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Practical Nursing Curriculum - Orlando, FL

Introduction | Certification | Curriculum | Careers

Offered at: Altamonte Springs Campus

Practical Nurse Curriculum Requirements

Diploma program
54 weeks
1350 clock hours
High School Diploma/G.E.D
TE AS® test required prior to admission
Limited Enrollment

Theoretical Instruction & Lab Courses - Clinical Experience

PN 100 Health Careers Core

90 clock hours

This course includes health care delivery system, health occupations, communication, interpersonal skills, computer literacy, infection control, and recognition and response to emergency situations. This course also includes safety and security, ethical and legal issues, basic math and science, and wellness and disease concepts. In addition, students receive instruction and certification in HIV/AIDS, Domestic Violence, and OSHA.

PN 102 Medical Terminology

40 clock hours

Students in this course develop the foundation of medical language concepts necessary to communicate as nurses. Students learn word origins, prefixes, suffixes and the application of terminology in patient care. Upon completion of this course, students will have the base knowledge necessary to build a strong professional base of medical terminology.

PN 103 Anatomy and Physiology (Body Structure and Function)

90 clock hours

This course is designed to provide the foundational breadth and scope of anatomical and physiological concepts, for students to build upon. Students will gain a strong foundation on planes, structures and functions of all body systems and the pathology of disease.

PN 104 Human Growth and Development and Family

40 clock hours

Upon completion of this course students will understand the foundational principles of human growth across the life span, from infancy through adulthood and its stages. The student nurse will gain the basic knowledge of human development from conception to death. The presentation of the human life span is performed in ten stages. Students in this course will engage in diverse case presented theories regarding human development which will enhance their cognitive development concerning the stages of life and human development.

PN 105 Vocational Role and Function - Personal Communication: Interpersonal Relationships Skills

15 clock hours

This course is designed to place specific emphasis on the professional aspects of nursing interactions. Specific emphasis in this course is placed on the professional protocols, communication and team dynamics essential to nursing practice. This vital topic includes interpersonal communication, patient communication, chain of command, control of body language, professional presentation, dress code protocols, charting, and the American healthcare culture.

PN 106 Legal Aspects of Practice

15 clock hours

This course provides knowledge and insight on legal and ethical issues in American healthcare. Students in this course will learn laws concerning patient care and nursing practice. Students will discuss contemporary ethical issues critical to healthcare in the 21st century. Emphasis in this course is placed on privacy laws/HIPPA, Patient Rights, and related topics.

PN 107 Nutrition

15 clock hours

Students in this course gain knowledge on the principles of basic nutrition and diet therapy and the application of these principles in the treatment of medical and surgical problems. Emphasis in this course include the basic four food groups, food exchange, protein, fat carbohydrates, water, amino acids, nutrition, fitness and weight control, disease and health. Upon completion of this course students will gain a general understanding on the impact of nutrition and its relation to illness.

PN 108 Pharmacology and Administration of Medications

70 clock hours

Upon completion of this course students will understand the legal implication of drug administration and will gain specific knowledge as to the practical nurse’s responsibility in administering medication. Major medication classifications and their effect on the body system is emphasized in this course. Students will develop a base knowledge of sedatives, hypnotics, antimicrobials, cholinergic drugs, adrenergic blocking drugs, peripheral dilating drugs, pain management, thrombolytic agents, and substance abuse.

PN 109 Mental Health Concepts

20 clock hours

In this course students learn mental health concepts including mental illness, treatment and family issues surrounding patient care and mental health. Emphasis in this course is placed on the care of patients with dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease and other illnesses.

PN-CL 109 Mental Health Concepts (clinical)

65 clock hours

Students in this course observe the care and treatment of patients in the mental health unit or care facility. Students will develop skills in the execution of the plan of care and understand the responsibility of the practical nurse in the mental health setting.

PN 110 Community Health Concepts

NEED HOURS

In this course students learn the role and concepts surrounding community health, health education and public awareness. Students are exposed to community health concepts and the role of public health within the community at large.

PN-CL 110 Community Health Concepts - Health, Clinics, Public School System (clinical)

50 clock hours

Students engage in community health experiences through the various outlets, agencies and public health activities available in the community. Students in this course engage in community health experiences where they can apply their knowledge and experiences for the benefit of the community.

PN 111 Geriatric Nursing

60 clock hours

The geriatric nursing course places emphasis on the patient care needs of elderly patients in the latter stages of life. Students in this course will develop knowledge and skills necessary to perform the appropriate interventions, nursing procedures and protocols, and patient safety considerations.

PN-CL 111 Geriatric nursing (clinical)

120 clock hours

Students in this course engage in the clinical environment specifically attending to the care of geriatric patients. Students in this course engage in patient interactions under the supervision of nurse instructor and provide the patient care necessary to facilitate geriatric care as prescribed by the role of the practical nurse.

PN 112 Medical Nursing

60 clock hours

This course emphasizes the cause of illness and the nursing measures used in caring for the special needs of the medical patient. It builds on theory and skills obtained concurrently in fundamentals. This course focuses on the patient’s physiological and psychological response to stress.

PN-CL 112 Medical Nursing (clinical)

120 clock hours

This course is designed to help students gain a better understanding of basic nursing procedures to include: OSHA guidelines for blood borne pathogens, including effective hand washing, collection of various specimens, dressing changes while maintaining medical asepsis. The student will be taught how to handle intravenous equipment while reducing the risk of microbial contamination.

PN 113 Surgical Nursing

60 clock hours

This course emphasizes the cause of illness and the nursing measures used in caring for the special needs of the surgical patient. This course focuses on the patient’s physiological and psychological response to stress and recovery. Topics include infection, body’s reaction to illness, fluid and electrolyte imbalance, promoting rest, sleep and the body’s response to pain.

PN-CL 113 Surgical nursing (clinical)

120 clock hours

This course is designed to help students gain a better understanding of nursing procedures through participation in the healthcare team’s patient care processes. Students will put into the practice the essential procedures necessary to safeguard the patient, monitor progress and provide care.

PN 114 Obstetric Nursing

40 clock hours

In this course students develop knowledge and understanding of the needs of the obstetrical patient. In addition to basic concepts, students learn about the conditions that affect obstetric patients throughout their pregnancy and appropriate treatment.

PN-CL 114 Obstetric nursing (clinical)

100 clock hours

The clinical experiences are designed to implement theoretical knowledge and application of the nursing principle in the delivery of care to the post partum patient. The student will assist in care following delivery to include recognizing complications of bleeding, maternal distress, voiding and pain management. Since the practical nursing student is not utilized routinely in the obstetrical setting, most skills will be that of observation experience. The nursing principle will be utilized in the obstetrical clinical. Students will be permitted to assist with admission to post partum, vital signs monitoring, fundal monitoring and lochia monitoring. The student will continue to reinforce health promotion, initiated by a registered nurse.

PN 115 Pediatric Nursing

40 clock hours

This course is designed to help the student gain a better understanding of the pediatric patient, ranging from birth to 18 years of age. The nursing principle will be utilized in the pediatric setting. The student will learn children’s immunizations and disease process correlating with pediatric clinical experience. All invasive skills performed in pediatrics are accomplished under the direct supervision of a registered nurse.

PN-CL 115 Pediatric Nursing (clinical)

100 clock hours