Career Opportunities

Graduates find jobs in a variety of health care settings, such as: hospitals, extended care facilities, home health agencies, state and federal health related facilities, private duty nursing and in physician and dentist office private settings. Completion of this major and earning an associate of applied science degree could help graduates advance within an organization, enjoy more job-related options or have a competitive advantage for jobs or promotions.

Recommended High School Subjects

Students will need to meet Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing (PA SBON) requirement for nursing programs. These requirements include standard high school coursework with a minimum of 16 units including:

• 4 units of English
• 3 units of Social Studies
• 2 units of Mathematics (1 of which is algebra)
• 2 units of Science with a related laboratory or the equivalent

Special Admissions Requirements

Anyone desiring entrance into this major must first gain admission to Penn College. Acceptance into this selective admission major is based upon additional requirements beyond College admission. Details are available on the Selective Admission Criteria and Process webpage.

Special Equipment Needs

Students in this major are expected to purchase a dual head stethoscope, a custom nursing kit (must be purchased at the College Store), uniforms, malpractice insurance, medical insurance, clearances, certifications, and various smaller items. Refer to the estimated expenses and equipment costs for a complete list.

Laptop Computer Required  

• Windows 10 or higher, macOS 11 or higher (recommended).
• Intel Core i5 or i7 (generation 10 or higher) processor (recommended).
• 8+ GB RAM (recommended).
• 250+ GB Solid State Disk (SSD) drive (recommended).
• Laptop must include a webcam and microphone (required).
• Laptop must include a wireless network card (required).
• Broadband Internet connection when working off campus (required).
• Additional plug-ins may be required (Information Technology Services - Service Desk available for assistance).
• Chromebooks and other devices running ChromeOS are prohibited.

Remediation Strategies

Students must complete all required remediation in math prior to being considered for selection into the major. Students are expected to remediate any deficiencies as explained in the College Catalog (see https://www.pct.edu/catalog/admissions-policy).

Transfer Procedures

Transfer standards established by the College require a minimum of a “C” in transfer courses. Official transcripts must be sent to the Penn College Admissions office. The College may also request official high school transcripts or an official GED score report. For fall acceptance, transcripts need to be received by June 1. Students transferring from other Colleges will have their nursing credits evaluated by Penn College nursing officials after acceptance into the major.

Program Goals

• demonstrate behaviors of accountability and professionalism according to legal and ethical standards for a competent LPN. (Professional Behaviors)
• demonstrate a caring, empathetic approach to safe, therapeutic, and individualized care to clients of diverse ages, religions, and socioeconomic, ethnic, or cultural backgrounds. (Consumer-Centered Care)
• collaborate with the RN and other members of the healthcare team to develop, implement, re-enforce and evaluate patient and family teaching across the life span. (Teaching and Learning)
• collaborate with RNs and other members of the healthcare team to organize and incorporate assessment data to plan, revise, and reinforce patient care, teaching, actions based on established nursing diagnoses, nursing protocols, assessments, and evaluation data. (Nursing Process)
• collect holistic assessment data from multiple sources, communicate data to appropriate health care providers, and evaluate client response to interventions. (Informatics)
• effectively communicate with patients, significant support person(s), and members of the interprofessional health care team, incorporating interpersonal and therapeutic communication skills. (Communication)
• use current scientific knowledge, mathematical skills, and technical skills to implement patient care at the direction of RN, physician, or dentist through performance of nursing interventions or directing aspects of care, as appropriate, to unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). (Evidence-Based Practice)

Performance Standards

All students offered a seat in this major are required to maintain a math/science grade calculation of 2.0 or greater and a cumulative graduation GPA of 2.25 or greater prior to entering the first nursing course. If a student does not maintain the required grade calculations, the student will relinquish his/her seat and be placed into the pre-nursing major. Re-selection into the major will be required during the next selection period and will follow the current selective admission criteria. In addition, all students must earn a “C” (2.0) or greater in all NUR and BIO courses; if a lower grade is earned in any of these courses, the course must be repeated.

The following grading system is applied to all nursing courses in this major. There is no rounding of grades: 

Notice of Conviction

Child abuse clearances and criminal background checks are required for this major as established by clinical affiliation agreements. Agencies can prohibit students from participating in clinical experiences at their sites if a criminal record exists or a positive drug test is noted. By virtue of contract for Pennsylvania College of Technology students to be at clinical sites, agencies have the right to ask for random drug testing. Inability to complete clinical, fieldwork, or intern educational experiences will result in the inability to meet program and course outcomes. For additional clarification, students can speak with their program director.

The Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing advises that a drug-related conviction and/or conviction of a felonious act or two misdemeanors might result in denial and/or revocation of a license to practice nursing. In accordance with the Professional Nurse Law, Act of 1951, P.L. 317, No. 69, as amended, the Pennsylvania Board of Nursing shall not issue a license to an applicant who has been convicted of a felonious act prohibited by the Act known as "The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act" or convicted of a felony relating to a controlled substance in a court of law of the United States or any other state, territory or country unless at least 10 years have elapsed from the date of the conviction.

Penn College complies with the federal Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989. Pursuant to this Act, all forms of marijuana, including medical marijuana, are classified as prohibited controlled substances. Additionally, alcohol, illegal drugs, and legal drugs obtained without a prescription, or which may impair a student’s ability to perform his/her educational responsibilities are strictly prohibited. Students are subject to drug screening at various phases of the program. Please note that a positive drug screening for marijuana will be deemed a positive test and will result in a student being dismissed from the program, even if the student has been lawfully certified to use medical marijuana and/or possesses a valid medical marijuana identification card issued in accordance with applicable state law.

Accreditation

The practical nursing program at Pennsylvania College of Technology located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania is fully approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing and is accredited by the:

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, Georgia 30326
(404) 975-5000

The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the practical nursing program is continuing accreditation.

View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding this program at http://www.acenursing.us/accreditedprograms/programSearch.htm