Practical Nursing

(1-2 Years)
Practical Nursing, I.T.C., Traditional OptionCertificate
Practical Nursing, I.T.C., Vet to Nurse OptionCertificate
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Program Overview

The Practical Nursing program is designed to prepare graduates with the skills and knowledge to establish a career as a Licensed Practical Nurse and/or articulate to the Associate Degree Registered Nurse course sequence. The Practical Nursing Program provides classroom, laboratory, and student nurse practicum instruction that prepares graduates for entry into practical nursing. Upon successful completion of the practical nursing coursework, students will be awarded an Intermediate Technical Certificate in Practical Nursing and may sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN).

Graduates are prepared to render competent nursing care in a variety of health care settings including hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, physicians’ offices, home health agencies, and health centers.

Immediately upon deciding to pursue this major, please contact the Student Services department in the College of Technology at (208) 282-2622.

Program Options

Students applying for the Practical Nursing Program may choose from two options:

A)  Traditional Practical Nursing option

The traditional Practical Nursing option is well-suited to the student who wishes to complete a certificate program within 3-4 semesters. The traditional option provides learning opportunities for students in a variety of clinical and classroom settings in order to prepare students to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN). Students in this option take one semester of prerequisite courses followed by three semesters of practical nursing courses. Graduates of this program who are Licensed Practical Nurses are eligible to apply to the Associate Degree Registered Nursing (ADRN) program.

B)  Veteran to Nurse Option

This option provides veterans with previous military health experience the opportunity to utilize course and service related training after evaluation by qualified faculty. Students in this option take one semester of prerequisite courses followed by a variable number of semesters of practical nursing courses as determined by previous military healthcare experience. The veteran to nurse option provides learning opportunities for students in a variety of clinical and classroom settings in order to prepare students to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN). Graduates of this program who are licensed practical nurses are eligible to apply to the ADRN program.

Program Admission Requirements

Students are admitted to the Traditional Practical Nursing program option once per year using a competitive application process. Upon completion or near-completion of prerequisites, submit a program application and application fee to Student Services, College of Technology, (208) 282-2622. Once an application is submitted and complete and eligibility verified, the student will take a nationally-normed program entrance examination. The exam score is combined with cumulative post-secondary GPA and years of experience as a CNA to rank-order applicants for each admission class.

Students are admitted to the Veteran to Nurse program option twice a year, Fall and Spring semesters.

The following criteria must be met prior to final admission into the Practical Nursing program:

A)  Traditional Practical Nursing option

  1. All students must first be admitted to the university. For information on university admission, contact the College of Technology Student Services office at (208) 282-2622.
  2. Current Certified Nursing Assistant card.
  3. Completion of the following prerequisite courses, or equivalents, with a grade of “C” or better: HO 1111, or BIOL 2227/BIOL 2227L and BIOL 2228/BIOL 2228L or BIOL 3301/BIOL 3301L and BIOL 3302/BIOL 3302L and ENGL 1101 and LLIB 1115.
  4. On-line Dosage Calculation Math Course from Workforce Training: https://cetrain.isu.edu/enrollment/course/medication-math/#description.
  5. Current CPR certification (AHA or American Red Cross only).
  6. Cumulative GPA of 2.0.
  7. Proof of current immunization and verified good health status per program policy upon conditional acceptance into the program.
  8. Background check and drug screening per department policy upon conditional acceptance into the program.

B)  Veteran to Nurse

  1. All students must first be admitted to the university. For information on university admission, contact the College of Technology Student Services office at (208) 282-2622.
  2. Prior Military Health Care Service (individual evaluation by a qualified faculty or counselor).
  3. Completion of the following prerequisite courses, or equivalents, with a grade of “C” or better: HO 1111, or BIOL 2227/BIOL 2227L AND BIOL 2228/BIOL 2228L OR  BIOL 3301/BIOL 3301L and BIOL 3302/BIOL 3302L and ENGL 1101 and LLIB 1115. Options exist for transfer credit or testing. Please consult with Student Services at (208) 282-2622.
  4. Current CPR certification (AHA or American Red Cross only).
  5. Proof of current immunization and verified good health status per program policy upon conditional acceptance into the program.
  6. Background check and drug screening per department policy upon conditional acceptance into the program.

Learning outcomes for the Veteran to Nurse program can be evidenced in any of the following five ways:

  1. Credit through equivalent military service and coursework as documented on military educational transcripts;
  2. Credit through experiential learning assessment (this requires the creation of a portfolio by the student);
  3. Credit by challenge examination (limited to 24 credits maximum);
  4. Transfer credit for equivalent transcripted coursework earned at a regionally accredited institution of higher education; and
  5. Credit from formal coursework earned in the ISU Practical Nursing program by completing modules of instruction that address deficiencies between the military experience of a specific veteran and the desired learning outcomes of the program.  

Credit for prior learning is limited to a maximum of 50 percent of the total credits of the certificate, with differential limits being assigned to the various types of prior learning. A minimum of 16 resident credit hours must be completed at ISU. Please note “When the credit awarded is dependent upon evaluation by Idaho State University faculty, such as Experiential Learning Assessment or Challenge Examination, credit will be counted as resident credit.” [ISU Undergraduate Catalog: Alternative Credit Opportunities]

For a Program Information Packet showing descriptions of each option, course descriptions, lists of course sequences, and the cost of books, tools, uniforms, fees, and other expenses, go online to https://www.isu.edu/practicalnursing/.

Each course must be completed with a C or better before the student can progress in the program.

Faculty

PNUR Courses