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Florida’s registered nurse pipeline is improving, with supply growth projected to keep pace with demand through 2037. Its licensed practical nurse pipeline is moving the opposite way. The Florida Center for Nursing projects LPN workforce adequacy will fall from about 85% in 2022 to roughly 55% by 2037, with South Florida among the regions under the most pressure. The LPN is the fastest nursing credential to earn in Miami and the one the state is projected to run shortest on.
Cambridge in Miami: Our Practical Nursing program runs 45 weeks with weekday or evening schedules. Explore the Miami PN curriculum, the ASN program, and the Miami campus.
Florida finally got some good news about nurses. Almost nobody read the second half of the report.
The Florida Center for Nursing’s Florida Health Care Workforce Projections 2022-2037 found that registered nurse supply growth is on track to closely match demand, holding statewide RN adequacy near 93% by 2037. The RN pipeline is improving. Schools expanded, enrollment rose, and the profession is producing nurses at a rate the state has not managed in years.
That progress comes with a caveat worth stating plainly. Improving is not the same as finished. RN demand keeps climbing, the same report expects meaningful variation between regions, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics still projects registered nursing to grow faster than the average occupation nationally. Miami will keep hiring registered nurses. The RN pipeline simply is not the one in trouble.
The same report describes a very different future for licensed practical nurses. LPN supply is declining by roughly 0.9% each year while demand climbs about 2.3% each year. Statewide adequacy falls from about 85% in 2022 to near 55% by 2037. Put plainly, Florida projects it will have close to half the practical nurses it needs within twelve years.
That is the shortage Miami should be talking about, and almost no one is.
| 55%Projected Florida LPN workforce adequacy by 2037, down from about 85% in 2022 | 32,870Projected statewide LPN shortfall by 2037, up from roughly 8,100 in 2022 | 93%Projected Florida RN adequacy by 2037, an improving pipeline |
The pressure lands hardest on South Florida
Statewide numbers hide where the strain actually falls. The Florida Center for Nursing projects the LPN shortfall will grow from roughly 8,100 in 2022 to about 32,870 by 2037, driven by demand rising about 34% while supply contracts about 14% over the same period. South Florida and Southeast Florida, the two regions that include and surround Miami-Dade, carry an outsized share of that gap.
The reason is demographic rather than mysterious. Florida’s population aged 75 and older is growing quickly, and older patients need more care in more settings: skilled nursing, rehabilitation, home health, and community clinics. Those are precisely the settings that depend on practical nurses. The Florida Hospital Association has projected a statewide shortage of roughly 59,100 nurses by 2035, and the practical nursing side of that gap gets the least attention.
The supply side deserves as much attention as the demand side, because a shrinking workforce is unusual. Most healthcare occupations grow and simply fail to keep up. Practical nursing is contracting in absolute terms. Two forces drive it. The current LPN workforce is aging toward retirement, and for years the profession has been framed to prospective students as a consolation prize rather than a career, which pushed enrollment toward other programs. Fewer people entering a field that more people are leaving produces exactly the curve the projections show. It also means the gap will not close quickly once it opens, because every new practical nurse takes close to a year to train and license.
From the perspective of an LPN educator, the projected shortage is more than a workforce statistic. It represents a growing challenge for patient access to timely care. Licensed Practical Nurses provide the day-to-day clinical care that keeps long-term care facilities, rehabilitation centers, home health agencies, physician offices, and many outpatient settings functioning efficiently. When LPN positions remain vacant, existing staff carry heavier workloads, employers rely more heavily on overtime or temporary staffing, and patients may experience delays in receiving routine nursing care.
Florida’s projections also highlight another important issue for nursing educators: maintaining a strong educational pipeline. The Florida Center for Nursing continues to identify recruitment and retention of qualified nursing faculty, clinical preceptors, and successful NCLEX preparation as statewide priorities. Expanding nursing programs alone is not enough if schools cannot recruit faculty or graduate students who are prepared to enter practice. Investing in Practical Nursing education today is one of the few workforce strategies capable of producing licensed clinicians within approximately one year while simultaneously creating a pathway for future RN advancement.*
What licensed practical nurses actually do
An LPN provides direct patient care under the direction of registered nurses and physicians. The daily work includes monitoring vital signs, wound care, catheter care, administering medications where state scope allows, assisting with mobility and daily living, documenting patient status, and communicating changes to the care team. LPNs often spend more sustained time at the bedside than anyone else on the unit, which makes them the first to notice when a patient’s condition shifts.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted about 651,400 LPN and LVN jobs nationally in 2024 and projects roughly 54,400 openings each year across the decade, most of them replacing nurses who retire or move into other roles. Nursing care facilities and home health services are among the largest employers, which maps directly onto where Florida’s demand is growing.
Where LPNs work in Miami
Miami’s LPN demand concentrates in three settings. Skilled nursing and long-term care facilities across Miami-Dade rely on practical nurses for daily medication passes, wound management, and resident monitoring. Physician practices and outpatient clinics, including the large network of primary care and specialty offices serving Miami’s Spanish-speaking and Creole-speaking communities, hire LPNs for clinical support and patient education. Home health agencies send LPNs into patients’ homes for scheduled care, a segment growing alongside the region’s aging population.
“The nursing role Florida is projected to run shortest on is also the one you can qualify for fastest.”
The fastest route to a nursing license in Miami
Cambridge College of Healthcare & Technology’s Practical Nursing diploma program at the Miami campus runs 45 weeks and 1,380 clock hours, offered on weekday or evening schedules so students can keep working while they train. Students learn in skills and simulation labs using high-fidelity mannequins before moving into clinical rotations in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other care settings across the area.
Exam preparation runs through the whole program rather than arriving at the end. Cambridge integrates the ATI Review into its Practical Nursing and ASN programs, aligning practice testing and remediation with the NCLEX format. Graduates earn a Diploma in Practical Nursing, sit for the NCLEX-PN, and apply for licensure through the Florida Board of Nursing. Cambridge offers Practical Nursing at both its Miami and Delray Beach campuses.
An LPN license is a starting line, not a ceiling
The strongest argument for practical nursing is what it makes possible next. Cambridge’s Associate of Science in Nursing runs 90 weeks on the Traditional track, but licensed LPNs, paramedics, and respiratory therapists enter the Bridge track and finish in 75 weeks. A student who completes Practical Nursing, passes the NCLEX-PN, and works as an LPN can enter the ASN Bridge with a license, a paycheck, and clinical experience that classroom-only students do not have.
The ASN program at Cambridge’s Miami campus holds Initial Accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. From there, the ladder continues through RN-to-BSN and into the MSN Family Nurse Practitioner program, without changing schools at any step.
Miami has spent years hearing that it needs registered nurses. It still does, and the projections now add something more specific. Florida improved the RN pipeline and left the practical nursing one behind, and the gap on the LPN side is projected to grow far wider. The people who enter that pipeline first will meet a job market that grows more favorable each year rather than less.
Sources: Florida Center for Nursing: Florida Health Care Workforce Projections 2022-2037 – U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses, Occupational Outlook Handbook – Florida Hospital Association: Florida Workforce Projections – Florida Board of Nursing: Licensure and approved education programs“Miami does not have a nursing shortage in the abstract. It has a practical nursing shortage, and it is arriving on a schedule.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there really an LPN shortage in Florida?
Yes, and the projections are specific. The Florida Center for Nursing’s 2022-2037 workforce report projects LPN supply declining about 0.9% annually while demand rises about 2.3% annually, cutting statewide adequacy from roughly 85% in 2022 to about 55% by 2037. That works out to a projected shortfall near 32,870 practical nurses. South Florida and Southeast Florida are among the most affected regions.
How long does it take to become an LPN in Miami?
Cambridge’s Practical Nursing diploma program at the Miami campus runs 45 weeks and 1,380 clock hours, with weekday or evening schedule options. After graduating, you sit for the NCLEX-PN and apply for licensure through the Florida Board of Nursing. Allow additional time after the exam for the Board to process your license application.
What is the difference between an LPN and an RN?
LPNs provide direct patient care under the direction of registered nurses and physicians, handling vital signs, wound care, medication administration within state scope, and patient monitoring. RNs carry a broader scope that includes assessment, care planning, and supervising LPNs and nursing assistants. The education differs too: practical nursing is a diploma program, while the RN path runs through an associate or bachelor’s degree.
Where do LPNs work in the Miami area?
Three settings dominate. Skilled nursing and long-term care facilities employ LPNs for medication administration, wound care, and resident monitoring. Physician practices and outpatient clinics use them for clinical support and patient education. Home health agencies assign LPNs to scheduled in-home care. Nationally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics identifies nursing care facilities and home health services among the largest LPN employers.
How much does the Practical Nursing program cost, and is financial aid available?
Tuition varies by program and enrollment term, so request a written breakdown of tuition and fees from an admissions advisor. Cambridge is Title IV eligible, meaning students who qualify can apply for federal financial aid through the FAFSA. A financial aid advisor can review grants, loans, and eligibility for your specific situation before you commit.
Can I become an RN after working as an LPN?
Yes, and it is the most common reason students start with practical nursing. Cambridge’s Associate of Science in Nursing runs 90 weeks on the Traditional track, but licensed LPNs, paramedics, and respiratory therapists qualify for the Bridge track and complete it in 75 weeks. You need a valid, unencumbered license and must meet ASN admissions requirements. Many students work as LPNs while completing the Bridge.
Does Cambridge offer Practical Nursing at its Miami campus?
Yes. Cambridge College of Healthcare & Technology offers the Practical Nursing diploma program at its Miami and Delray Beach campuses. The Miami campus also offers the Associate of Science in Nursing, which holds Initial Accreditation from ACEN, so students can move from LPN to RN without changing schools. Review the Miami PN curriculum, the ASN program, or visit the Miami campus page.
Start in 45 weeks. Build for the next twenty years.
Cambridge College of Healthcare & Technology offers Practical Nursing at its Miami campus with weekday and evening schedules, plus an ACEN-accredited ASN for your next step. Learn more at cambridgehealth.edu or call (305) 627-3001.