Practical Nursing Certificate
The Practical Nursing Program prepares students to practice safe, ethical bedside nursing in a structured care setting under the direct supervision of the registered nurse and/or physician or dentist. Students are prepared to function within guidelines established by the Alabama Board of Nursing.
Note that AAS degree, certificate, and short-term certificate programs are not designed to be transfer programs.
Admission Policy for Paramedic/CMA/CCMA to PN Bridge Program
MINIMUM ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
1. Unconditional admission to the college.
2. Receipt of completed application for the Practical Nursing Program by deadline.
3. A minimum of 2.50 GPA for academic courses- ENG 101, MTH 100, BIO 201, BIO 202, SPH 106/107, & PSY 210 –from a regionally accredited institution.
4. Cumulative GPA must be a minimum 2.0 at ESCC or transferring institution.
5. Completion of the following pre-requisite courses for CMA/CCMA/Paramedic to PN Bridge Prerequisite Courses with a grade of “C” or higher:
● MTH 100 (or Higher-Level Math) (3 credit hours)
● BIO 201 Human Anatomy and Physiology I (4 credit hours)
● BIO 202 Human Anatomy and Physiology II (4 credit hours)
● ENG 101 English Composition (3 credit hours)
● PSY 210 Human Growth and Development (3 credit hours)
● SPH 106 or 107 – Speech (3 credit hours)
6. Good standing with the college.
7. Meeting the essential functions required for nursing with and without reasonable accommodations.
8. Completion of the ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS ®) taken within three years of the application deadline.
9. Demonstrate skills competency on medication administration and vital signs.
10. Proof of:
• Active, unencumbered or non-restricted CMA (AAMA) or CCMA (NHA) certification as a Medical Assistant. Proof of completion of a medical assisting program that is approved by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) with a minimum 560 academic contact hours and 160 hours’ worth of practicum/externship with program verification. The program must reward a diploma, certificate, or an associate’s degree.
OR
• active, unencumbered or non-restricted Alabama Paramedic licensure at the time of application.
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 minimal requirements does not guarantee acceptance.
Requirements
Area I: Written Composition I and II
| ENG 101 | English Composition I | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 3 |
Area II: Humanities and Fine Arts
| SPH 106 | Fund Of Oral Communication | 3 |
| Or | |
| SPH 107 | Fund Of Public Speaking | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 3 |
Area III: Natural Science and Mathematics
| BIO 201 | Human Anatomy/Physiology I | 4 |
| BIO 202 | Human Anatomy/Physiology II | 4 |
| MTH 100 | Intermediate College Algebra | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 11 |
Area IV: History, Social, and Behavioral Sciences
| PSY 210 | Human Growth & Development | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 3 |
Area V: General Education Core, Technical Concentration, and Electives
| NUR 112 | Fundamental Concepts of Nursing | 7 |
| NUR 113 | Nursing Concepts I | 8 |
| NUR 114 | Nursing Concepts II | 8 |
| NUR 115 | Evidence Based Clinical Reasoning | 2 |
| ORI 106 | Transition to College and Career | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 26 |
Total Credit Hours: 46
Suggested Course Sequence for Full-Time Students
First Semester
| NUR 112 | Fundamental Concepts of Nursing | 7 |
| BIO 201 | Human Anatomy/Physiology I | 4 |
| MTH 100 | Intermediate College Algebra | 3 |
Semester 2
Third Semester
| SPH 106 | Fund Of Oral Communication | 3 |
| Or | |
| SPH 107 | Fund Of Public Speaking | 3 |
| | |
| NUR 114 | Nursing Concepts II | 8 |
| NUR 115 | Evidence Based Clinical Reasoning | 2 |
| ORI 106 | Transition to College and Career | 1 |
Total Credit Hours: 46