Practical Nursing Certificate (PN21) Certificate
Campus Availability and Advisement:
- Floyd and Walker County Campuses
Students are assigned advisors based on the first letter of the student's last name:
Program Video
Program Description
The Practical Nursing program is designed to prepare students to write the NCLEX-PN for licensure as practical nurses. The program prepares graduates to give competent nursing care. This is done through a selected number of occupational courses providing a variety of techniques and materials necessary to assist the student in acquiring the needed knowledge and skills to give competent care. The nursing program covers all theoretical content areas outlined in Georgia Board Rule 410-9-06( 5a & 5b). A variety of clinical experiences is planned so that theory and practice are integrated under the guidance of the clinical instructor. Program graduates receive a practical nursing certificate and have the qualifications of an entry-level practical nurse. The PN21 program is a certificate program to be implemented with new cohorts of students beginning Fall 2024 and beyond. Students most commonly will have to submit a satisfactory criminal background check as well as a drug screen to be placed in a clinical health care facility to complete the clinical rotations of their educational training.
The Practical Nursing Program at Georgia Northwestern Technical College is accredited by the:
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 975-5000
The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the Practical Nursing Program is Initial Accreditation.
View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding this program at
http://www.acenursing.us/accreditedprograms/programSearch.htm
Entrance Dates:
Students may enter any semester for pre-occupational curriculum.
Entrance is the spring and fall semesters for the occupational curriculum
Entrance Age Requirements:
| Age: |
17 years old for entrance into pre-occupational curriculum |
|
18 years old for entrance into Nursing and Allied Health Technology programs |
For additional entrance requirements see guidelines below.
Required Courses (49 Credit Hours)
Total Credit Hours: 49 Minimum Credit Hours for Graduation
Practical Nursing Guidelines
Selection Process:
Students who wish to complete PN21 will need to complete the following steps to be considered during the selection process.
- Meet all GNTC admission requirements
- 18 or more years of age
- Complete the Eligibility Request Form
- Complete the HESI Pre-Admission Exam
- Students will be ranked based on the selection criteria above and the cohort selected
- Notification will be sent to the selected cohort
- Mandatory Program Orientation
- Completion of all required documentation by the established deadlines
- Students may not defer admission, those who wish to wait will need to follow the selection process
Retention Policies:
- Students must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher in each course to progress to the next semester of the nursing program.
- In all nursing courses, students must maintain a 75% unit test average.
- Meet minimum requirements for the drug calculation exam as established in the course syllabus and program handbook
- Maintain exam average of 75% or better for all nursing courses
- Meet minimum requirements for clinicals as established in the course syllabus and program handbook
- Maintain CPR and First Aide American Heart Certification for the duration of the program
- Maintain Liability Insurance for the duration of the program
Readmission Policies:
- All admission requirements must be met for readmission
- No misconduct on record (student discipline or academic)
- Maximum of 2 attempts for program completion are allowed resulting in one (1) readmission opportunity
- Submit readmission application to be considered for the selection process
- Students must return to the program within one (1) academic year of unsuccessful completion of a nursing course.
- Students may not defer if accepted for re-admission
- After 2 unsuccessful attempts, faculty will assist the student in selecting another career pathway
Program Final Exit Point:
Graduates from the Practical Nursing program are eligible to take the NCLEX-PN Exam for Georgia State Board to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN).
Graduation Requirements
All courses in the nursing curriculum must be completed in order to graduate. Only students who have completed required course work and are eligible to receive their certificate are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-PN.