Practical Nursing, O.C.

(1,350 clock hours) (45 occupational credits)

The Practical Nursing (PN) program is a 12-month occupational certificate program.  Upon completion of this occupational certificate program, graduates are eligible to take the national council licensure examination (NCLEX-PN exam) to become a licensed practical nurse.  The graduate can then seek employment in settings such as a hospital, physician’s office, home health care, corrections, or long-term case. 

The Practical Nursing Program at FGC is approved by the Florida Board of Nursing, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin C02, Tallahassee, FL 32399-3252; 850-245-4125.

PN Program Learning Outcomes:

1. Students will demonstrate the ability to provide personal patient care.
2. Students will demonstrate the ability to perform nursing procedures.
3. Students will demonstrate the ability to apply principles of infection control.
4. Students will demonstrate the ability to administer medications.

Students seeking admission to the PN program must:

• be 18 years of age prior to the start of the program;
• submit a Florida Gateway College admission application to the Office of Enrollment Services;
• have an official high school transcript, GED, or documentation of Home Schooling, and any transcripts from colleges other than FGC sent to FGC’s Office of Enrollment Services;
• submit a copy of the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) scores.  If you do not reach the required benchmark before admission to the Practical Nursing program, the applicant must obtain the required benchmark before graduating from the Practical Nursing Program.

To be considered for admission, the applicant must submit the following to the PN program by the established deadline stated on the College’s Website:

• PN supplemental application;
• an unofficial copy of transcripts from colleges attended, including FGC;
• Proof of obtaining the required proficiency score on the nursing entrance exam (TEAS) with a score of 58.7% or higher; Note: This exam is available through the FGC Testing Center and must be completed within the past two years. 

Applicants are responsible to provide all the required documentation to be considered for admission to the Practical Nursing program.  Note: applicants are encouraged to make copies of all documentation for their personal records.

Applicants may be randomly selected for an interview before final acceptance to the PN program.  If selected for an interview, applicants must come to the interview in professional attire and be prepared to write a two (2) paragraph reflection paper related to an assigned topic in nursing. 

Additional admission information may be found in the PN Admission Packet on the College Website at www.fgc.edu.  Florida Gateway College reserves the right to make changes to admission criteria and program information as circumstances require in the continuing development of the program.

Applicants meeting the above criteria are not guaranteed admission to the Practical Nursing program.  Admission is competitive and there is a limited admission capacity to this program.  Applicants should not assume admission until officially notified in writing by the Nursing and Health Sciences Department. 

To meet clinical agency requirements for clinical experience, all students in the Nursing and Health Sciences programs must meet state and federal regulations as descripted by Florida Statutes S. 400.211.  A Level II background check and drug/alcohol screening are required. Further instructions regarding the background and 10 panel drug/alcohol screen are provided during the first week of the program.  Please note that random screenings may be required while in the program.  Students are responsible for the cost of all screening done for admission and randomly during the program.

All students who graduate from the Practical Nursing program and wish to take the licensed practical nurse NCLEX-PN exam in Florida will have to complete the licensure and screening process for the Florida Board of Nursing, irrespective of screenings completed for this program.

Program Readmission:

A student who enrolls in a practical nursing course and withdraws or is unsuccessful in the course may be considered for readmission to the program pending a successful completion of an interview and other readmission requirements.  Note: readmission policy and guidelines are outlined in the Nursing Student Handbook accessible to students in the program.

The 45 occupational credits of practical nursing courses are to be completed in the following sequence to progress in the practical nursing program.  Note: all practical nursing courses must be completed with a minimum grade of “C” to successfully progress through the practical nursing program.

Practical Nursing Total: 1,350 clock hours, 45 occupational credits

Program Notes:

• Class and clinical hours will vary each term.
• All practical nursing students are advised by a nurse faculty who will help them develop their class schedules and approve all course exemptions, alternatives, or substitutions.
• Course calendars may vary from the College calendar due to availability of clinical sites.  The student will be assigned to multiple clinical facilities with day, evening, weekday, and weekend rotations during the practical nursing program.
• Standardized tests and participation in a remediation program are mandatory requirements for all students.
• Additional costs are required when admitted to this program, including costs of uniforms, clinic shoes, liability insurance, health insurance, medical exam, e-products and standardized testing, graduation costs, immunizations, Level II background check and 10 panel drug/alcohol screening, clinical placement fees, books, NCLEX-PN exam, and licensing fees.
• Students are required to submit proof of current CPR certification [Basic Life Support Provider for American Heart Association (AHA) or Professional Rescuer for American Red Cross (ARC)] prior to participation in hands-on clinical rotations.  Students must maintain current CPR certification throughout the nursing program.
• Note: the student must take the TABE (Math, Reading, and Language) within the first 6 weeks of enrollment and obtain the required scores for the Nursing program.  The student must pass all three (3) assessed subjects before completing the program.