Nursing-Practical

Campus Location: Calmar, Peosta

Program Entry: Enrollment may occur during any term. Fall and Spring terms are the start of the program course sequence.

Award: Diploma

Description: This program of classroom, lab and clinical experience prepares you for employment in hospitals, nursing homes and a variety of other healthcare facilities. The practical nurse gives nursing care to patients under supervision of a registered nurse (RN) and assists RNs in providing care to patients in more complex situations. Following successful completion of the program, you are eligible to write the National Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN). The program is approved by the Iowa Board of Nursing.

Nursing courses with a clinical component cannot be taken by a person who has been denied nursing licensure by any Board of Nursing; whose nursing license is currently suspended, surrendered or revoked in any U. S. jurisdiction; or whose nursing license/registration is currently suspended, surrendered, or revoked in another country due to disciplinary action.

The Northeast Iowa Community College Practical Nursing program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA) located at 2600 Virginia Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20037.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Integrate knowledge of mathematics, biological and psychosocial sciences.
• Assess and prioritize client needs integrating individual cultural values.
• Establish client outcomes and plan care that focuses on health promotion and disease prevention.
• Implement holistic nursing care according to an established plan including principles of therapeutic communication, safety, health teaching and current technology.
• Demonstrate critical and creative thinking while collaborating with other members of the multidisciplinary health care team.
• Delegate, supervise and evaluate client care and modify as needed.
• Demonstrate accountability for professional behavior and growth while practicing self-evaluation and seeking guidance as needed.
• Adhere to legal and ethical principles according to nursing standards of practice.

Program Admission: In addition to the College enrollment process , applicants must complete the HESI A2 admission assessment and achieve a score of 80 on both reading comprehension and mathematics
portions. Effective August 7, 2024, students will be required to complete the ATI TEAS entrance exam. This exam covers reading, math, science, and language usage. Students must complete the ATI TEAS exam with a minimum composite score of 58.7%. More information regarding preparation and exam registration can be found at https://www.nicc.edu/academics/programs-by-career/health-sciences/nursing-admissions-assessment/

Students who complete the HESI A2 prior to August 7, 2024 will have their scores accepted.

The following courses must be completed with a grade of “C-” or above within five years from the date of application:

BIO 168 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I  

BIO 173 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II  

PNN 200 - Dosage Calculations  

PNN 270 - Introduction to Nutrition  BIO 151 Nutrition  or HSC 221 Introduction to Nutrition   

Students may transfer into freshman year only after transcript review, space availability and Dean of Nursing approval. Nursing students are required to attend program orientation prior to entrance into the program. Notification of dates and times occurs after acceptance to the Nursing program. The following requirements must be satisfied prior to term one of the NICC Nursing program.

Academic Requirements: Students enrolled in health occupation programs must complete all required coursework with a “C-” grade or above and earn a minimum 2.0 grade point average to graduate from the program.  Students who plan to enter the NICC Associate Degree Nursing program must achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.2 in all Nursing core courses (as noted above by ¹) to progress into the ADN program.

Program Requirements: Health Program Requirements The College has contracted the services of CastleBranch to review and monitor background checks, health records, training requirements and drug testing. Students submit requirements to the website prior to the designated deadline date.  A student who fails to meet this deadline forfeits his/her seat and it will be offered to another student. The student is then be placed at the bottom of the wait list.

In addition to meeting requirements upon admission, students must maintain these requirements throughout the program. Failure to remain in compliance will result in denial for clinical participation. Clinical participation is required for program completion.

Upon admission, students must maintain these requirements throughout the program. Failure to remain in compliance results in denial for clinical participation. Clinical participation is required for program completion.

Note: Background checks ar evaluated per NICC’s Program Compliance policy and Iowa Department of Human Services, if applicable. Clinical participation is dependent on this evaluation.

Students enrolled in a healthcare program are required to complete a drug screen prior to entrance into clinical rotation with a clinical affiliate. Random drug screens are also conducted while enrolled in the program.

Note: A positive report on the criminal, dependent adult abuse, child abuse background screening or drug screen may prevent acceptance into clinical and completion of the program.

Students are required to provide documentation of health insurance coverage. Please be aware of the following physical demands during your clinical education courses. Daily activities require bending, stooping, squatting, reaching, pushing and pulling in all directions. You will be asked to lift and carry objects weighing up to a minimum of 35 pounds and also shared weight. Clinical tasks require use of hands for repetitive action, such as simple and firm grasping and fine manipulation and walking, including stair stepping. You may also be in contact with communicable diseases and chemical/biohazardous materials and odors. For clinical assessments, visual and hearing acuity is essential. Travel to clinical sites in outlying areas is required at times throughout the program. Students are responsible for travel costs. Students need to show proof of high school graduation or equivalent prior to taking the NCLEX licensure exam. The Iowa Board of Nursing no longer reviews criminal history prior to application for licensure.

Exit requirement: Students are required to pass established benchmarks in order to graduate from the program. The established benchmarks are stated in the annual District-Wide Policy and Procedure Manual for Administration of Nursing Programs.

Class Hours: Classes are scheduled two or three days a week at the campus. Clinical experiences are scheduled the remaining days in hospitals, nursing homes and other care settings and can occur on either day or evening shifts.

Minimum Credits: 42.75 including nursing admission requirements

Note:The following year rules exist for nursing program coursework. If exceeded, the course(s) need to be repeated. Nursing courses identified with a PNN prefix and Anatomy and Physiology courses cannot be greater than five years old.  Nutrition courses cannot be greater than ten years old.

Concurrent Enrollment Program Option (CEP): See Nursing-Associate Degree