Practical Nursing - Certificate
The licensed practical nurse certificate program is designed for students whose primary goal is practical nursing. The program prepares students for careers in long term care facilities, clinics, home care, physicians' offices, and some hospitals. The program focuses on preparing individuals to assist in providing general nursing care under the direction of a registered nurse, physician, or dentist. Graduates of the program receive a certificate in practical nursing and are eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (PN NCLEX®).
The practical nursing program is a one year program; semester one is for pre-requisites, semesters two and three are full-time practical nursing courses.
The program’s competitive admission process utilizes scores from a preadmission assessment examination. Students must have completed requirements for Practical Nursing Program admission. (However, students may be currently enrolled in some prerequisite courses if they will be satisfactorily completed prior to program start.)
Front Range Community College Larimer Campus’ Practical Nursing program has interim approval by the Colorado Board of Nursing and is eligible for the candidacy process with the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc., 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326 www.acenursing.org. The Front Range Community College Larimer Campus Practical Nursing Program is NOT accredited by a National Nursing Accreditation agency. Attendance at a non-accredited nursing school may make you ineligible to attend an accredited nursing school in pursuit of additional education.
Admission Process for Practical Nursing Certificate
Students should consult with a Health Science Pathways Advisor before applying to the program.
Applications are accepted spring semester for admission to the following fall semester. Check with the nursing department for the specific date of the application period. The Larimer Campus Practical Nursing program requires the HESI A-2 nurse entrance exam with a minimum cumulative score of 60%. Subject areas are Reading Comprehension, Math, Biology, and Chemistry. Students may obtain up-to-date information on the admission process at a nursing information session. Larimer sessions are held the second Monday of each month at 5:00 pm in room BP126 or contact by e-mail at lccnursing@frontrange.edu.
Students accepted into the Practical Nursing program will be required to complete and pass the following requirements:
1. Online background check and drug screening within 90 days prior to program admission. See http://cccs.castlebranch.com (under FRCC) for a list of criminal offenses appearing on a criminal background check that will disqualify an applicant for admission to a CCCS nursing program.
2. Meet the same health and safety requirements as the participating clinical facilities require of their own staff. Additional screening may be required for some clinical agencies. The expenses of these requirements are additional costs to the student.
3. Health summary with documented immunization records.
4. Current CPR Certification - Completion of the American Heart Association Health Care Provider course and receive a two-year recommended renewal date. The recommended renewal date must remain current throughout the nursing program.
5. Ability to sufficiently speak and understand English and to comprehend verbal communication of English speaking clients and healthcare team members.
6. Ability to meet physical and cognitive technical standards described in nursing program policies.
Prerequisite courses must be completed with a Grade of "C" or better prior to the student being placed in the practical nursing courses.
• BIO 106* Basic Anatomy and Physiology (or students may choose both BIO 201* Human Anatomy and Physiology I and BIO 202* Human Anatomy and Physiology II). Note: *Must be completed within seven years prior to entry into the nursing program.
• ENG 121 English Composition I
Prerequisites may be taken at any FRCC campus.
If a student is transferring prerequisite courses from another college, the courses must be evaluated by the Registrar's Office at the FRCC campus the student plans to attend.
Only one re-entry to the Practical Nursing program is provided after receiving a "D," "F," "U" or "W" grade in a required NUR course. In order to graduate from this program, students must earn a grade of "C" or above in all courses required for the certificate.
Requirements
Required Practical Nursing Courses
| NUR 101 | Pharmacology Calculations | 1 |
| NUR 102 | Alterations in Adult Health I | 4 |
| NUR 103 | Basic Health Assessment for the Practical Nurse | 1 |
| NUR 104 | Alterations in Adult Health II | 5 |
| NUR 105 | Practical Nursing Arts and Skills | 6 |
| NUR 110 | Pharmacology for Practical Nursing | 3 |
| NUR 111 | Advancement into Practical Nursing | 1 |
| NUR 113 | Basic Concepts of Maternal-Newborn Nursing | 2 |
| NUR 114 | Basic Concepts of Pediatric Nursing | 2 |
| NUR 115 | Basic Concepts of Mental Health Nursing | 1 |
| NUR 116 | Basic Concepts of Geriatric Nursing | 1 |
| NUR 170 | Clinical I | 3 |
| NUR 171 | Clinical II | 2 |
| NUR 172 | Clinical III | 1 |
| NUR 173 | Clinical IV | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 36 |
Required General Education Courses
| BIO 106 | Basic Anatomy and Physiology | 4 |
| | or | |
| BIO 201 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab | 4 |
| | and | |
| BIO 202 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab | 4 |
| | | |
| ENG 121 | English Composition I | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 7 |
Total Credit Hours: 43
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