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/plan_info.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. 

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.

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.  The application can be submitted after 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 two courses that must be completed prior to beginning the Practical Nursing Certificate program: ENG 111 and NAS 150 (or NAS 161 and 162 in lieu of NAS 150).

2.  All applicants must also successfully complete the NET Pre-Admission Exam.  (Four-year college graduates are exempt from this requirement.)  Students who do not achieve a reading/verbal score of 55 or above and a math score of 57 or above on the NET 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 NET Exam to achieve an acceptable score on the second attempt to qualify for the program.

3.  Students must achieve a grade of "C" 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.  All applicants must obtain CPR certification by the America Heart Association at the BLS level prior to beginning the first course in the Practical Nursing program. 

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.

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 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 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 Requirement.  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:

a)  Sufficient eyesight to observe patients, read records, manipulate equipment, and visually monitor patients in dim light.

b)  Sufficient hearing to communicate with patients an members of a health care delivery team,  monitor patients using electronic equipment, and hear necessary sounds during operation of equipment.

c)  Satisfactory speaking, reading, and writing skills to effectively communicate in English in a timely manner.

d)  Sufficient gross and fine motor coordination to manipulate equipment, lift, stoop, or bend in the delivery of safe nursing care.

e)  Satisfactory physical strength and endurance to be on one's feet for extended periods and to move immobile patients.

f)  Satisfactory intellectual and emotional function 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.

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.