Practical Nursing (Technical Certificate)
Award: Technical Certificate
Program of Study: Practical Nursing
Program Code: 1612
About This Program . . .
This program is designed for students interested in becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse as an entry into the nursing career ladder program. Completion of the Practical Nurse Certificate allows students to progress on to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, LPN to BSN program. The Practical Nursing program prepares the student to be a direct care giver in hospitals, long-term facilities, and ambulatory care-clinic settings.
This program has selective admission requirements. It is the student's responsibility to obtain the current admission requirements.
Important information about this program:
- All Essential Learning requirements and prerequisite courses must be in progress or completed before applying to the program. Additional admission requirements also apply. Please visit the Department of Health Sciences' website for a complete list of admission requirements and program information.
For more information on what you can do with this major, visit Career Services’ What to Do with a Major? resource.
All CMU/CMU Tech technical certificate graduates are expected to demonstrate proficiency in specialized knowledge/applied learning, communication fluency, and critical thinking. In addition to these campus‐wide student learning outcomes, graduates of this major will be able to:
- Promote therapeutic communication across the lifespan. (Communication Fluency)\
- Recognize changes and respond to interventions while providing a safe environment. (Specialized Knowledge/Applied learning)\
- Implement the nursing process, by collecting patient data, identifying needs, reporting findings, and providing input into the plan of care. (Specialized knowledge/Applied learning)\
- Utilize critical thinking and evidence-based practice in the application of the nursing process. (Critical Thinking)\
- Incorporate assessment data collaboratively to plan/revise patient care based on the nursing process. (Critical Thinking)\ \
- Utilize data to ensure quality improvement to support evidence-based practice. (Critical Thinking and Quantitative Literacy)\
- Demonstrate competent nursing practice within a legal and ethical framework, respecting values, culture and expressed needs. (Specialized\ knowledge/Applied learning)\ \
Each section below contains details about the requirements for this program. Select a header to expand the information/requirements for that particular section of the program's requirements.
To print or save an overview of this program's information, including the program description, learning outcomes, requirements, suggested course sequencing (if applicable), and advising and graduation information, scroll to the bottom of the left-hand navigation menu and select "Print Options." This will give you the options to either "Send Page to Printer" or "Download PDF of This Page." The "Download PDF of This Page" option prepares a much more concise presentation of all program information. The PDF is also printable and may be preferable due to its brevity.
Institutional Certificate Requirements
The following institutional requirements apply to all CMU or CMU Tech Technical Certificates. Specific programs may have different requirements that must be met in addition to institutional requirements.
- Consists of 5-59 semester hours.
- Consists of 100-200 level courses.
- At least fifty percent of the credit hours must be taken at CMU/CMU Tech.
- 2.00 cumulative GPA or higher in all CMU/CMU Tech coursework.
- A grade lower than “C” will not be counted toward meeting the requirements.
- A course may only be used to fulfill one requirement for each degree/certificate.
- Non-traditional credit, such as advanced placement, credit by examination, credit for prior learning, cooperative education and internships, cannot exceed twenty-five percent of the semester credit hours required for a technical certificate.
- Pre-collegiate courses (usually numbered below 100) cannot be used for graduation.
- Capstone exit assessment/projects (e.g., Major Field Achievement Test) requirements are identified under Program-Specific Certificate Requirements.
- The Catalog Year determines which program sheet and certificate requirements a student must fulfill in order to graduate. Visit with your advisor or academic department to determine which catalog year and program requirements you should follow.
- See “Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees and Certificates” in the catalog for a complete list of graduation requirements.
Specific to this program:
- 58 semester hours for the Technical Certificate in Practical Nursing.
Essential Learning Requirements
(15 Semester Hours, must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA or higher for coursework in this area.)
| Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Communication 1 | ||
| ENGL 111 | English Composition I-GTCO1 | 3 |
| ENGL 112 | English Composition II-GTCO2 | 3 |
| Mathematics | ||
| MATH 110 | Mathematical Investigations-GTMA1 (or higher) | 3 |
| History, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Science, Fine Arts, or Natural Science Courses | ||
| PSYC 233 | Human Growth and Development-GTSS3 2 | 3 |
| Select one Social and Behavioral Sciences course | 3 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
- 1
Must receive a grade of “C” or better and must be completed or in the process of completion by March 1 application deadline. “Late start” or “second module” classes beginning after March 1 deadline do not count toward Essential Learning classes.
- 2
This course is counted with the Essential Learning courses, but is a prerequisite for the L.P.N. in Nursing program
Foundation Courses
(12 semester hours, must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA or higher for coursework in this area.)
| Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 209 & 209L | Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Human Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 210 & 210L | Human Anatomy and Physiology II and Human Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 241 | Pathophysiology | 4 |
Program Specific Certificate Requirements
(31 Semester Hours, must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA or higher for coursework in this area.)
| Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 101 | Pharmacology Calculations | 1 |
| NURS 106 | Adult Concepts I | 3 |
| NURS 106L | Adult Concepts I Laboratory | 2 |
| NURS 107 | Foundations of Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 107L | Foundations of Nursing Laboratory | 3 |
| NURS 109 | Introduction to Mental Health | 2 |
| NURS 109L | Introduction to Mental Health Laboratory | 1 |
| NURS 112 | Basic Concepts of Pharmacology | 3 |
| NURS 117 | Obstetrics and Pediatrics | 3 |
| NURS 117L | Obstetrics and Pediatrics Laboratory | 2 |
| NURS 156 | Socialization into Practical Nursing | 2 |
| NURS 172 | Adult Concepts II | 3 |
| NURS 172L | Adult Concepts II Lab | 3 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 31 | |
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Semester Credit Hours | |
| ENGL 111 | English Composition I-GTCO1 1 | 3 |
| BIOL 209 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I 2 | 3 |
| BIOL 209L | Human Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory 2 | 1 |
| MATH 110 | Mathematical Investigations-GTMA1 (or higher) | 3 |
| Essential Learning - Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 13 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ENGL 112 | English Composition II-GTCO2 | 3 |
| BIOL 210 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II 2 | 3 |
| BIOL 210L | Human Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory 2 | 1 |
| PSYC 233 | Human Growth and Development-GTSS3 3 | 3 |
| BIOL 241 | Pathophysiology | 4 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| NURS 101 | Pharmacology Calculations | 1 |
| NURS 106 | Adult Concepts I | 3 |
| NURS 106L | Adult Concepts I Laboratory | 2 |
| NURS 107 | Foundations of Nursing | 3 |
| NURS 107L | Foundations of Nursing Laboratory | 3 |
| NURS 112 | Basic Concepts of Pharmacology | 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| NURS 109 | Introduction to Mental Health | 2 |
| NURS 109L | Introduction to Mental Health Laboratory | 1 |
| NURS 117 | Obstetrics and Pediatrics | 3 |
| NURS 117L | Obstetrics and Pediatrics Laboratory | 2 |
| NURS 156 | Socialization into Practical Nursing | 2 |
| NURS 172 | Adult Concepts II | 3 |
| NURS 172L | Adult Concepts II Lab | 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 58 | |
- 1
Students desiring to progress onto the LPN- Bachelor of Science should check with their advisor to develop a full time schedule of Essential Learning and program requirements during this first year.
- 2
BIOL 209/BIOL 209L and BIOL 210/BIOL 210L must have been completed within five years prior to applying to the nursing program.
- 3
This course is counted with the Essential Learning courses, but is a prerequisite for the Licensed Practical Nursing program.
Advising Process and DegreeWorks
Documentation on the pages related to this program is intended for informational purposes to help determine what courses and associated requirements are needed to earn a certificate. Some courses are critical to complete in specific semesters while others may be moved around. Meeting with an academic advisor is essential in planning courses and discussing the suggested course sequencing. It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to understand and fulfill the requirements for their intended certificate.
DegreeWorks is an online degree audit tool available in MAVzone. It is the official record used by the Registrar’s Office to evaluate progress towards a certificate and determine eligibility for graduation. Students are responsible for reviewing their DegreeWorks audit on a regular basis and should discuss questions or concerns with their advisor or academic department head. Discrepancies in requirements should be reported to the Registrar’s Office.
Graduation Process
Students must complete the following in the first two months of the semester prior to completing their certificate requirements (for one-semester certificates, complete in the first week of class):
- Review their DegreeWorks audit and create a plan that outlines how unmet requirements will be met in the final semester.
- Meet with their advisor and modify their plan as needed. The advisor must approve the final plan.
- Submit the “Intent to Graduate” form to the Registrar’s Office to officially declare the intended graduation date and commencement ceremony plans.
- Register for all needed courses and complete all requirements for each degree sought.
Submission deadlines and commencement details can be found on the Graduation web page.
If a student's petition for graduation is denied, it will be their responsibility to apply for graduation in a subsequent semester. A student's “Intent to Graduate” does not automatically move to a later graduation date.