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Practical Nursing

Department Information

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Contact:
Phone: 1-866-753-4544
Phone: 334-420-4200

Programs & Training

The Practical Nursing is designed to provide students with the knowledge and proficiencies to provide safe and effective bedside nursing care within the scope of practice of licensed practical nurses. Students are instructed in the provision of nursing care for clients through the lifespan. Clinical experiences are provided at area hospitals and healthcare agencies in adult health, maternal health, child health, orthopedics, geriatrics, psychiatric and other areas of nursing practice.

The Practical Nursing Certificate is open to men and women; few careers match the versatility, satisfaction, and longevity afforded by a nursing career. Students who have satisfactorily completed the program may apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nursing (NCLEX-PN). The Practical Nursing Certificate is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and approved by the Alabama Board of Nursing. The PN Certificate has a competitive admissions process.

  • Official score on ACT National or Residual with a minimum composite score of 18OR a minimum score of 58 on the TEAS test is the minimum requirement for application to the nursing program. The ACT composite score has no time limit. The TEAS test score must be 3 years or less from the application deadline date. ACT Superscores are not accepted by the Nursing program.
  • All pre-requisite courses must be completed prior to the established deadline. The completed pre-requisite courses must be on the applicant’s transcript(s). Applicants must provide the program with copies of all transcripts and must provide the Admissions Office with official transcripts.
  • All math (MTH) and science (BIO) pre-requisite courses must be taken within 5 years of application to the Nursing program.
  • All pre-requisite courses, other minimum requirements for application, and additional information can be found on the Nursing Program webpages. All applicants must be unconditionally accepted by TSCC prior to applying to the Nursing program. Please be advised that there is a separate application and application process for the Nursing programs at TSCC.

Goals

  • To prepare competent, entry-level practical nurses in cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning disciplines.
  • To develop graduates who will successfully meet the entry-level expectations of diverse employers in the field of practical nursing.
  • To provide students with the support and materials needed to succeed in the fields of practical nursing.
  • To graduate students with the ability to demonstrate the knowledge base needed to succeed in the fields of practical nursing.
  • To graduate students with the ability to demonstrate the clinical proficiency needed to succeed in the fields of practical nursing.
  • To graduate students with the ability to demonstrate the appropriate behavioral skills needed to succeed in the fields of practical nursing.
  • To provide employers with a pool of qualified, highly-skilled healthcare workers who are capable of executing a variety of tasks in the fields of practical nursing.

Outcomes

  • Performance on Licensure Exam

    The most recent annual licensure examination pass rate will be at least 80% for all first-time test-takers during the same 12-month period.

  • Completion

    Each program will determine completion rate based on the program demographics. Program completion is defined as the percentage of students admitted who graduate in no more than 150% of the time of the stated program length beginning with the first required nursing course as delineated below:

    PN Certificate – three semesters

  • Job Placement

    Each program will determine the job placement rate based on the program’s demographics. Job Placement is defined as the Percentage of graduates employed in a position for which a nursing program prepared them.

  • Graduate and Employer Surveys

    Graduate and employer surveys are not mandated. Programs may continue to use the surveys as additional tools for assessing and evaluating outcomes.

    Reference: ACCS Nursing Concept Based Curriculum Program Guide, May 19, 2018

Our Mission

Nursing Mission Statement

The mission of the nursing programs of the Alabama Community College System is to prepare graduates to practice safe, competent, patient-centered care in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing health care system. We seek to provide full and equal access to opportunities for educational success to meet the community’s needs.

Nursing Philosophy

We believe that nursing is a dynamic profession, blending science with the use of evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning and the art of caring and compassion to provide quality, patient-centered cared.

We believe learning is an interactive process in which faculty and students share the responsibility to meet program outcomes. We believe in using educational methods that are current and supportive of students in the teaching and learning environment, with the presentation of information from simple to complex.

Nursing is guided by standards of practice and standards of professional performance. Standards reflect the values and priorities of the nursing profession. Therefore, we have integrated competencies from the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) and National League for Nursing (NLN) into our philosophy as part of our core values.

Competencies

NLN competencies for nursing are central to the conceptual framework. The related QSEN competencies for graduate nurses define the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that the graduate nurse should possess to continuously improve the quality and safety of the healthcare systems within which they work. (QSEN)

Human Flourishing – Advocate for patients and families in ways that promote their self-determination, integrity, and ongoing growth as human beings. (NLN def)

  • Patient-Centered Care – Recognize the patient or designee as the source of control and full partner in providing compassionate and coordinated care based on respect for patient’s preferences, values, and needs. (QSEN def)

Nursing Judgment – Make judgments in practice, substantiated with evidence, that integrate nursing science in the provision of safe, quality care and that promote the health of patient within the family and community context. (NLN def)

  • Safety – Minimizes risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance. (QSEN def)
  • Informatics – Use information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision making. (QSEN def)

Professional Identity – Implement one’s role as a nurse in ways that reflect integrity, responsibility, ethical practices, and an evolving identity as a nurse committed to evidence-based practice, caring, advocacy, and safe, quality care for diverse patients within a family and community context. (NLN def)

Teamwork and Collaboration – Function effectively within nursing and inter-professional teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making to achieve quality patient care. (QSEN def)

Spirit of Inquiry – Examine the evidence that underlies clinical nursing practice to challenge the status quo, questions underlying assumptions, and offer new insights to improve the quality of care for patients, families, and communities. (NLN def)

Evidence-based Practice – Integrate best current evidence with clinical expertise and patient/family preferences and values for delivery of optimal health care. (QSEN def)

Quality Improvement – Use data to monitor the outcomes of care processes and use improvement methods to design and test changes to continuously improve the quality and safety of health care systems. (QSEN def)

Admission Criteria

Applicants should complete and submit a Practical Nursing Program Application and request for official college and high school transcripts sent directly to the College’s Admission Office.

Minimum admission standards include:

  1. Unconditional admission to the college (must complete college application).
  2. Receipt of a completed application for the nursing program by the established deadline for admission.
  3. Minimum of 2.50 cumulative GPA for required academic core courses
  4. Minimum of 2.50 high school GPA for students without prior college work (GED acceptable in lieu of high school transcript).
  5. Math and Science courses must be within a 5-year time frame of application to the nursing program for eligibility requirements.
  6. Good standing with college, including a minimum overall cumulative GPA of 2.50.
  7. Meeting the essential functions.
  8. Official results of the ACT (a minimum of an 18 composite score is required) must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office with a copy attached to the nursing program application. The writing component of the ACT is not required for consideration of admission to the nursing program.
  9. Transfer students must be in good standing from transferring institution with letter from Program Director and a minimum of 2.50 cumulative GPA with nursing courses no more than one year from date of application. Transfer students must meet TSCC’s current Nursing program acceptance requirements and will be required to demonstrate competence and skills. Acceptance of transfer students into the program is not guaranteed.
Nursing Program Selection Criteria
  1. Points for grades in the following nursing-required core general educational courses are as documented:
    • A = 3 points, B = 2 points, C = 1 point
    • ENG-101 English Composition
    • MTH-100 Intermediate College Algebra
    • BIO-201 Anatomy & Physiology I  (BIO 103 is a pre-requisite for this course)
    • BIO-202 Anatomy & Physiology II
    • ORI-101 College Orientation (must be taken at TSCC)

  1. An additional 10 points may be awarded as determined by the individual college policy and procedure.
  2. A minimum 2.50 GPA is required in the core general educational courses for the nursing program. Not all courses may have been completed at the time of admission to the nursing program; however, students may experience less conflict in scheduling classes if general education classes are completed prior to entering the professional phase of study. Core general educational courses taken in high school as dual enrollment will be used in GPA calculation.
  3. Practical Nursing general education courses:
    • ENG-101 English Composition I
    • MTH-100 Intermediate College Algebra (or higher-level math – Pre-Cal, Finite Math)
    • BIO-201/202 Anatomy & Physiology I & II
    • PSY-210 Human Growth & Development
    • SPH-106 or 107 Fundamentals of Oral Communication or Public Speaking

  1. Minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA at the current native institution or cumulative 2.50 GPA at the institution from which the student is transferring.
  2. Official ACT (minimum requirement of a composite score of 18 points) OR minimum score of 58 on the TEAS test. The TEAS test must be taken with 3 years of application to the program.
  3. Minimum 2.50 cumulative high school GPA for students without prior college courses (GED as applicable).
  4. Meeting the essential functions of nursing.

Students in the Practical Nursing Program must meet the following requirements, which will be completed at the student’s expense prior to and throughout enrollment in the program inclusive of:

  1. Alabama Community College System Essential Functions
  2. Verification of physical and mental capabilities to function as a nurse in diverse settings with or without reasonable accommodations,
  3. Absence of use of drugs and alcohol by participation in random and scheduled drug/alcohol testing at the student’s expense,
  4. Adherence to policies of affiliated clinical agencies by submitting criminal background check and CPR certification prior to enrollment

Admission to the Practical Nursing Program is competitive, and the number of students is limited by the number of faculty and clinical facilities available. Meeting minimal requirements does not guarantee acceptance. If the number of eligible applicants exceeds the space available to new enrollees, applicants are ranked using a point system based on the following:

  1. ACT score of 18 or higher OR 58 or higher on the TEAS test
  2. Points for selected college courses (i.e., ENG-101, MTH-100, BIO-201 & 202, PSY-210, SPH-106, or 107).
  3. Students may be awarded up to 10 additional points as determined by college policy and procedures.

The Practical Nursing Admissions/Selection Committee will review and calculate points for students meeting minimum admissions standards after receiving GPA calculations from the Registrar.

This process may take 4-6 weeks after each deadline before applicants receive notification of acceptance. Calls to the department will slow the process.

Transfer Policy

The transfer policy applies only to students desiring to transfer between Alabama Community College System institutions. It does not apply to students wishing to transfer from other institutions. Questions regarding this policy should be directed to the nursing program director. Acceptance of transfer students into the program at TSCC is not guaranteed.

Curriculum

Practical Nursing Certificate

The Practical Nursing Certificate consists of three (3) sequential semesters

First Semester Theory Lab Clinic Hours
NUR112 – Fundamentals Concepts of Nursing
4
2
1
7
ORI101 – College Orientation
1
1
Total Hours:
8

Second Semester

Second Semester Theory Lab Clinic Hours
NUR113 – Nursing Concepts I
4
1
3
8
Total Hours:
8

Third Semester

Third Semester Theory Lab Clinic Hours
NUR114 – Nursing Concepts II
5
3
8
NUR115 – Evidence based Clinical Reasoning
1
2
Total Hours:
10

Total Semester Hours = 26

The curriculum is designed to provide students with current nursing education and practice emphasizing evidenced-based practice utilizing the standards from Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) and the National League of Nursing (NLN). At the completion, the graduate may be eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nursing (NCLEX-PN).

Frequently Asked Questions

Tuition & Fee Schedule

You can find tuition rates on our Tuition & Fee schedule

Important Dates

Refer to the College Calendar for all important dates.

ACCUPLACER Testing

The answer is yes, unless you qualify for exemption.

Full FAQ

Still have more questions? Please view our full FAQS page 

More Information

Student Achievement Data

  • NCLEX Pass Rate: 2023 = 82.35%
  • Completion Rate: 2023 = 43%
  • Job Placement Rate: 2023 = 100%

Contact Us

Program Contact

Debra Lett, PhD, MSN, MPA, RN
Director of Nursing Programs
334-420-4497
dlett@trenholmstate.edu

 

Accredited By:

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850
Atlanta, Georgia 30326
404-975-5000

 

Approved by:

Alabama Board of Nursing
770 Washington Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36104
334-293-5200

 

Location

Trenholm Campus
1225 Air Base Blvd,
Montgomery, AL 36108
Detailed Directions