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Purpose:
The Practical Nursing Certificate program is designed to prepare a
nurse who participates as an integral member of the nursing or health
care team involved
in health promotion and maintenance activities for the client. The
practical nurse provides
direct care for individual clients experiencing common, well-defined health
problems with predictable outcomes, in structured health care settings with
supervision. Upon satisfactory completion of the program, the student will
be eligible to take the national examination for licensure as a Practical
Nurse (LPN).
Occupational Objectives:
LPN positions in long-term care, hospitals, physicians’ offices, and other
comparable structured health care facilities and agencies
Admission Requirements: General
college curricular admission
Program Notes: Students must have a high school diploma, GED, or certificate of
completion of home schooling to be admitted to the Practical Nursing
Certificate program. There are two stages of acceptance into the
program. First, all applicants to the program must declare their curriculum plan as the
Pre-Practical Nursing and Dental
Assisting Career Studies Certificate. (Please see
http://www.jsr.vccs.edu/curriculum/programs/Pre-PracticalNursing_DentalAssistingCSC.htm for information on
this career studies certificate.)
The following steps must be completed
as part of the first stage of the acceptance process:
| 1. |
Submit official
high school transcript, GED, or certificate of completion of home schooling to Central Admissions and Records.
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| 2. |
Submit official
college transcripts, if applicable, to Central Admissions and Records. Courses taken at other colleges that contain equivalent content and
credits may transfer to satisfy a program requirement. |
| 3. |
Complete JSRCC's
placement tests in reading, writing, and mathematics and all
developmental coursework prescribed as a result of the placement tests.
For mathematics, students should demonstrate successful mastery
of BSK 1 and MTE 1-3 in order to be better prepared for the
Kaplan exam, which is described below in item 2. |
The second stage of the
acceptance process requires that all individuals interested in entering
the Practical Nursing Certificate program submit an application to the
Practical Nursing program head and meet the following requirements:
| 1. |
Completion of all required developmental courses: Students may apply for the Practical Nursing Certificate program while
enrolled in the Pre-Practical Nursing and Dental Assisting Career
Studies Certificate. While it is advisable that students complete
all courses in the Pre-Practical Nursing and Dental Assisting Career
Studies Certificate prior to acceptance into the Practical Nursing
program, this is not required. There are three courses that
must be completed prior to applying to the Practical Nursing Certificate
program: SDV 100, ENG 111, and NAS 150.
Practical Nursing students interested in continuing on to the associate
degree in Nursing and then to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
should consult with a Nursing advisor prior to enrolling in the
associate degree. |
| 2. |
Successful completion of the Kaplan Pre-Admission Exam:
Students must have a minimum score of 45 in reading
and math to be eligible for admission to the program. Students who do
not score at that level on the Kaplan exam will be
required to complete specific remedial courses with a grade of "C" or
better. Upon completion of the prescribed remedial courses, students must retake the
Kaplan exam to achieve an acceptable score on the second attempt to qualify for the program. |
| 3. |
Achievement of a "C"
grade or better in all courses completed in the
Pre-Practical Nursing and Dental Assisting Career Studies Certificate
program and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 to be accepted into the
Practical Nursing Certificate program. |
| 4. |
Completion of CPR certification by the America Heart Association at the BLS
level prior to beginning the first course in the Practical Nursing
program.
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Legal Requirements: The Virginia
Board of Nursing has the authority to deny licensure to an applicant who
has violated any of the provisions of 54-367.32 of the Code of Virginia.
Any student entering the program who has committed illegal offenses
other than minor traffic violations should discuss these matters with the
program head prior to admission for clarification.
Criminal background checks are required of all applicants to the Practical
Nursing program.
Additional Requirements of
Clinical Facilities: Clinical facilities used by the
program have additional requirements for students that include updated
immunizations, dress codes, and conformance with professional standards.
Pre-Entrance Health
Requirement: Upon granting approval for entry
into PNE 141, the program head will give students forms for physical
examinations, including required immunizations. Students must
be free of any physical or mental condition that might adversely affect
their performance in clinical courses or as nurses. Medical forms
must be submitted in complete form at the beginning
of PNE 141. Validation of freedom from tuberculosis is required
annually of all practical nursing students through skin testing or chest
x-ray.
Functional Skills
Requirements: Students entering the Practical Nursing program
must possess the physical ability to 1) aid in the lifting and moving of
patients; 2) hear audible alarms and sounds; 3) auscultate certain physical parameters, such as blood
pressure, heart and lung sounds; and 4) interact
effectively with patients, families, and health care team
members. This includes the following:
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Sufficient eyesight to observe patients, read
records, manipulate equipment, and visually monitor
patients in dim light.
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Sufficient hearing to communicate with patients and
members of a health care delivery team, monitor
patients using electronic equipment, and hear necessary
sounds during operation of equipment.
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Satisfactory speaking, reading, and writing skills to
effectively communicate in English in a timely manner.
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Sufficient gross and
fine motor coordination to manipulate equipment, lift, stoop, and bend in the
delivery of safe nursing care.
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Satisfactory physical strength and endurance to be on
one's feet for extended periods and to move immobile
patients.
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Satisfactory intellectual and emotional functioning to
ensure patient safety and to exercise independent
judgment and discretion in performing assigned tasks.
Academic Performance Policy: A minimum grade of "C" is
required for all courses in the Practical Nursing curriculum.
Students must obtain permission from the program head to continue in the
program under the following conditions: 1) repeating a nursing
course with a grade below "C" or 2) withdrawal from a nursing course.
In accordance with VCCS policy, a student may not normally enroll in the
same course more than twice. Further policies for the program are
listed in the Practical Nursing Student Handbook, which is given
to students upon acceptance to the Practical Nursing Certificate
program.
| Progression through the Program: The college offers
this program in affiliation with the healthcare agencies
and practitioners in the communities the college
serves. The college relies on its community affiliates
to provide clinical education opportunities for its
students, expert clinical preceptors, and course
instructors for many courses. The often rapid changes
in healthcare law, standards of practice, technology,
and content of credentialing examinations increasingly
necessitate sudden changes in the program’s course
content, policies, procedures, and course scheduling. As
a result, the college cannot guarantee every student
continuous and uninterrupted clinical and course
instruction as outlined in the printed catalog
curriculum for this program. Circumstances beyond the
control of the college may necessitate the postponement
of course offerings or changes in the sequencing and/or
location of scheduled courses or clinical assignments. Additionally, the college may have to change the
instructor for courses after instruction has started. |
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Computer Competency
Requirement: All applicants to the Practical Nursing program must either pass the
computer competency exam, administered in the testing centers at each campus,
or successfully complete
ITE 115
or CSC 155
prior to entering
PNE 141.
Students not passing the computer competency exam may retake the exam only
once. Students who do not pass the exam after retaking it once must then
complete
ITE 115 or
CSC 155.
Gainful Employment
Disclosure Information
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