Practical Nursing (Certificate)
41 credit hours.
This one-year certificate is designed to prepare individuals to function under the direction of a registered nurse, licensed physician or licensed dentist or podiatrist. As members of the health team, practical nurses provide care to people of all ages and in a variety of health care settings, such as hospitals, long-term care facilities, physicians’ offices and home environments. Individuals completing the practical nursing curriculum meet the educational requirements for writing the NCLEX-PN exam to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN).
This certificate program is a selective admission program, please review the nursing admission criteria or download the Nursing Admission Criteria & Procedures Packet (PDF, 566 KB). Students interested in the practical nursing certificate must meet the admission criteria of the associate degree program and complete the requirements of the practical nursing curriculum.
*Note: You must download and install Adobe© Acrobat© Reader™ in order to view and print the Nursing Admission Criteria & Procedures Packet.
The decision to allow an individual to take the NCLEX-PN for licensure or be granted a license after passing the examination rests with the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation Committee on Nursing. Please see the Nursing Admission Criteria & Procedures packet for further information about licensure.
General Education Core Requirements:
| Course | Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 181 | Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| BIOL 182 | Anatomy & Physiology II | 4 |
| ENGL 101 | Composition I | 3 |
| PSY 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
Required Core:
| Course | Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 112 | Introduction to Nursing | 1 |
| NURS 113 | Medication Principles for Nurses | 1 |
| NURS 117 | Fundamentals of Nursing | 8 |
| NURS 122 | Community-Based Nursing | 1 |
| NURS 134 | Nursing Individuals with Chronic Health Problems | 5 |
| NURS 135 | Nursing Childbearing/Rearing Families | 5 |
| NURS 136 | Practical Nursing | 6 |
This curriculum guide is not intended to be a contract, but rather to provide important information to students, see curriculum sequence for course rotation. Changes/revisions may occur from time to time to ensure curricula reflect technological advances in the field.
Gainful Employment Information
By completing this certificate you may apply for employment as a licensed practical/ licensed vocational nurse ( SOC code 29-2061.00). The total program cost for completing this certificate is $5371 for tuition and fees and $1298 for books and supplies.
Of the twenty two students who completed this certificate in the 2009-10 academic year, 95.45% of them did so within a normal time frame (as determined by institution). Job placement rates are only reported for those programs that are required to disclose them for accreditation purposes. The median loan debt incurred by completers of this program was $0 for Title IV loans, $0 for private educational loans and $0 for the Heartland Community College finance plan.
Information contained on this Web site is subject to change. Please check with an academic advisor for current course offerings and program requirements. Current students with continual enrollment may graduate under the current program requirements or any program requirements in effect since first enrollment. Students who intend to graduate must meet with an Academic Advisor to complete an "Application to Graduate" form a full semester prior to graduation. This will help ensure that a student meets all graduation requirements. Remember to always check with the school you are interested in attending for specific requirements.
