Practical Nursing Diploma (PN12)
The Practical Nursing diploma program is designed to prepare students to write the NCLEX-PN for licensure as practical nurses. The program prepares graduates to give competent nursing care. This is done through a selected number of academic and occupational courses providing a variety of techniques and materials necessary to assist the student in acquiring the needed knowledge and skills to give competent care. A variety of clinical experiences is planned so that theory and practice are integrated under the guidance of the clinical instructor.
A student must complete the entire program sequentially and pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to become licensed. According to the Georgia Board of LPN rules, as well as other state boards of nursing, a person may be denied the opportunity to take the licensure examination and/or may be denied licensure if the person has been convicted of a felony or any crime violating federal or state controlled substance laws or other grounds as specified by law.
Career Opportunities
Graduates may find employment as licensed practical nurses in hospitals, physicians’ offices, long-term care, rehabilitation therapy, clinics, and HMOs, or in related employment.
Competitive Selection Process
Practical Nursing Preparatory/Core Courses
The Coweta Campus will admit once a year in the fall semester. The Coweta Campus competitive selection deadline will be June 1. The LaGrange Campus will admit once a year in the spring semester. The LaGrange Campus competitive selection deadline will be September 1. The Murphy Campus will admit once a year in the summer semester. The Murphy Campus competitive selection deadline will be February 1. To be eligible for Practical Nursing program selection, the student must complete the following requirements by the applicable deadline.
The student must complete the following courses with a minimum grade of C: ALHS 1011, ALHS 1060 or ALHS 1090, ENGL 1010, MATH 1012, and PSYC 1010.
Practical Nursing Competitive Selection
In addition to completion of the core courses listed above, the Practical Nursing program requires students in competitive selection to complete the Psychological Service Bureau (PSB) Health Occupations Aptitude Examination, Edition 3. Please refer to the Admissions section of this catalog for details of the Competitive Selection Process applicant requirements and scoring method. Additional information is also available on the PN program web page.
Students ranked with the highest overall scores for required course completion and PSB Exam will be selected for program admission.
Practical Nursing Occupational and Clinical Courses
Students selected for admission to the Practical Nursing program will complete the occupational and clinical program courses in a prescribed sequence as a cohort.
Credit Required for Graduation: Minimum of 60 credit hours
Curriculum
Basic Skills Courses
Occupational Courses
COLL 1090: Effective January 2018,
COLL 1090 is required for graduation from this program if the admissions eligibility requirement is met (see Office of Admissions for exclusions). If
COLL 1090 is not required due to a student's ineligibility, any occupational or occupationally related elective approved by the program advisor should be substituted to meet the minimum program credit hour requirement for graduation (see advisor for approval).