Practical Nursing Option (LPN), Certificate

The Practical Nursing program prepares graduates to sit for the NCLEX-PN licensure exam. A combination of classroom theory, lab, and supervised clinical experiences are offered in a full-time program. The nursing courses must be taken in sequential order. Admission to Practical Nursing is a competitive process. The space available at clinical sites and student-teacher ratios required by the Alabama Board of Nursing limit the number of applicants accepted. Twelve (12) months or three (3) consecutive semesters are required to complete the program with admission occurring in the fall and spring semesters. Selections for each class are made by the Practical Nursing Admissions Committee. The goal of Shelton State Community College is to graduate well-prepared nurses who are strong performers both clinically and in the classroom. Practical nursing students should plan to spend sixteen (16) hours per week in clinical experience and three (3) or more hours of study time for each hour spent in the classroom. Although clinical hours will be planned as conveniently as possible, there may be some 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. non-traditional work hours. Students are discouraged from working while attending the PN program.

The Practical Nursing program is approved by the Alabama Board of Nursing (ABN), RSA Plaza, Suite 50, 770 Washington Avenue, P.O. Box 303900, Montgomery, AL 36130-3900, telephone 334.293.5200 or 800.656.5318. For more information, visit www.abn.al.gov. The PN program is also accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. (ACEN), 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326; telephone 404.975.5000, or visit www.acenursing.org.

Note: Nursing Program information, policies, and curriculum are subject to change due to statewide standardization of nursing programs.

Admission Procedure

1. Apply online for admission to Shelton State Community College.
2. Submit copies of official transcripts of all colleges and universities attended to the Office of Enrollment Services. All transcripts must be evaluated by the Office of Enrollment Services for determination of course credits and GPA calculations.
3. Meet all academic requirements and complete any program admission requirements (listed below).
4. After successful completion of all academic and admission requirements, the student may submit the online application for admission to the nursing program. Applications are accepted between May 1 and June 1 for fall admission, and between September 1 and October 1 for spring admission.
5. Complete application checklist provided after submission of the online nursing application.

Minimum Admission Standards for the Practical Nursing Track include the following:

1. Applicant must have unconditional admission to the College.
2. Applicant must complete and submit application packet for the ADN Nursing program by June 1 for fall admission and October 1 for spring admission. Applications are completed online and accepted between May 1 and June 1 for fall admission and September 1 and October 1 for spring admission.
3. Applicant must have a minimum 18 composite ACT score on national or residual test.
4. Applicant must have a minimum 2.50 GPA in academic courses required for the nursing program and minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA at current, native institution, or institution from which student is transferring. An official SSCC transcript with all transfer credit must be available by the application deadline.
5. Applicant must have a minimum of 2.50 cumulative high school GPA (for students without prior college course work).
6. An official high school transcript or GED certificate must be available by the application deadline.
7. Applicant must be eligible to enroll in or have completed the following:
   1. ENG 101  and MTH 100  or higher as determined by College placement
   2. BIO 201  during the first term of nursing courses (BIO 103 is a pre-requisite to BIO 201.)
8. Applicant must be in good standing with the College.
9. Applicant must meet the essential functions or technical standards required for nursing.
10. All applicants are required to attend a Health Services Information Session.

Admission to the Practical Nursing program is competitive, and the number of students is limited by the number of faculty and clinical facilities available. Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the program.

Information for Admission

  After meeting all minimum requirements, applicants are rank-ordered using a point system based on the following:

1. Points come from the official ACT score. There is a maximum of thirty-six points with no time limit on when the test was taken.
2. Points come from required academic courses for the SSCC Nursing Program (i.e., ENG 101 , MTH 100  or higher, BIO 201 , and BIO 202 ).
3. Points for grades are as follows: A = 3 points, B = 2 points, C = 1 point.
4. An additional ten points may be awarded as follows:

Six (6) months of work experience with a minimum of 215 work hours in a health-related field with direct patient care or the completion of a health-related program

		Points		Criteria
		3		Shelton State Community College students who completed eighteen hours of required academic courses for the SSCC Nursing Program
		3		Students who have completed eighteen hours of required academic courses for the SSCC Nursing Program with a 3.0 or higher GPA
		4		Six months of work experience with a minimum of 215 work hours in a health-related field with direct patient care or the completion of a health-related program

A total of fifty-eight (58) points is possible with selection criteria.

Note: The SSCC Nursing Program curriculum may change to meet the requirements of institutional, state, or national approbal/accrediting agencies.