Available Financial Aid: (For Qualified applicants)
Pell Grant
Guaranteed Student Loan (Stafford)
Job Training Agency
Southwest Training Services, Inc.
SPOC
OVR (Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
VA (Veterans Administration)
TRA (Trade Rehabilitation)
Information provided upon request.
PRACTICAL NURSING
LPN Secretary - Mrs. Margie Adams
(724) 746-2890 ext. 118
The WACTC Practical Nursing Program has been established to meet the health care needs of this area. The Program has been approved by the Department of Education, has full approval of the State Board of Nursing, and is accredited by the National League for Nursing and Middle States. Graduates are Eligible to take the Practical Nurse Licensure Examination (NCLEX-CAT).
The Practical Nursing Program is a formal, faculty-guided 12-month full time, or 24-month part time program and is divided into four (4) levels of instruction totaling 1,582 hours. Clinical experience is given concurrently with theory.
The purpose of the Western Area Career & Technology Center Practical Nursing Program is to provide an educational experience which will prepare students to become competent, safe, effective practical nurses.
As such, they will perform a vital function on the health care team which is engaged in the prevention of illness, care of the sick, and the promotion of health. They will actively participate with other groups in an effort to achieve a level of optimum health for all individuals.
Career Opportunities:
Practical nurses are employed in hospitals, long term care facilities, physicians' offices, dentists' offices, community health clinics, industry, and in private homes under the supervision of registered nurses and licensed physicians. The armed services grant a special rating to licensed practical nurses.
Admission Requirements:
The admission requirements for the program are as follows:
1. High school graduate or G. E. D. equivalent.
2. Seventeen (17) years of age or over.
3. Satisfactory achievement on the Nurse Entrance Test (NET).
4. Appropriate physical and mental health as determined by the pre-entrance physical examination.
5. Acceptable Child Abuse and Criminal Background Clearance in accordance with Elder Abuse Acts 13 and 69.
Persons meeting the educational and residency requirements who wish to take the entrance examination should contact the Practical Nursing Program at the Western Area Career & Technology Center at (724) 746-2890 ext. 118, between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Curriculum:
LEVEL I
Includes those basic sciences which are necessary for an understanding of the principles and practice of nursing. Legal and ethical responsibilities are emphasized as are development of communication skills and an understanding of the family as a basic unit of society.
LEVEL II
Includes teaching of more specific nursing techniques including meeting the needs of the geriatric patient. It also incorporates pregnancy and delivery, and normal growth and development from infancy through the life span.
LEVEL III
Includes nursing care of the patient with the more common diseases entities and the hospitalized child. It addresses the emotional and social impact of hospitalization of a family member.
LEVEL IV
Includes theory and practice in giving nursing care to groups of patients and is designed to make the transition from student to graduate easier and more realistic.
Advanced placement is available for those who meet the criteria. Students must achieve a satisfactory clinical evaluation in courses with a clinical component in addition to a minimum grade level of a C or 75%. Each level is a prerequisite for the next. Therefore, satisfactory completion of each level is necessary for the promotion to the next level. The graduate is qualified to site for the State Board Examination for licensured in Practical Nursing.