Practical Nurse, Certificate

Description

The certificate program in Practical Nursing (P.N.) is designed to prepare students who can demonstrate entry-level competencies as practical nurses. Graduates of the program meet the educational requirements to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nursing (NCLEX-PN). Students learn how to provide basic nursing care to all age groups. The curriculum includes background in the biological sciences, the social sciences, general education, and nursing theory. Students receive supervised clinical experiences in hospitals, home health care agencies, long term care facilities, and physicians’ offices. Students attend this program on a full time basis. Students who successfully complete the program requirements are awarded a Practical Nursing Certificate.

OTHER ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Once a student is accepted into Practical Nursing Program at either campus, the student is required to follow the sequence of courses for that pathway and its designated location. To progress in the program, the student must maintain a grade of a “C” or better, in all general education courses and program courses in sequence. Graduates of both the pathways are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-PN (licensing exam) upon successful completion of the program.
Entry level Licensed Practical Nurses may find employment in a variety of practice settings, including but not limited to: acute care hospitals, long term and extended term care facilities, clinics, and physician’s offices. Jobs in most areas of nursing are plentiful, and employment rates are nearly 100%. The reported average yearly income in the state of Michigan based on data from 2022 ranges from $54,710 - $59,400 and nationally with a mean annual income of $55,860 for Licensed Practical Nurses from (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics). Graduates may transfer all or part of credit/contact hours earned at Bay to several colleges and universities to pursue an Associate of Applied Science (A.D.N.) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) degree.

Requirements for Nursing Programs:
All students accepted into the PN program are required to purchase uniforms and other items which will be detailed at the program orientation session held prior to the start of the program. The college maintains liability insurance on students, with the cost being billed through the student’s assessment fee. Once accepted into the program and prior to beginning courses in the program, the Department of Allied Health requires students to successfully pass the following; criminal background check, a drug test, American Heart Association CPR certification for the Healthcare Provider and the Certification of Physical Fitness Form completed by your Physician. Along with the completed Certification of Fitness, on our form, students must also have proof they are immunized for specific infectious diseases. Facilities may have additional requirements, which a student will also need to meet throughout the program. The Department of Allied Health orders your background check and drug screening which is tracked along with immunization and other required documentation to verify clinical fitness through an outside agency, the cost of which is incurred by the student as a Nursing Assessment Fee.
Throughout the P.N. program, students are required to take a variety of standardized learning assessments, which Bay College School of Nursing obtains via Health Education Systems, Inc. (HESI), a national testing company. The cost for the HESI testing is incurred by the student as a Nursing Assessment Fee. Students will be scheduled to take HESI tests when throughout the program and at program completion.

NOTE: In order to progress through semesters, the student must earn a grade of a “C” or better in general education and all program courses in sequence.

The PN Certificate Program is offered at the Escanaba Campus and at the Iron Mountain Campus every fall semester.