Purpose: The Practical Nursing Certificate program, a cooperative program with Richmond Public Schools, is designed to prepare a nurse who participates as an integral member of the nursing or health care team, who participates in health promotion and maintenance activities for the client, and who 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:
The Virginia Board of Nursing has the authority to deny licensure to any
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 any 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. To be admitted to this program, students must have a high school diploma, GED, or certificate of completion of home schooling. This program has limited space in clinical courses. Students admitted into the program will complete general requirements, including those listed below, then be placed on a waiting list for
clinical courses. The program head will notify students on the waiting list as space becomes available. Priority on the waiting list will be assigned on the basis of the date of completed requirements. Admitted Practical Nurse students will be placed on a waiting list for entry into major/clinical courses (PNE 141 and higher) when they have satisfied the following requirements: 1. | Completion of all JSRCC developmental course work prescribed as a result of JSRCC placement tests in reading, writing, and math (ENG 04,
ENG 107, ENG 01, MTH 02) |
2. |
Completion of the NET Pre-Admission Exam with a composite score in
the 50th percentile or higher and a verbal score in the
40th percentile or higher. Students who do not achieve a
composite score of 50 or above and a verbal score of at least 40 on the NET Exam will be required to
complete specific remedial
courses with a grade of "C" or better. Upon completing the
prescribed remedial courses, the student must retake the NET Exam to achieve an acceptable
score on the second attempt to qualify for the program. |
Students seeking to transfer college-level courses included in this program completed at another institution must request that an official transcript be sent to the Central Admissions and Records Office. When the course contains equivalent content and credit, the course may transfer to satisfy a program requirement.
Students must achieve a grade of "C" or better and must have at least a
cumulative GPA of 2.5 in all courses taken within the Practical Nursing
curriculum in order to enter PNE 141. The 2.5 GPA requirement
becomes effective for students placed on the waiting list beginning
January 1, 2007.
Upon granting approval for entry into PNE 141, the program head will give the students forms for physical and dental 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/dental forms must be submitted in complete form at least two weeks prior to the beginning of PNE 141. Students on the waiting list for admission are strongly encouraged to enroll in support courses as indicated in the curriculum plan. To remain in good standing on the waiting list, students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0.
A minimum grade of “C” is
required in all courses in the Practical Nursing Curriculum. The
student must obtain permission from the program head to continue in the
Practical Nursing 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. The
handbook is given to all students in the orientation to PNE 141.
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. CPR Requirement: All applicants to the Practical Nursing program must obtain CPR certification by the American Heart Association at the BLS level or the American Red Cross at the "CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer" level prior to entering PNE 141. | 
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