Licensed practical nurses are often overlooked but they have a valuable role in patient care. Using their care, compassion, skills, and intelligence, the health care system can foster a team-oriented approach to address the current shortage of nurses. LPN training programs prepare students for providing bedside care. Their role in this aspect of care will be a lot more critical in face of the push to increase the educational preparation of registered nurses who will eventually move away from bedside nursing. Although the scope of practice of LPNs and RNs may sometimes overlap, their educational preparation and level of responsibility are worlds apart. In spite of this, the focus for both groups of nurses is quality patient care. Licensed practical nurses work under the supervision of a physician or registered nurse to provide bedside care, take vital signs, administer and monitor medications, provide wound care, insert catheters, implement care plans, and provide patient and family education to promote health. In long-term care settings, LPNs may supervise nurse assistants and unlicensed assistive personnel.
Riverside College of Health Careers
The practical nursing program at Riverside College of Health Careers prepares students for a career as a practical nurse. Graduates are eligible to sit the NCLEX-PN to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. The curriculum includes classroom lectures, hands-on skills practice, and a supervised clinical experience in a hospital or other health care facility. The program is offered as a daytime or evening option. The day class is approximately 11 months and meets from Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm. The evening program is 15 months, meeting Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm, and every other weekend on Saturday and Sunday from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm. Applicants must have a high school diploma from an accredited high school or a GED certificate, obtain a satisfactory score on the preadmission entrance test, and provide TOEFL scores if applicable. All students must be able to meet the essential requirements of the program. Proof of US citizenship or immigration documentation is also necessary. Previous health care experience is recommended but not required. Tuition for the program is $17,105 books and supplies cost an additional $850.
- Website: https://www.riversideonline.com/rshc/practical-nursing.cfm
- Address: 316 Main Street, Newport News, VA 23601
- Phone: 757-240-2200
- Fax: 757-240-2225
- NCLEX-PN Pass Rate: 100.0%
East Coast Polytechnic Institute
The practical nursing program at Medical Careers Institute includes a solid classroom curriculum to give students a broad knowledge of nursing principles. Interactive laboratory session and a supervised clinical experience augment the training obtained in the classroom. The school provides a collaborative learning atmosphere to help students develop and apply principles of systematic reasoning. Students acquire the skills and reasoning powers to work competently in acute care settings, long-term care settings, and ambulatory settings. Students must complete 48 semester credit hours (1682 contact hours) to graduate from the program. Areas of study include freshman orientation, anatomy and physiology, foundations of nursing, pharmacology, dosage calculations, medical surgical nursing, acute care nursing, normal life span, and nursing leadership. Students can complete the diploma program in a minimum of 60 weeks but may go up to 90 weeks. Tuition for the program is an estimated $8964.
- Website: https://www.ecpi.edu/programs/practical-nursing-diploma
- Address: 1001 Omni Boulevard #100, Newport News 23606
- Phone: 757-849-0548
- Toll Free: 844-611-0618
- Fax: 757-827-5351
- NCLEX-PN Pass Rate: N/A
Paul D. Camp Community College
The practical nursing certificate program at Paul D Community College is 44 credit hours. Students complete the program in 3-semester and are eligible to take the NCLEX-PN to become a licensed practical nurse. The curriculum covers the nursing and scientific principles that students need to become effective practitioners of care. Academic advising is available for interested students. Applicants must obtain admission to the college, be a high school graduate or equivalent, complete the PDCCC placement tests with satisfactory scores, complete one unit of algebra, general biology, and chemistry with a grade C or better, and take and pass the Kaplan Entrance Exam. Students must be able to meet the physical demands of the profession and complete the health requirements. Students must complete a minimum of 44 credits to earn the certificate. Course topics include human anatomy and physiology, fundamentals of practical nursing, drug dosage calculations, mental health, medical surgical nursing, principles of pharmacology, introduction to psychology, developmental psychology, trends in practical nursing, and maternal and child nursing. Tuition for the program is $6,525. Books and supplies cost an additional $2,766.
- Website: https://www.pdc.edu/explore-camp/health-sciences/cert-practical-nursing-program/
- Address: 271 Kenyon Road, Suffolk, VA 23434
- Phone: 757-569-6700
- Email: info@pdc.edu
- NCLEX-PN Pass Rate: 66.7%
Centura College
The 15-month practical nursing diploma program at Centura College prepares students for a career in the booming healthcare industry. The curriculum covers 48 credit hours of classroom lectures, interactive lab sessions and a supervised clinical experience where students have the opportunity to apply the nursing principles learned in the classroom. Areas of study include anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, basic nursing, pharmacology and math calculations, diet and nutrition, maternal child nursing, stages of maturity, microcomputer applications, medical surgical nursing, pediatric nursing, and mental health concepts. Instructors also cover trends in nursing, management and leadership and a PN capstone. Tuition for the program is $32,512. Books and supplies cost an additional $2,313.
- Website: http://centuracollege.edu/college-programs/health-science/practical-nursing/index.html
- Address: 7020 N Military Hwy, Norfolk, VA 23518
- Phone: (757) 853-2121
- NCLEX-PN Pass Rate: 75.0%