Programs - General Description

National Avg. Salary: (Annually)
- Starting:
  $34000
- Experienced:
  $36250
Local Avg. Salary: (Annually)
- Starting:
  $30000
- Experienced:
  $30000
Completion Time
(in months)
- 24
Waiting List:
- No

Sharon McManus

Dean of Nursing

Current Program/Catalog Information

To view current program information, select a program (or "ALL" for all programs) from the drop-down menu.

Nursing - Practical Nursing (Fall Admission) Diploma

Health and Sciences Division

General Description | Semester Layout | Course Requirements | Printable Checklist

Mission

The mission of the Practical Nursing Program is to prepare practical nursing students to be competent, vocational caregivers through a dynamic curriculum and clinical experiences which provide the requisite skills and knowledge for state licensure so that the basic nursing care needs are met in a structured healthcare setting.

Description

The Practical Nursing program prepares students for a vocation requiring intellectual, interpersonal, and psychomotor skills that are based upon biological, behavioral, and humanistic principles. Graduates of the Practical Nursing program are prepared to work in a variety of settings including hospitals, clinics, long term care facilities, and out-patient centers. Upon completion of the program, the student is eligible to apply to take the licensure boards for Licensed Practical Nursing Practice.The mean salary for a LPN is $33,000 annually.

Accreditations, Approvals, and Certifications

This program has been approved by the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensure, & Registration State Board of Nursing (South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation Board of Nursing Synergy Business Park; Kingstree Building 110 Centerview Drive; Suite 202 Columbia, SC 29210 803.896.4550 ) .

NOTE: The LLR Board of Nursing may deny licensure to graduates of nursing programs based on evidence of unlawful acts, incompetence, unprofessional conduct, or other misconduct. Background checks and drug screening will be requested prior to nursing clinical courses. Successful completion of this program does not ensure nursing licensure. Prior charges may preclude a student from eligibility for entering the clinical and from applying to take the NCLEX exam.

Program Entrance Requirements

Course Level

Required Courses

High School

Algebra I, Biology, Chemistry with lab, Computers

(Recommended: Biology with lab)

College

None

NOTE: A grade of "C" or better is required for each prerequisite course.

Other	Required
Diploma or GED	Yes
Approval/Permission Needed -- Application Process Departmental Approval	Yes
Prior Experience/Observation Mandatory attendance at a Nursing Information Session is required.	Yes
Minimum Cumulative GPA of 2.0	Yes
Current CPR Certification by American Heart Association or American Red Cross	Yes
First Aid Certification	No
Hepatitis B Immunization or Signed Informed Refusal or Titer	Yes
MMR Immunization or Titer	Yes
Chicken Pox Vaccination or Titer	Yes
Two-step PPD / Chest X-Ray	Yes
Medical Examination Forms are provided by the college and should be current (within one year) and complete.	Yes
Dental Examination Forms are provided by the college and should be current (within one year) and complete. Dental health must meet departmental standards.	No
Technical Standards Forms are provided by the college and should be current (within one year) and complete.	No
Negative Drug Screen	Yes
Satisfactory Background Check	Yes
Other Diplomas, Licensures, etc.	No
Recent Photograph Photograph will not be returned.	No

Academic Standards

Standard Criteria	Required
Courses requiring a grade of "C" or better Any course with one of the following prefixes: ALL	Yes
Courses that may not be attempted more than twice Any course with one of the following prefixes: PNR	Yes
Complete or Maintain CPR Certification by American Heart Association or American Red Cross	Yes
Curriculum Completion Requirement 24 months	Yes
Drug Calculation Competency Students must demonstrate drug calculation competency each semester in order to progress in curriculum courses.	Yes
Dismissal Policy A student who receives a grade below "C" for any two or more PNR courses will be dismissed from the program and will not be eligible to re-enter the program.	Yes
Re-entry Policy A FDTC or non-FDTC nursing student must petition the Nursing Admission and Advisement Committee regarding potential re-entry.	Yes

Agency Requirements

Students in health majors must meet the published clinical agency requirements when participating in assigned labs. Requirements include immunizations, background checks, and drug testing. To be in compliance with Article, 23, Section 44-7-2920 of the S.C. Code of Law, all students enrolled in AHS 141, DAT 154, DHG 154, HIM 102, MED 102, MLT 110, NUR 160, NUR 201, PNR 110, RAD 101, RES 101, and SUR 101 must complete the requirements listed above prior to being assigned to any direct care entity. Results of the background check/drug screening could affect the student's ability to complete required clinical rotations and/or become credentialed. For example, a felony conviction could make a student ineligible to take the licensing exam(s) required by the profession or prevent the student from participating in the clinical training component.

Graduation Requirements

Complete all required courses specified in the curriculum.
Fulfill all financial obligations to the College.
Achieve a cumulative final GPA of 2.0.
Earn at least 25 percent of the total credit hours of his/her curriculum at FDTC. Exceptions can be made only by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Program Specific Notes

Students who complete Practical Nursing curriculum receive a Diploma in Health Sciences and become eligible to apply to take NCLEX-PN to become Licensed Practical Nurses.

Testing: A testing fee will be charged to students each semester to cover the cost of tests.

Withdrawals: A withdrawal (W) from a PNR course constitutes an attempt and will count as one failure to complete the course. Any student who makes a grade lower than "C" on two PNR courses will be terminated from the curriculum.

Class is selected based on academic records.