Practical Nursing Certificate Program

To enter the program, eligible applicants must take the National League for Nurses (NLN) NEX Examination. Each tester will be responsible for paying the $52.50 NEX Pre-Admission Examination fee.

Pre-Admission Exam for Practical Nursing $52.50

NEX (Nursing Entrance Examination) Pre-Admission Examination Benchmark Scores for Program Entry Fall 2024:

• Verbal – 64%
• Math – 60%
• Science – 62%

• NEX Study Materials
  • NEX Prep Study $32 per content area
    • Material and Practice Exam
• NEX Prep Bundle $75

• Castlebranch – application submission $7.99 and clinical compliance $32 (both one-time payment)
• Nursing Uniforms and supplies (Uniforms, shoes, lab coat, penlight, scissors, stethoscope, and blood pressure cuff) – $250
• NLN NEX Pre-Admission Examination – $52.50
• Background Check – $64

Nursing students are eligible for progression upon meeting the following contingencies:

1. Achievement of a grade of “77” or better is required in all nursing courses listed on the Program of Study, and a cumulative 2.5 GPA must be maintained; if a cumulative GPA of 2.5 is not maintained, the student will be removed from the nursing program and will not be allowed to re-enter the nursing program until the student’s cumulative GPA is a minimum of 2.5. Students should seek advisement from their assigned nursing faculty advisor.
2. Incomplete grade(s) must be removed before progressing to another nursing course.
3. Pre and/or co-requisites must be completed for each nursing course prior to progression. Only one nursing course may be repeated throughout the duration of the program.
4. Once admitted to the nursing program, generic students have a maximum of three years to complete degree requirements.

View the Program of Study

Students will be limited to only one withdrawal throughout the program. Any student who withdraws more than once will be dismissed from the program. A grade of C or better is required of all courses listed on the program of study. Only one opportunity is given to repeat a nursing course. Students whose transcripts show two grades below “C,” either D or F, in nursing courses will not be retained in the Practical Nursing program.

Other reasons for dismissal include any incident where continuing in nursing would be detrimental to the health of the student or to others, verified academic dishonesty, code of conduct violations and unethical practices in classroom or clinical settings. While a student may be dismissed from the nursing program, she/he may not be dismissed from the University and can be assisted with identifying another major.

View faculty advisor assignments

1. Students in good academic standing who have not been enrolled for one or more semesters in the PN program must submit a letter of intention by the 3rd Friday in January for consideration for the following Fall term to be screened for eligibility to register for PN courses.
2. Students who withdraw from the PN program and apply for readmission at a later date, even though the student has earned a “C” grade in nursing courses during a previous enrollment, may be asked to repeat some or all of the nursing courses previously completed, especially if the time between withdrawal and readmission is one year or longer.
3. Any student in the nursing program who has a break in their program of study must demonstrate clinical competencies beginning with the Fundamentals of Practical Nursing skills and the last clinical course that the student was enrolled in.
4. Readmission of nursing students is contingent upon recommendations of the APG Committee and space availability. If a student is readmitted, he/she will be readmitted on space availability under the current curriculum plan.

Students are expected to function as accountable, responsible, and self-directed individuals. The course syllabi provide course details and serve as the student-faculty contracts for the course. The course syllabi and modules identify objectives, teaching methods, learning activities, and evaluation criteria to guide students. Course schedules provide testing details, content and/or assignments.

• Classroom attendance is expected, and academic integrity is required. Absenteeism jeopardizes academic success. A breach in academic integrity will result in dismissal from the nursing program.
• Clinical and Laboratory attendance in nursing is mandatory. All planned learning experiences, whether on-campus or off-campus, are required to meet course objectives. Students are responsible for purchasing and maintaining uniforms and uniform accessories.
• Health clearance through the University Health Services is required annually and is a pre-requisite to clinical placement in accord with the healthcare agency policies and D.C. laws.
• CPR Certification (American Heart Association Healthcare Providers Card Only) must be maintained by all students enrolled in nursing courses.
• Health problems and/or pregnancy, which would interfere with the student’s ability to meet program objectives, will be considered on an individual basis. Students with health problems and/or pregnancy must have written permission from their physician and sign a student release form prior to clinical laboratory and classroom experiences. Specific agency health policies must be observed.  Students are required to sign a Student Release Form. This form includes the following statement:
  • I hereby release the Nursing Program and the University of the District of Columbia Community College from responsibility for any injury or illness to me (or if I am pregnant, my unborn fetus) while attending hospital or other clinical settings. I understand that risks do exist for me (and if pregnant, my unborn fetus) while practicing nursing in the hospital or other clinical settings and I do assume any and all risks involved.

Upon completion of the Practical Nurse Certificate Program, students are expected to:

• Apply rationales for judgments used in the provision of safe, quality care and for decisions that promote the health of patients.
• Display effective and therapeutic communication skills that advance the health outcomes of the patient and family.
• Demonstrate current evidence-based practice based on the values and preferences of patients.
• Demonstrate the use of accurate information and health technology to mitigate errors, support decision-making, and communicate with the interdisciplinary team.
• Demonstrate effective leadership skills that affect the care of individuals and families.
• Recognize the patient or designee as partner in their holistic health care need, preferences, and decision-making.
• Integrate legal standards and ethical principles into nursing practice.
• Use data to monitor and report the outcomes of care processes.
• Demonstrate strategies that minimize risk of harm in the environment for the patient, self, and others.
• Demonstrate effective teamwork/collaboration with interdisciplinary teams to achieve positive patient outcomes.

PN CERTIFICATE PROGRAM STUDENT HANDBOOK