Practical Nursing

 

Practical Nursing is a 12-month program prepares students as Practical Nurses who are important members of the health care team. They care for the ill, injured or infirm, promote wellness, maintain health and prevent illness under the direction of a registered nurse, licensed physician or licensed dentist. Practical nurses work in hospitals, skilled nursing and long-term care facilities, offices, clinics, home health and other health care settings.

This program starts every year in August and ends in September. Students experience a combination of theory, laboratory and clinical course work. This vocational program consists of 1,350 hours of study over a 12-month period. Students will attend classes Mondays through Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Clinical classes are available either on Friday from 3 p.m. to 11 p. m or Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p. m.

Upon successful completion of this program graduates earn a Vocational Certificate in Practical Nursing and are eligible to apply to write the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) to become Licensed Practical Nurses, and are able to perform the following:

Use appropriate verbal and written communications in the performance of nursing functions.

    Demonstrate legal and ethical responsibilities specific to the nursing profession.
    Describe human growth and development.
    Apply the principles of infection control, utilizing nursing principles
    Perform aseptic techniques.
    Describe the anatomy and physiology of the human body.
    Apply principles of nutrition.
    Perform nursing procedures.
    Administer medication.
    Provide care for medical/surgical/oncology patients, utilizing nursing principles.
    Provide care for pre-operative and post-operative patients, utilizing nursing principles.
    Provide care for maternal/newborn patients, utilizing nursing principles.
    Provide care for pediatric patients, utilizing nursing principles.
    Provide bio-psycho-social support.
    Develop transitional skills
    Demonstrate employability skills specific to practical nursing.

In meeting these outcomes, graduates of the program will not only be educated in a broad scope of nursing practices “to respond to society’s health care needs,” but also to fill a need realized from the national nursing shortage. The rigorous curriculum will ensure the highest level of training and quality of candidates.