Practical Nurse Certificate (LPN)

Maria College PNC graduates have an excellent pass rate on the NCLEX-PN® consistently surpassing the annual mean pass rate for New York State.

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    • Practical Nurse Certificate (LPN)

    Your first step toward a nursing career

    Our Practical Nurse Certificate Program prepares you for a career as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) in approximately 16 months*. During this time, you will earn 30 nursing and 16 liberal arts and sciences credits. You will acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to provide direct nursing care in a variety of settings.

    *Note: A transcript review will determine if you need required liberal arts and science courses in addition to the nursing classes. This could result in two additional terms of study (weekend options are not available for Liberal Arts courses).

    Weekends

    Nursing classes including off site clinical experiences require student participation on weekends. Lecture and lab classes are offered on Saturdays and Sundays according to the weekend college schedule (please check the academic calendar for the college). Clinical experiences are off-site at a clinical facility on Saturday and Sunday of the alternate weekends.

    *Please Note that some activities such as open lab hours and advisement may not be held exclusively on the weekend.

    One of New York’s best
     Students who complete the required course work are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN). Maria College PNC graduates consistently surpass the annual mean pass rate for the NCLEX-PN® in New York State. This strong performance has earned Maria a top 10 ranking in New York State from PracticalNursing.org.  Nursing programs were assessed on several factors which represents how well a program supports students toward NCLEX-PN licensure and beyond.

    College credit
    The Practical Nurse Certificate (PNC), a program within the Maria College Department of Nursing, is a 46-credit certificate program. Maria students also receive college credits for their LPN courses (30 in Nursing, 16 in Liberal Arts and Sciences). As a result, PNC program graduates may be eligible to transfer these credits for advanced placement in the AAS in nursing program offered at Maria College giving you a head start toward a career as an RN.

    Consumer Information

    Please click here to review data on financial and program completion data.

    Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) can expect a bright future as the industry job growth is above average in comparison to other occupations. To learn more, please visit the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics.

     

    Accreditation

    The program is accredited by the New York State Board of Regents, Office of the Professions (http://www.op.nysed.gov).

    • End of Program Student Learning Outcomes

      After completion of the Practical Nurse Certificate program (LPN training) at Maria College, the graduate will be able to:

      • Demonstrate clinical competency by applying principles to meet the basic physical and psychological needs of clients through the lifespan with primary focus on activities of daily living (ADL), caring interventions, technical skills, and safety needs of clients.
      • Demonstrate knowledge of data gathering and Nursing Care Concepts of the human system, with consideration of how the environment, cultural and ethnic diversity affect client care in various environments to promote, maintain and manage health.
      • Teach basic health promotion/maintenance and self-care to an individual using a designed teaching tool to promote teaching and learning.
      • Communicate in a collaborative manner with the client, significant support persons, members of the health care team, and with community resources.
      • Incorporate critical thinking into clinical decision making when advocating care for clients, families, significant support persons or groups in a variety of environments.
      • Demonstrate professional behavior in an accountable, responsible manner within the legal scope of LPN practice, as a member of the profession of nursing.
    • Course Sequence

      First Term

      Course

      		  

      Credits

      BIO 103

      Introduction to Human Biology*

      4

      ENG 111

      Composition I 

      3
         

      7

      Second Term

      PSY 100

      General Psychology

      3

      SOC 101

      Introduction to Sociology

      3
         

      6

      Third Term

      PNC 101

      Fundamentals of Practical Nursing I

      6

      PSY 200

      Developmental Psychology

      3
         

      9

      Fourth Term

      PNC 102

      Fundamentals of Practical Nursing II

      8
         

      8

      Fifth Term

      PNC 103

      Fundamentals of Practical Nursing III

      8
         

      8

      Sixth Term

      PNC 104

      Fundamentals of Practical Nursing IV

      8
         

      8

      * BIO 209 or BIO 210 may be substituted

    • Application Requirements
      • High School graduate or GED with a minimum GPA: 80 (high school graduates); 2.0 GPA (transfer students)
      • A physical examination, including tuberculosis testing, required immunizations and basic life support (BLS) are required before the student will be allowed to take clinical courses.
      • Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS VI): The TEAS VI is a multiple-choice assessment of basic academic knowledge in reading, mathematics, science and English and language usage. Applicants will be admitted on the basis of meeting the minimum requirements for entry and their TEAS test scores. Admissions decisions will be based on space availability. For more information including registering for the exam, please visit the Testing Requirement page.
    • Graduation Requirements
      • Earn a minimum grade of “C+” in all nursing courses required in the PNC Program.  The student must pass both theoretical, lab, and clinical components of a nursing course.
      • Each state and/or profession has procedures for certification and licensure including, among others, consideration of felony convictions, pending criminal charges and professional misconduct. As a result, completion of a program does not guarantee licensure or certification.
    • Advance Placement Options

      Maria College PNC graduates may be eligible for advance placement in the Associate degree in Nursing program at Maria College. Successful candidates will receive transfer credit for the first two semesters and enter the second year of the Associate degree program in nursing.

      Advance Placement nursing applicants must meet all nursing admission and program requirements. For consideration, candidates will require the following:

      • Successful completion of the NCLEX-PN® and a copy of a current PNC license must be submitted at the time of application.
      • Proof of a minimum of six months work experience as a licensed practical nurse, a letter of employment verification, and a resume of work experience must be submitted at time of application.
      • Completion of all Associate degree program required liberal arts credits with the exception of microbiology (BIO 203). This may be completed upon advance placement.

      Please note that advance placement is dependent on seat availability and is at the discretion of the Associate Dean.

    • Student Achievement Data

      Year

      NCLEX-PN® First-time Pass Rate

      Program Completion Rate

      Job Placement Rate

      2019

      100%

      —

      —

      2019

      100%

      —

      100%

      2018

      93.75%

      47.3%

      100%

      2017

      91.7%

      70%

      91%

      2016

      93.3%

      91%

      —
    • Articulation Agreements
      • Graduates of Nursing Assistant program at Capital District EOC with license to practice as Nursing Assistant to Practical Nurse Certificate program at Maria College
      • Fulton-Montgomery Community College graduates with Certified Nurse Assistant to Practical Nurse Certificate program at Maria College
      • Fulton-Montgomery Community College graduates with Home Health Aid Certificate to Practical Nurse Certificate program at Maria College
      • Fulton-Montgomery Community College graduates with Home Health Aid Certificate to Practical Nurse Certificate program at Maria College
      • Fulton-Montgomery Community College graduates with AAS in Human Services to Practical Nurse Certificate program at Maria College
      • Fulton-Montgomery Community College graduates with AAS in Health Studies to Practical Nurse Certificate program at Maria College
      • Fulton-Montgomery Community College graduates with General Education Certificate to Practical Nurse Certificate program at Maria College
      • Schenectady County Community College graduates with Nurse Aide certificate or Home Health Aide certificate to Practical Nurse Certificate program at Maria College
    Maria Stories

    Melissa Popp, Maria College PNC graduate, shares her White Tea Ceremony 2020 Speech! 

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