Nursing: Practical, Certificate

Certificate

A practical nursing certificate prepares students to function as beginning licensed practical nurses and members of the health team under the supervision of a registered nurse, physician or dentist in the care of stable individuals with acute and chronic illnesses.

Licensed practical nurses provide basic bedside nursing care and are qualified for employment in structured practice settings, including acute care hospitals, extended care facilities, community settings, nursing homes, clinics and physicians’ offices.

Monroe County Community College’s program offers learning opportunities in the classroom, laboratory setting and clinical setting. The practical nursing program is fully approved through the Michigan Board of Nursing.

Career Opportunities

Upon program completion, students will be prepared and eligible to apply for licensure in the State of Michigan. Students must meet the Michigan Board of Nursing eligibility requirements and successfully pass the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX-PN) in order to become a licensed practical nurse. Students may also be eligible for licensure in other states; students are encouraged to contact a state’s board of nursing for eligibility requirements.
Currently, the greatest employment opportunities for practical nurses are in extended care and community settings. With experience, practical nurses may also function in providing nursing care in specialized areas, including, but not limited to, home health and hospice settings and in charge-nurse and management positions in extended care facilities and nursing homes.

The average salary for licensed practical nurses is $48,820 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020). Practical nursing is an excellent entry-level career choice, and graduates may qualify to complete advanced degrees in nursing with more education.

Continuing Education Information

Upon program completion, students may automatically progress to the PN to RN program option offered by MCCC in the year immediately following program completion. For further information about the MCCC PN to RN option, please visit the PN to RN section of the MCCC website. For information regarding transfer opportunities for this, or any program, please visit the Transfer section of the MCCC website.

Application Process for the 2024 Practical Nursing Class:

The following must be submitted to the Admissions Office by the application deadline to be considered for admission into the program:

1. Evidence of high school graduation (official high school transcripts or GED).
2. Official transcripts from all post-secondary schools must be submitted for evaluation.
3. Submission of the verification/application form by the application deadline.
4. Returning students in good standing with the program will be considered for reenrollment/readmission first. Additional candidates will be accepted according to the criteria below until a class is fully enrolled; up to 24 students per class.

Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the Practical Nursing Program.

Pre-Application Requirements for the 2024 Practical Nursing Class:

1. Applications must be submitted by the first Monday in June of 2023 (or the first Monday in June every year thereafter). The program does not maintain a waiting list; students must apply every year if not accepted.
2. Satisfactory completion of MATH 092 , ENGL 090 , and RDG 090  or qualifying scores on accepted placement test.
3. Cumulative grade point average of 2.7 (on a 4.0 scale) from the most recent academic institution attended.
4. Minimum overall score of 50 on the ATI TEAS Nursing Entrance Exam.

NOTE: Completion of BIOL 257  and BIOL 258  (Anatomy & Physiology I and II) and HLTSC 120  (Pharmacology) are recommended prior to application but not required. HLTSC 110  (Medical Terminology) is encouraged but not required.

Tie-Breaker Criteria for 2024 Practical Nursing Class:

Enrollment in the Practical Nursing Program is limited. If the number of qualified applicants exceeds the numbers of seats available, the following tie breakers will be used in this order:

1. Completion of BIOL 257  (Anatomy & Physiology I) with a “C” or higher*
2. Completion of ENGL 151  (English Composition I) with a “C” or higher*
3. ATI TEAS Science sub-section score
4. County resident over non-county resident
5. Cumulative grade point average from most recent academic institution attended.

Nursing program admission requirements are separate from general admission to the college and are subject to change. To be accepted into the nursing program, a student must meet the requirements in effect for the class and year of admission.

Students interested in automatically progressing into the MCCC PN to RN option upon completion of the Practical Nursing Program will be required to complete PSYCH 151 General Psychology , prior to applying. PSYCH 151 General Psychology  is not a requirement in the PN Program (effective 2024); however, must be completed prior to application to the PN to RN option in order to be eligible for automatic progression.

Other Considerations for Application

Basic personal computer proficiency: Incoming students are expected to demonstrate a minimum proficiency with the use of a personal computer and basic software programs. These minimum proficiencies include:

• The ability to use the internet to find and retrieve information, including: locating an internet site given a URL; navigating between information sources; doing basic searches using a major internet search service, and submitting information via on-line forms.
• The ability to use electronic mail as a form of communication, including: sending an email when given an email address; responding to an email; sending email to a group of individuals, and sending and receiving attachments as part of an email.
• The ability to use a word processing program to create and edit documents, including: creating a new document; editing an existing document; changing the format of text; and changing margins, page orientation, and other elements of page layout.
• The ability to use an operating system, including copying or moving a file to or from removable media; finding files or folders on a local hard drive, and creating a sub-directory (folder).

Students who do not possess these basic proficiency skills prior to entering the program will be unable to meet the course and program student learning outcomes, resulting in course failure and/or program dismissal. Students without these skills or who are uncertain of their level of proficiency are encouraged to take a computer course, such as CIS 130 (Introduction to Computer Information Systems), prior to applying.

General Information

1. Immunizations and health examinations are required at the student’s expense to ensure that the student can meet the technical standards of the program and the requirements of partner clinical agencies.
2. Applicants should be aware that any previous or current conviction of a crime and/or treatment for substance abuse may result in ineligibility to be licensed as a practical nurse. The determination of eligibility to take NCLEX-PN is made by the Michigan State Board of Nursing/Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Any questions or concerns about licensing should be directed to the State Board of Nursing at www.michigan.gov/healthlicense.
3. Students admitted to health science programs must consent to background/security checks including a criminal background check and drug screening. The student is responsible for any cost associated with the background/security/drug screening checks. Certain criminal convictions may render a student ineligible to train at clinical sites which are necessary in order to successfully complete the program. Additionally, certain criminal convictions may render an individual ineligible to take the licensing/certification exam or to be licensed/certified in the State of Michigan or other states. The college will review the results and determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether to deny admission to any individual based on the results of the background check, criminal background check, and drug screening. Despite the passage of the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act in November 2018, the possession of marijuana remains prohibited under United States Federal Law and MCCC policy (6.21). The College and Health Sciences Division prohibits employees, students, and members of the public from possessing or using marijuana (legal or medicinal) on College property or during any College activity. Health occupation students must consent to random drug screening with negative results for marijuana or any illicit substance. Failure to provide a negative drug screen will prevent participation in the program and/or result in program dismissal.
4. Nursing students are required to have professional liability and personal health insurance. The professional liability insurance is provided by the college. Personal health insurance must be obtained by the student and maintained throughout the program in order to comply with clinical agency requirements. Proof of insurance will be required prior to participating in the first clinical activity.
5. Students must maintain for the duration of the program an active American Heart Association cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certificate for professional rescuer of infant, child, and adult. More information will be provided to students at the beginning of the program.
6. Practical nursing at the associate degree level involves the provision of direct care for individuals and families and is characterized by the application of verified knowledge in the skillful performance of nursing functions. Therefore, in order to be considered for admission or to continue in the program, all applicants must be able to meet the health sciences technical standards available in the Nursing, Practical section of the MCCC website. A prospective student or participant in the program with a disability for which accommodations may be appropriate can request reasonable accommodations to meet technical standards. The College will provide appropriate accommodations, but is not required to fundamentally alter the requirements or nature of the program or lower its academic standards. Requests for accommodations should be directed to a disability services counselor in the Student Success Center. To make an appointment, please call 734-384-4167.
7. Students must complete the practical nursing program within two years of initial entry into the program. Failure to meet the time framework will result in program dismissal and require re-application to the program after three years. Additional detail regarding program completion requirements is available in the Student Information Handbook.
8. A student must receive a “C” or better grade in all practical nursing courses. A “C” or better is required in all non-nursing program courses. Failure to meet this requirement may result in the student being dismissed from the practical nursing program. Nursing and required non-nursing courses must be completed in the order outlined in the program’s plan of study. Anatomy and Physiology courses must have been completed within the last 10 years of application to the program.
9. All nursing students utilize internet services and resources to supplement instruction. Students must have reliable internet access. Students enrolled in the nursing program will be required to access and complete online learning activities and take assessments (ie: exams, quizzes, etc.) electronically using an online assessment program called ExamSoft Examplify. Students enrolled in these courses will be required to provide their own computer (with a webcam and microphone) that will support the assessment software. The software can be used on most modern Microsoft Windows-based computers and Mac OS X devices. Information related to minimum system requirements can be located by visiting https://examsoft.com/resources/examplify-minimum-system-requirements. Students are encouraged to check with the Health Sciences Division for a complete list of minimum system requirements.
10. Nursing education offered at MCCC is provided in collaboration with multiple clinical partners located in southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio. As a part of these partnerships, MCCC students and faculty are required to meet and follow the policies and procedures of these clinical partners. Given the number of students in the program, the program must be able to place students at any of the clinical agencies for clinical and observational experiences during the course of the program. Students need to be in good standing with all clinical agencies, both as a student and as a member of the community. Therefore, any condition (i.e. criminal history, positive drug screening, unprofessional/unethical behavior, negative employment history) that prevents a student from being placed in any clinical agency during a semester may jeopardize the student’s ability to meet the course objectives and may lead to course failure and program dismissal.
11. Students will be expected to maintain a flexible schedule for the nursing program. Clinical assignments vary and are subject to change. This may include any day of the week and any shift, including weekends. On days that are not scheduled for class or clinical, students may be expected to view audiovisual material, study in the skills laboratory or participate in other on-campus activities. Usually, these activities are self-scheduled. There may be added classes on other days, but students will receive notice of these in advance.
12. In addition to the general college rules, practical nursing students are required to adhere to policies and procedures outlined in the Practical Nursing Program Student Information Handbook available in the Nursing, Practical section of the MCCC website. Students are encouraged to review the handbook prior to application.
13. In conjunction with requirements set forth by the Michigan Licensing and Regulatory Affairs agency, information related to the student complaint process, career opportunities by state, and licensing requirements by state can be accessed by visiting the following websites: a) Student Complaint Process: See the Consumer Information section of the MCCC website; b) Career opportunities by state: https://bls.gov/; and c) Licensure requirements by state: https://www.ncsbn.org/14730.htm.

Technical Standards

The purpose of the technical standards is to inform students choosing to enter into a health occupation program of the basic minimal technical standard requirements that must be met in order to complete all coursework, objectives and student outcomes. The listed standards encompass what is minimally required to perform necessary tasks. This list is not exhaustive and can be modified as the college deems necessary at any time. Students enrolled in a health occupation program at MCCC must provide care that is safe and effective. These technical standards apply to any student enrolling in any one of the health occupations programs. The student must be able to demonstrate sufficient cognitive, professional, motor (physical), sensory and other abilities, with or without accommodation, to meet program technical standards. Technical standard requirements are listed below. Examples of tasks associated with each requirement and standard are available for review by visiting the Health Sciences Division section of the MCCC website. Prospective students are encouraged to review the Technical Standards for Health Occupational Programs document in its entirety prior to enrolling in or applying to any health occupation course or program. See “General Information” for information regarding accommodations for students with disabilities.

• Critical Thinking and Cognitive Competencies: Sufficient critical thinking and cognitive abilities in classroom and clinical settings.
• Professionalism: Interpersonal skills sufficient for professional interaction with a diverse population of individuals, families and groups.
• Communication: Communication sufficient for professional interactions.
• Mobility: Physical abilities sufficient for movement from room to room and in small spaces.
• Motor Skills: Gross and fine motor abilities which are sufficiently effective and safe for providing allied health care.
• Sensory: Auditory and visual ability sufficient for observing, monitoring and assessing health needs.
• Observation: Ability to sufficiently make observations in a health care environment consistent with program competencies.
• Tactile sense: Tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment.