Practical Nursing Certificate Program Application Packet 2019 The Northwest College Practical Nursing Certificate Program is an outreach program offered through Northwest College at the North Big Horn Hospital in Lovell. Because didactics are offered online, it is imperative that students are familiar with online learning. Labs are taught in Lovell and Powell, and clinical experiences are held throughout Wyoming including, but not limited to: Lovell, Worland, Basin, Cody and Powell. The Northwest College Practical Nursing Program is approved by the Wyoming State Board of Nursing. (130 Hobbs Ave., Cheyenne, WY 82002, 307-777-7601, http://nursing.state.wy.us) PN 2019 Packet - 1
Thank you for your interest in the Practical Nursing Certificate Program at Northwest College Students are admitted to the Practical Nursing Certificate Program each spring term through the application process outlined in this packet and consistent with the Nursing Student Handbook. Application packets are available online at www.nwc.edu/nursing or in the Nursing Program office. This packet contains Admission Criteria related to applying for admission to the Practical Nursing Certificate Program. Please read the packet in its entirety. You must apply to Northwest College and be accepted by the college before you can apply to and be accepted into the Practical Nursing Certificate Program. Once you apply to NWC, you will receive a letter stating if you have been accepted by the college. This letter is not an indication that you have been accepted into the Practical Nursing Certificate Program. All applicants will receive a separate letter in this regard signed by the Director of Nursing regarding the status of your admission to the Practical Nursing Program. All prospective students must meet with the Nursing Program Coordinator, Davette Frey, to review the program objectives, schedule, and curriculum before submitting their application. The coordinator can be reached through email at davette.frey@nwc.edu or by calling 307 754-6481. All materials must be submitted through the online application portal located on the nursing website by the last Friday in October of each year. Applications will be reviewed by the Director, Nursing Program Coordinator and faculty of the Licensed Practical Nursing Certificate Program after the submission deadline. All applicants will receive a formal letter regarding the status of their admission to the Licensed Practical Nursing Certificate Program. DETAILS OF REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATION Math requirement: The successful completion of MATH 1000 within 5 years OR The successful completion of another higher math course within 5 years OR An Aleks, Accuplacer or COMPASS placement score indicating readiness for MATH 1000 or higher. Keep in mind that Finite Math (MATH 1050), Business Math (BADM 1005), or Statistics (STAT 2050/2070) will not count as meeting the requirement. The Aleks, COMPASS or Accuplacer scores cannot be more than two years old. These scores do not automatically come to the nursing department. You will have to upload the document to the online application on portal when prompted. In addition, if you have not achieved a C or higher in the math course you are using to count toward this criteria, it is not considered as successful completion and will not meet the math requirement. Lab & Science requirement: Students must satisfactorily complete a science course with a C or higher that includes a lab component within five years of application. Examples of courses that would meet this criteria are; General Biology I (BIOL 1010), Introduction to Chemistry (CHEM 1000), General Microbiology (MOLB 2210) or Anatomy & Physiology I (ZOO 2010). Pre-requisite courses: Students must satisfactorily complete English I: Introduction to Composition (ENGL 1010) and Anatomy and Physiology I (ZOO 2010) with a C or higher. After three attempts to achieve a C or better, students are no longer eligible for admission or re-admission to the program. Certified Nursing Assistant: Students must provide a current or temporary CNA license number. If unable to provide license number, contact the LPN Coordinator before filling out application. TEAS test requirement: Students must provide TEAS test results that reflect an adjusted individual total score that is at or above the program mean and is less than two years old. The program mean is typically 58.4%, but students can see the most current program mean on their TEAS test report. Students may retake the TEAS test a total of two times per application period. PN 2019 Packet - 2
The TEAS test results do not automatically come to the NWC Nursing Department. Students must upload the document as part of the online application process. For international students who do not meet the minimum comprehension score on the TEAS test, a Test of English as a Second Language (TOEFL) score will be considered as eligible for application to the Practical Nursing Certificate Program on a case-by-case basis. See section entitled TEAS Information for more details about preparing for the TEAS test. If the minimum score is not achieved after two attempts or if the TEAS test scores are after the deadline, the TEAS test criteria for application will be considered unmet. GPA requirement: A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) is required. The cumulative GPA is calculated using the prerequisite courses ENGL 1010 and Z00 2010. In addition, a 2.0 GPA or better is required in all courses required for graduation from the Practical Nursing Certificate Program at Northwest College. Official transcripts: If applicant does not currently attend Northwest College, the student must first apply to Northwest College and be accepted as a student. Students are responsible for contacting the Northwest College Registrar s Office to ensure that transcripts from other institutions have been received and that courses are transferred to Northwest College. The official transcripts must be received in the Northwest College Registrar s Office by the application deadline. Please allow 3 weeks for paper transcripts or a minimum of 1 week for electronic transcripts to be delivered to Northwest College. Please understand that all transcripts must be official. If students are not currently taking courses at Northwest College, please confirm with the Registrar s Office that your account is active. Application process: The application process is two-tiered. Once the initial application is received and reviewed, you will receive a letter indicating your next steps toward entry into the nursing program. Should you meet the criteria above, your letter will direct you to complete the required vaccinations, a drug screening, a background check, a technical requirement form and a pre-entrance physical form that will require a health provider s signature. The forms are included on the website for your reference. Once the pre-entrance physical and technical requirement forms and the drug test report and background check are received and reviewed, you will receive another letter indicating your status in relation to entry into the nursing program. We select students based on the following criteria: STUDENT SELECTION PROCESS 1- Students must confirm with the registrar s office prior to application they have been accepted to NWC and/or have become re-activated as a NWC student. 2- Students have met with the Nursing Program Coordinator. 3- Students have met the math requirement. 4- Students have met the lab/science requirement. 5- Students have completed all the pre-requisite courses & provided current Certified Nursing Assistant documentation. 6- Students have completed the TEAS test within 2 years and met the minimum programmatic mean. 7- Students have met the GPA requirement. 8- Students have completed the online application with required documentation attached located on the nursing website by the deadline. 9- Students have submitted official transcripts from all schools attended to the Northwest College Registrar s Office and confirm with the registrar s office the transfer courses are visible. Students who have satisfactorily completed all the numbered items above will be ranked for consideration towards admission into the Licensed Practical Nursing Certificate Program. The LPN Program capacity varies from 8-12 students based on qualified applicants. PN 2019 Packet - 3
Students who wish to apply but are currently enrolled in a prerequisite course during the fall semester will be reviewed for placement on an alternate list for acceptance to the program. There is no guarantee that space will be available for alternates. The application process is competitive and there are generally more students than can be accommodated. Scores on the TEAS test and the student s GPA (grade point average) are used to rank complete applications for acceptance into the Licensed Practical Nursing Certificate Program. It is the student s responsibility to ensure that the online application and all required documents (including transcripts) have been received by Northwest College. Applications that are incomplete or submitted past the application deadline will not be considered. Drug Screening: Acceptance into the nursing program is conditional based upon satisfactory completion of a drug screening. Testing positive on the drug screen or evidence of tampering with the specimen will remove the candidate from the applicant pool. Instructions for completion will be provided once a student is conditionally accepted into the program. Students will also be subject to random and for cause drug screening throughout the program. Students may be asked to drive to a testing site on short notice. While in the program, testing positive on the drug screening or evidence of tampering with a specimen will disqualify a student from participation in coursework and initiate the Substance Abuse Policy, items 3-4 of the Northwest College Practical Nursing Student Handbook. Students are advised that the inability to gain clinical education experiences or complete coursework can result in the inability to meet program objectives and outcomes. These circumstances may prevent continuance in the program. For more information, please see the NWC Practical Nursing Student Handbook located on the website: nwc.edu/nursing. TEAS Information The Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) entrance test is a requirement of the NWC Practical Nursing Program. The TEAS measures basic essential skills in the academic content area domains of reading, mathematics, science, and English/language usage and is taken online. The objectives assessed are those which nurse educators deem most appropriate and relevant to measure entry level skills and abilities of nursing program applicants. The TEAS exam is administered by the Assessment Technologies Institute, LLC (ATI). Students must receive a minimum adjusted individual total score that is equal to or higher than the program mean in order to be considered for application to the Practical Nursing Certificate Program. If you are interested in TEAS testing in Cody, call Carri Dobbins at 307 587-3506, or for Powell call Caitlin Schaefer at 307 754-6062, and make arrangements to take this test. Students should plan ahead and schedule the test early in the semester as your desired test time may fill. If you decide to apply and the test dates have passed, you will be responsible for finding your own TEAS testing site. The TEAS test can be taken a total of two times per application period. The score used for entrance must be obtained within the last two years. Students with special needs who qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should contact the Student Success Center s Disability Support Service Coordinator for testing accommodations. To prepare for the test, you may consider purchasing a study manual from the company through their website at www.atitesting.com. Study guides are also available at the NWC Hinckley Library on a 24-hour reserve. The test is computerized and takes approximately 3-4 hours. You must arrive at the designated test site 15 minutes early and wear comfortable clothes that can accommodate a variety of room temperatures. Distractions will not be allowed. Out of respect for those students who do arrive on time, the doors will lock promptly at the start time and late arrivals will not be admitted to take the exam. PN 2019 Packet - 4
Payment is made during the testing session and is collected online through ATI by debit or credit card. You must present a photo ID at the time you take the test. If your debit or credit card is denied by the online payment system, your testing session is forfeited. The results of the test are available immediately upon completion of the test and is a required document that must be submitted with online application. Remember, this test is a part of the admission process, not a sole determinant of acceptance. The testing monitor cannot tell you if your score was high enough to be admitted to the program. NURSING CURRICULUM Licensed Practical Nursing Certificate Program All nursing courses are sequential and must be taken with the corresponding co-requisite nursing course(s) in each semester. Students must successfully complete all nursing and co-requisite courses with a 74% or higher within each semester in order to progress to the next semester (if not already completed). Prerequisites: ZOO 2010, Anatomy and Physiology I* and ENGL 1010, Introduction to Composition *If Human Anatomy and Human Physiology are taken as separate courses (i.e. on-line), Human Anatomy must be taken prior to admission, with Human Physiology to be taken first semester. First Semester (Spring) ZOO 2020 Human Anatomy and Physiology II 4 NRST 1000 Fundamentals of Nursing 4 NRST 1688 Pharmacology for Practical Nursing 4 NRST 1705 Clinical Experience I for Practical Nursing 2 Total 14 Second Semester (Summer) NRST 1745 Nursing Care of the Adult I for Practical Nursing 4 NRST 2605 Maternal Child Nursing for Practical Nursing 4 NRST 1735 Clinical Experience II for Practical Nursing 4 Total 12 Third Semester (Fall) MATH 1000 Problem Solving 4 NRST 1635 Mental Health Nursing for Practical Nursing 2 NRST 2615 Nursing Care of the Adult II for Practical Nursing 4 NRST 2755 Clinical Experience III for Practical Nursing 5 Total 15 PROGRAM TOTAL 48* * includes prerequisites ZOO 2010 (4 credits) and ENGL 1010 (3 credits) PN 2019 Packet - 5
COURSE REQUIRMENTS Licensed Practical Nursing Certificate Program General Education Requirements Number and Title Credits ENGL 1010 Introduction to Composition 3 MATH 1000 Problem Solving 4 ZOO 2010 Human Anatomy and Physiology I 4 ZOO 2020 Human Anatomy and Physiology II 4 Total 15 Number and Title Core Courses NRST 1000 Fundamentals of Nursing 4 NRST 1688 Pharmacology for Practical Nursing 4 NRST 1635 Mental Health Nursing for Practical Nursing 2 NRST 1705 Clinical Experience I for Practical Nursing 2 NRST 1735 Clinical Experience II for Practical Nursing 4 NRST 1745 Nursing Care of the Adult I for Practical Nursing 4 NRST 2605 Maternal Child Nursing for Practical Nursing 4 NRST 2615 Nursing Care of the Adult II for Practical Nursing 4 NRST 2755 Clinical Experience III for Practical Nursing 5 Total 33 PN 2019 Packet - 6
APPROXIMATE BREAKDOWN OF COSTS Practical Nursing Certificate Program THREE SEMESTERS UNIFORMS/EQUIPMENT a. 2 uniforms (scrubs) $ 150.00 b. White shoes $ 60.00 c. Bandage scissors $ 6.00 d. Stethoscope $ 90.00 TOTAL $ 306.00 TUITION/FEES/BOOKS College Tuition & Fees (In-State) $ 5,910.00 HESI Fees $ 570.00 Books $ 800.00 Drug Screen $ 200.00 TOTAL $ 7,480.00 MISC. COSTS **Travel/Lodging (to & from clinicals) $ 800.00 NCLEX Fees $ 200.00 State Board Fees (Licensure, WY) $ 190.00 TOTAL $ 1,190.00 APPROXIMATE TOTAL COSTS $ 8,976.00 (without room and board) **You must provide your own transportation between the clinical facilities including, but not limited to; Powell, Worland, Lovell, Cody and Basin. In addition, you may have to pay for housing during some clinical experiences. PN 2019 Packet - 7