The Practical Nursing (PN) Program is designed to prepare students to become Licensed Practical Nurses. Students spend the first part of the program building the foundations of nursing care in the classroom and laboratory setting. As the program progresses, it provides clinical learning experiences under the direct supervision of qualified instructors. At the end of the program, the curriculum begins to focus on the profession of nursing and preparing the student for the licensing process. Graduates of the Practical Nursing Program are eligible to apply to write the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for Practical Nurses. The student must pass the NCLEX PN to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN). 

The Practical Nursing program is accredited by Louisiana State Board Practical Nursing Examiners (LSBPNE).

A practical nurse cares for the sick, participates in the prevention of illness, and assists in the rehabilitation of patients. A licensed practical nurse must practice under the direction of one of the following: licensed physician, optometrist, dentist, psychologist, registered nurse or licensed independent practitioner. Licensed Practical Nurses find employment in hospitals, nursing homes, physicians’ offices, community healthcare agencies, schools, outpatient clinics, and other healthcare facilities.

The Nunez Community College Practical Nursing program is a limited and competitive admission program. The number of qualified applicants may exceed the number of positions in a class. Individuals who are not selected into the class for which they apply will be given the opportunity to be considered for the next scheduled class by written request only. Applicants to the Practical Nursing Program must be registered students at Nunez Community College and meet all admission requirements of the College before applying to the nursing program. To register with the College, please contact the Admissions Office at (504) 278-6467 for further information or visit http://www.nunez.edu/admissions.

Applications for the Spring PN entry will be accepted August 1st through October 31st. Priority consideration will be given to those who apply by September 1st. Applications for the Fall PN entry will be accepted from March 1st through May 31st. Priority consideration will be given to those who apply by April 1st. If the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, applications will be accepted before the close of the next business day.

Requirements for Application:

• High school diploma, GED, or HiSET. (High School seniors may apply in the spring of their senior year for the August PN program. Call office (504) 278-6390 for more information)
• Registered student at Nunez Community College
• Acceptable placement exam scores from one of the listed placement exams

  Exam Scores

  Exam	Math	Reading	Language
  ACT	18	20	17
  ACCUPLACER- NEXT GEN.	243 (QAS)	250	241 (Writing)

   
• Completion of MATH 1300 (College Algebra) or MATH 1200 (Survey of Mathematical Concepts) or a higher-level math with a  "C" or better may substitute for Math placement scores.
• Completion of ENGL 1010 (English Composition I) or a higher level of English with a "C" or better may substitute for Reading/Language placement scores.
• **Potential nursing students must take the ACCUPLACER Next-Gen or ACT entrance exam to apply to the nursing program. Scores must be within three (3) years of application to the nursing program. Students may retake the ACCUPLACER- Next Gen. with a minimum 1 week waiting period between each retest. The student can retest two times only (total of 3 attempts to meet scores). After 3rd attempt, the student must enroll in preparation courses as applicable. After passing the preparation course, you will have a maximum of 1 attempt to reach the minimum score for the admission requirements. Only Mary Fernandez, Dean of Nursing and Allied Health, can approve additional testing beyond the maximum of 4 attempts for entry purposes. Please visit the Placement and Placement Test website or email testing@nunez.edu for information regarding ACCUPLACER- Next Gen. testing. U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. Copy of permanent resident card will be required.
• Completion of BIOL 1010- Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) and BIOL 1500- Nutrition and Diet Therapy with a “B” or better within 3 years of applying to practical nursing program **Completion of both BIOL 2300 (A&P I) and BIOL (A&P II) may be substituted for BIOL 1010.
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all previous college work attempted

Health Requirements: Documentation of the following titer levels is required upon admission to the program: Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Hepatitis B, and Varicella. In addition, documentation of a QuantiFERON or tuberculin skin test, or chest x-ray if the skin test is positive, MMR booster (if Measles, Mumps, or Rubella titer is low), Hepatitis B vaccination or declination (if titer is low), Varicella booster (if titer is low), Tetanus vaccine, Meningococcal vaccine, yearly influenza vaccination, and COVID vaccination or exemption is also required. All students must be current with all health requirements throughout the practical nursing program. Students who fail to comply with the health requirements will be immediately dismissed from the program..

Students will be required to maintain current CPR certification (BLS for Healthcare Providers from the American Heart Association).

Students must attend several off-campus clinical sites using their own means of transportation. Clinical site times will vary depending on the facility and clinical availability.

Program Outcomes:

1. Nursing student demonstrates knowledge of scientific principles & application of critical thinking skills in provision of care to clients.
2. Nursing student consistently demonstrates cultural sensitivity considering the ethnic, socioeconomic, & life experiences of the client in providing care.
3. Nursing student demonstrates safety & proficiency in performance of basic nursing skills and medication administration.
4. Nursing student demonstrates personal behavior consistent with professional employee expectations for entry level LPN.
5. Nursing student demonstrates knowledge of content appropriate for entry level LPN as defined by LBPNE (La. State Board of Practical Nurse Examiners).

All PN courses require a “C” or better to continue in the nursing program. Grading is based on a modified scale, with 80.00% (“C”) being the lowest passing score. Please see the Practical Nursing Student Handbook for further details.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Practical Nursing Program Requirements 1
NURS 1011	Fundamentals of Nursing	7
NURS 1020	Fund of Nursing I Clinical	2
NURS 1030	Med-Surg Nursing I Theory	4
NURS 1040	Med-Surg Nursing I Clinical	9
NURS 1051	Med-Surg Nursing II Theory	4
NURS 1500	Pharmacology and Math Nursing	3
NURS 1060	Med-Surg Nursing II Clinical	9
NURS 1210	Intravenous Therapy	2
NURS 1090	Mental Health Nursing Theory	1
NURS 1150	Mental Health Nursing Clinical	1
NURS 1100	Maternal/Newborn NursingTheory	2
NURS 1110	Maternal/Newborn Nurs Clinical	1
NURS 1115	Nursing Care of Children Thry	2
NURS 1125	Nursing Care of Child.Clinical	1
NURS 1130	PN Professionalism &Leadership	1
NURS 1135	PN Prof & Leadership Clinical	1
General Education Requirements 2
BIOL 1010	Intro Anatomy and Physiology 3	3
BIOL 1500	Nutrition and Diet Therapy	3
Total Hours		56

¹

60 Hours of required Courses in Major. Must earn a grade of “C” or better in each course. 24 hours must be in residence. 

²

Must earn a grade of “B” or better in each.

³

 Student may substitute  BIOL 2300 Human Anatomy & Physiology I, and BIOL 2400 Human Anatomy & Phys II series in lieu of BIOL 1010 Intro Anatomy and Physiology . Must earn a grade of "B" or better in each.

The PN program reserves the right to make changes to the program, curriculum, or prerequisites without notice. Go to the College’s Additional Nursing Information page at https://www.nunez.edu/academics/additional-nursing-information and click on the Practical Nursing tab for current information.