Practical Nursing (PN) Program

The Practical Nursing (PN) Program prepares the student for a career as a licensed practical nurse. Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) function as an important part of the health care team, providing patient care under the supervision of a registered nurse (RN) or a licensed physician.

Practical nurses take care of patients including feeding, bathing, and maintaining patient charts. They administer medication and monitor equipment. They also assess and monitor the health and illness of patients. Practical nurses are predominantly employed by physicians’ offices, home health care agencies, nursing homes, hospitals and clinics.

Clinical experience makes up more than 50 percent of the program hours. Students learn patient observation skills, treatments, and medications. Clinical sites are at a variety of locations throughout the Greater New Orleans and surrounding areas.

By the end of the program, the graduate will be able to:

1. Demonstrate the use of scientific knowledge and proper medical terminology when implementing nursing care.
2. Use the nursing process as a framework to deliver care to patients of all ages in a varitey of clinical settings.
3. Follow basic principles of nursing practice and legal standards to perform skills.
4. Participate as a member of the health care team to promote, maintain, and restore health.
5. Develop strategies that promote ongoing personal and professional adjustments for employment as a practical nurse.

To meet admission requirements, students must

• Be a high school graduate or have a High School Equivalency
• Be eligible to take MATH 120 and ENGL 101 or ENGL 110 by the application date; students must have completed or tested out of developmental English, math, and reading via Delgado placement testing or have exempting ACT scores
• Have an Institutional (DCC) GPA of 2.0 for all college work attempted and a CSN GPA of 2.0 for courses required for the program. 
• Complete HESC 109 Medical Nutrition Therapy (3 hours) and BIOL 161/163 Introduction to Anatomy & Physiology I (lecture 3 hours & lab 1 hour) with a grade of "C" or better within the last 3 years.  BIOL 251/253 Anatomy & Physiology I & BIOL 252/254 Anatomy & Physiology II can be taken in place of BIOL 161/163, however all 4 courses must be taken within 3 years of entry into the nursing program and all 4 courses must have a grade of "C" or better.
• Complete a Kaplan Pre-Nursing Exam prior to submission of program application.  Exam must be taken through the DCC Testing Center.  Scores are good for 3 years. 
• Submit a complete application package
• Note: An applicant must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident of the United States. The non-citizen applicant must produce a valid permanent resident card.

 

 

Educational Coordinator
Linda Green, DNP, MSN, CNS, APRN
Email: lgreen2@dcc.edu
Office: 504-671-6756

Application

The application period is now closed.  It will reopen on May 1^st.