Nursing Programs at SCC
Practical Nursing Certificate
Program Information
The Practical Nursing certificate is a four-semester program that combines college coursework with nursing theory and practical experience in a variety of clinical settings. Students are introduced to the concepts of health promotion and health maintenance that reflect Dorothea Orem’s self-care model. Students explore the theory of basic nursing care, pharmacology, disease process and specialty nursing. Students practice nursing skills in a simulated lab designed to model the clinical setting. Newly learned skills are then applied in clinical settings such as long-term care facilities and hospitals. Student practical nurses are exposed to a variety of departments within each setting to provide a better understanding of the care clients receive, and to expose students to potential career opportunities. These areas may include physical, occupational and respiratory therapy; maternity; pediatrics; behavioral health; and medical-surgical nursing. Students are encouraged to transfer seamlessly from SCC’s Practical Nursing program into the Associate Degree in Nursing program.
Upon successfully completing this program, students should be able to:
- demonstrate introductory reasoning skills to solve basic problems;
- demonstrate basic proficiency in both written and verbal skills when interacting with colleagues, clients, providers or professionals;
- select appropriate scientific, behavior and cultural principles for the care of clients with basic needs in diverse settings;
- demonstrate awareness of ethical/legal principles related to basic practice and respond to implications in an ethical and legal manner;
- recognize essential knowledge, skills and values necessary for the provision and coordination of basic promotion and maintenance for individuals, family, groups and specialized populations;
- demonstrate introductory researching skills, choosing appropriate Web-based information and applying the information for a specific purpose;
- Acknowledge that education and learning are life-long processes; and
- demonstrate preparedness to take National Council Licensure Exam for Practical Nursing (NCLEX-PN).
Admission into the program is selective.
View complete Program of Study for Practical Nursing Certificate Program