Practical Nursing

How to Apply

In addition to admission to the university, the School of Nursing has specific admission criteria and application processes that must be met. Please schedule an appointment today to start that process.

Admission Requirements

• A cumulative score of 70% on the HESI A2 Pre-licensure Examination
• Successful completion of a SRNA or Patient Care Technician (PCT) course with certification. This certification must be active, in good standing, without restrictions.
• Current CPR Certification by the American Heart Association for Healthcare Providers Basic Life Support (BLS).
• Required immunizations are up-to-date.

In order to be considered for admission or to be retained in the program after admission all applicants should possess:

• Sufficient visual acuity, such as needed in the accurate preparation and administration of medications, and for the observation necessary for patient assessment and nursing care.
• Sufficient auditory perception to receive verbal communication from patients and members of the health team and to assess health needs of people through the use of monitoring devices such as cardiac monitor, stethoscope, IV infusion pumps, etc.
• Sufficient gross and fine motor coordination to respond promptly and to implement the skills, including the manipulation of equipment, required in meeting health needs.
• Sufficient communication skills (speech, reading, writing) to interact with individuals and to communicate their needs promptly and effectively, as may be necessary in the individual’s interest.
• Sufficient intellectual and emotional functions to plan and implement care for individuals.

HESI® Admission Assessment (A2)

Cost: $63/student

The A2 will test applicants in two or three academic areas – English Language, Math, and Science – and one personal assessment area. The A2 is a requirement of the application process for the Practical Nursing program.

Please carefully review all information in this section regarding testing time frames, the number of attempts allowed, and requirements for the testing experience.

Applicants must choose the exam SPECIFIC to the campus and program for which they apply. DETAILS ARE LISTED BELOW.

HESI®ADMISSION ASSESSMENT EXAM STUDY GUIDE WITH A 25% DISCOUNT AND FREE SHIPPING

Please follow all HESI ®Test Taker Portal instructions carefully to ensure a smooth test-taking experience.

PROCTORU® – HESI® TEST TAKER PORTAL

Additional Resources:

PROCTORU® REVIEW+ READINESS DOCUMENT
5 STEPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL PROCTORU® EXPERIENCE
PROCTORU® HESI® TEST TAKER SUPPORT INFORMATION

Practical Nurse Applicants:

HESI® Admission Assessment (A2) Pre-Licensure Examination (required cumulative score of at least 70%)

Selected exams for the Practical Nursing program are:

• Math
• Reading Comprehension
• Vocabulary and General Knowledge
• Learning styles

The HESI® Admission Assessment (A2) exam may be taken up to 2 times per admission period, not to exceed 4 times in a year. Results are valid for 2 calendar years from the date of the exam.

Students applying for spring admission should take the HESI® Admission Assessment (A2) Exam from May 16th to November 14th.

Exam Name(s):

• PN – Main Campus – HESI® Admission Assessment (A2) – 1st attempt
• PN – Main Campus – HESI® Admission Assessment (A2) – 2nd attempt

Pre-Admissions Background Check

In conjunction with applying to the School of Nursing, a Background check is required.

“REGISTER HERE” will direct you to the Castle Branch™ application site to complete the process. Please review the “Background Check Instruction Guide,” prior to beginning, and follow the step-by-step instructions provided to complete this process accurately.

Register Here
Background Check Instruction Guide

Pre-Admissions CANS - Central Registry Check

In conjunction with applying to the School of Nursing, a Central Registry Check is required.

Register here will direct you to the Kentucky Online Gateway site to complete the application. Please review the “Central Registry Check Instruction Guide,” prior to beginning, and follow the step-by-step instructions provided to complete this process accurately.

Register Here
Central Registry Check Instruction Guide

Pre-Admissions NurseTim Student Success 6 Pack

In conjunction with applying to the School of Nursing, registering for NurseTim® and completion of viewing the “Student Success 6 Pack,” is required.
Please review the “NurseTim® Instruction Guide,” prior to beginning and follow the step-by-step instructions provided to complete this process accurately.

Register Here
NurseTim® Instruction Guide

Pre-Admission Conference is REQUIRED

All students seeking Admission must attend a PAC (Pre-Admission Conference) prior to application.

Once you have attended the mandatory conference your application packet will be provided to you. Pre-Admission conference dates are listed below.

Click here to schedule.

Campbellsville Location

• May 7^th @ 5 PM

• June 4^th @ 5 PM

• July 16^th @ 5 PM

• August 6^th @ 5 PM

• September 3^rd @ 5 PM

Central Kentucky Career Academy (CKCA)

Diploma in Practical Nursing

Required Courses

First Semester – 16 Credit Hours

• PN 100 Foundations of Practical Nursing(5 Hours: Didactic 4-Lab 1 )
• PSY 111 General Psychology (3)
• PN 120 Human Sciences for Nursing(5 Hours: Didactic 4.5-Lab 0.5)
• PN 101 Adult Health Nursing I(3 Hours: Didactic 2-Lab 1)

Second Semester – 16 Credit Hours

• PN 200 Pharmacology (3)
• PN 201 Adult Health Nursing II(6 Hours: Didactic 5-Lab 1)
• PN 203 Maternity and Pediatric Nursing(4 Hours: Didactic 3.5-Lab 0.5)
• PN 303 Psychiatric Nursing(3 Hours: Didactic 2.5-Lab 0.5)

Third Semester – 15 Credit Hours

• PN 301 Adult Health Nursing III(6 Hours: Didactic 5-Lab 1)
• ENG 111 Freshman Composition I (3)
• PN 304 Professional Nursing Capstone(6 Hours: Didactic 4.75-Lab 1.25)

Course Descriptions

PN 100 – Foundations of Practical Nursing: (5 Hours: Didactic 4-Lab 1 ) This course focuses on the basic nursing care needs of the adult client, according to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Students will learn holistic care of the physical, spiritual, emotional, and psychosocial needs of the client across the lifespan. Emphasis will be placed on safe, effective care that addresses client safety, communication, cultural awareness, and legal and ethical issues in nursing. Students will be introduced to nursing process and the scope of practice for practical nursing. Students will learn the importance of documentation and interdisciplinary communication in the clinical setting. In the clinical component of this course, students will be introduced to psychomotor and assessment skills needed to meet the basic human needs of clients. Co-requisite: PN 120, PSY 111.

PSY 111 – General Psychology: (3 Hours) This is an introductory course in psychology designed to acquaint students with such topics as psychological research, physiological processes, learning, development, and theories of personality.

PN 120 – Human Sciences for Nursing: (5 Hours: Didactic 4.5-Lab 0.5) This course focuses on the normal anatomy and physiology of the human body. The development and function of body systems including their interactions with each other will be discussed. Emphasis will also be given to alterations in structure and function of body systems as well as the body as a whole system. A laboratory component will be included. Co-requisite: PN 100, PN 101

PN 101 – Adult Health Nursing I: (3 Hours: Didactic 2-Lab 1) This course addresses health and wellness in the aging adult client. Healthy aging will be discussed, along with psychosocial concerns associated with aging. Students will identify safety and security concerns for the older adult client and will recognize community agencies and facilities that provide a continuum of care to elderly clients including hospitals, home care, assisted living, long-term care, and hospice care. Students will participate in a clinical rotation in a setting that provides basic geriatric care, using skill set attained in PN 100 and those attained in this course. Pre-requisite: PN 100, PSY 111; Co-requisite: PN 120

PN 200 – Pharmacology: (3 Hours) This course provides the student with knowledge of specific drug groups, classifications, generic nomenclature, pharmacological interventions, therapeutic effects, adverse effects, contraindications, and expected outcomes of medication therapies. Students will learn and practice how to administer drugs correctly and safely. Students will learn and practice dimensional analysis arithmetic to master drug calculations needed to ensure safe dosing when administering medications. Pre-requisite: PN 100, PSY 111, PN 120, PN 101; Co-requisite: PN 201

PN 201 – Adult Health Nursing II: (6 Hours: Didactic 5-Lab 1) This course is designed to provide the student with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide nursing care to adult patients in the acute care setting. The course focuses on nursing care before, during and after surgical procedures and treatment of acute and chronic medical conditions requiring hospitalization. An intravenous therapy seminar that meets the Kentucky Board of Nursing requirements is included in this course. Students will participate in a clinical rotation in a setting that provides acute care, using skill sets attained in PN 100, PN 101, and those attained in this course. Pre-requisite: PN 100, PSY 111, PN 120, PN 101; Co-requisite: PN 200

PN 203 – Maternity and Pediatric Nursing: (4 Hours: Didactic 3.5-Lab 0.5) This course explores health promotion and illness prevention of women from the prenatal to postnatal period and the growth and development of the newborn from conception to adolescence. Normal growth and development, as well as, deviations from normal, are explored in the course. The focus is on nursing care concepts necessary to provide a safe, effective care environment for the mother, newborn and child. Students will participate in clinical rotation in a setting that provides maternal, newborn, and pediatric care, using skill sets attained in PN 100, PN 101, PN 201, and those attained in this course. Pre-requisite: PN 100, PSY 111, PN 120, PN 101, PN 201, PN 200; Co-requisite: PN 303

PN 303 – Psychiatric Nursing: (3 Hours: Didactic 2.5-Lab 0.5) This course will explore mental health and psychopathological issues across the life span and the nurse’s role in promoting mental health for psychiatric and behavioral phenomena. Concepts related to safety, quality of care, ethical/legal issues, addictive illnesses, community support, effective communication and treatment modalities is discussed. Students will participate in a clinical rotation in a setting that provides psychiatric care. Pre-requisite: PN 100, PSY 111, PN 120, PN 101, PN 201, PN 200; Co-requisite: PN 203

PN 301 – Adult Health Nursing III: (6 Hours: Didactic 5-Lab 1) This course focuses on health promotion, health maintenance and disease prevention among populations. The course assists students to recognize and analyze the interrelationships between individuals, families, population groups, and communities in determining the health status of each. Students will participate in a clinical rotation in a setting that provides community health care, using skill sets attained in PN 100, PN 101, PN 201, PN 303, and those attained in this course. Pre-requisite: PN 100, PSY 111, PN 120, PN 101, PN 201, PN 200, PN 203, PN 303; Co-requisite: PN 304, ENG 111

ENG 111 – Freshman Composition I: (3 Hours) A course in writing as a recursive process involving the discovery and communication of meaning. The students write, revise, and edit texts with the aim of communicating with various audiences of readers. Students whose final grades are lower than “C” must retake ENG 111 the next semester.

PN 304 – Professional Nursing Capstone: (6 Hours: Didactic 4.75-Lab 1.25) This course will address professional nursing standards, laws and ethical principles, safe practice, communication, and leadership. Students will be guided through the processes associated with preparing for and taking the NCLEX-PN®, seeking a nursing position, and transition from a nursing student to an entry level professional nurse. A 120-hour practicum will be completed within this course in accordance with the regulations of the Kentucky Board of Nursing. Pre-requisite: PN 100, PSY 111, PN 120, PN 101, PN 201, PN 200, PN 203, PN 303; Co-requisite: PN 301, ENG 111

 

Student Handbook

2024 Student Handbook

Program Location

The Practical Nursing program is offered in Campbellsville.

Campbellsville Contact

Sharon Thomas
Practical Nursing Program Coordinator
School of Nursing, Campbellsville

(270) 789-5525

slmosemann@shuangyufloor.com