job openings will replace LPNs who transfer to different occupations or retire.

However, as the baby boomer population ages, there is an increasing demand for healthcare services. Therefore, long-term care and home health environments will need increasingly more LPNs to care for older patients.

Furthermore, there has been an increase in certain chronic health conditions in recent years, including diabetes and obesity. This increase in demand for healthcare services also demands more LPNs to assist and care for patients in hospitals and outpatient care centers.

How to Become an LPN in Oklahoma

To obtain a single-state license to work as a practical nurse in Oklahoma, you must fulfill the following requirements:

You must be at least 18.
You must be a US citizen, national, or legal permanent resident.
You must have graduated from one of Oklahoma’s state Board-approved LPN programs. These programs generally include one year of coursework and practical application at a hospital, vocational-technical school, or community college.
You must pass a background check.
Once you have met all other requirements, you must register with Pearson VUE to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) licensure examination. When the Oklahoma Board of Nursing approves your application, you will receive an Authorization to Test letter (ATT).

Oklahoma has been a member of the enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) since 2017. This membership allows aspiring LPNs in Oklahoma to apply for a multistate license, enabling them to work in other compact states.

If you are already an LPN and would like to check the status of your license, you can visit the Oklahoma Board of Nursing license lookup portal.

Are You Ready to Find PRN LPN Jobs in Oklahoma?

Whether you want to pick up PRN jobs to supplement your income from a staff position or work per diem full-time, Nursa offers you the opportunity to pick up shifts at healthcare facilities throughout Oklahoma.

To learn more about unlocking opportunities, read our article about the ban on noncompetes.

Nursa is easy to use and free for clinicians. All you need to do is sign up, complete your professional profile, and verify your license. Within minutes, you will be able to browse available PRN LPN jobs near you. Check out the most popular ways to stay hydrated on the job in our post about the best water bottles for nurses.

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