Practical Nursing Admission Requirements
Application due February 15
Program Outcomes
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The Practical Nursing Program began in 1970 and celebrated the first graduates in 1971. |
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National licensure examination pass rate (NCLEX) first time testers for the Practical Nursing Program students from 2021, 2022, and 2023 was 100%. 2024 is 92% for first time testers and 100% with one second time tester. Minnesota West’s PN Program was named #1 Nursing Program in Minnesota in 2023! Minnesota West’s PN program passing rates exceeds state and national averages! |
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Job placement for 2023 graduates in the Practical Nursing Program was 92% of students reporting working as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). |
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Student Satisfaction: Graduates of the program in 2024 reported 96.85% overall satisfaction with their education and the Practical Nursing Program. |
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Program Completion (students start and complete the degree program in two semesters) for the Practical Nursing Program in 2024 was 46.9%. |
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Small class sizes are important for student success. The program instructor to student ratio for 2023-2024 is 1:17.5 in lectures courses on campus/1:19.5 in online courses. Lab courses are 1:16 and clinical courses are 1:8. |
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The Practical Nursing Program holds accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). |
Student Learning Outcomes
| Concept | Student Learning Outcome |
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Informatics/ |
Utilize information technology in the health care setting. |
| Managing Care of the Individual Patient | Utilize an established plan of care for an individual patient to organize or assign aspects of care under the direction of a RN or other HCP. |
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Nursing Judgment/ |
Utilize evidence-based nursing judgment when providing and prioritizing care and promoting the health of patients across the lifespan. |
| Patient-Relationship Centered Care | Demonstrate therapeutic communication skills to practice holistic nursing that is patient, culturally sensitive and based on the physiological, psychosocial and spiritual needs of patients across the lifespan. |
| Professional Identity and Behavior | Demonstrate professional behaviors and accountability to legal and ethical nursing practice standards. |
| Quality Improvement | Participate in quality improvement by recognizing opportunities for improvement and collaborating with the health care team to enhance effective and cost-efficient health care services. |
| Safety | Promote quality care, recognize complications and provide a safe environment for patients, self, and others. |
| Teamwork and Collaboration | Serve as a member of the interprofessional team using open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision making to promote safe, quality, patientcentered care. |
Mission & Philosophy
Mission
The Minnesota West Practical Nursing Programs provide nursing education using a variety of delivery methods to a diverse population with the goal of preparing graduates who practice safe, entry-level practical nursing care.
Philosophy
The Practical Nursing Program believes that Practical Nursing (PN) is grounded in the biological, psychological, sociological, and spiritual sciences. Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) care for diverse individuals and families in a variety of inpatient and community-based settings by providing safe, culturally sensitive, individualized patient/relationship centered care and by participating as a member of the health care team. LPNs recognize that teamwork and interprofessional collaboration among health care professionals is critical to delivering safe, quality patient care. The ability to provide safe, patient-centered care is dependent on effectively utilizing information technology and informatics in the healthcare setting. Ongoing quality improvement activities are performed in concert with other members of the health care team. Implementing established evidence–based care is essential to the delivery of quality, safe, patient-centered care. Professional values guide interactions with individuals, families, and the health care team. LPNs demonstrate professional behaviors by exhibiting accountability for ones actions, meeting the health care needs of patients, and assuming legal responsibility for the care provided. LPNs demonstrate professional identity by upholding a commitment to the public and by adhering to an established code of ethics. The major roles of the LPN include provider of nursing care and member of the nursing profession. As providers of care, LPNs contribute to the promotion of wellness, use nursing judgment in the identification of current and emerging patient problems, and function as advocates for individuals and families. LPNs help to manage patient care through the use of established protocols and evidence-based practices incorporating the nursing process and caring as essential tools. In addition, LPNs demonstrate leadership by guiding and directing other LPNs and unlicensed assistive personnel to provide safe, quality patient care within the state’s scope of practice. LPNs provide selected patient education using established protocols and reinforce education provided by other members of the health care team to achieve positive clinical outcomes. The nursing program believes that students graduating from Minnesota West Community & Technical College’s Practical Nursing Program must be ready to practice in a complex and changing clinical environment. The program measures eight student learning outcomes with identified competencies and apprenticeships by which the student must successfully complete to demonstrate proficiency in the role as a graduate of this PN program. From gradual leveling and evaluation in the didactic, lab, and clinical courses, students grow knowledge, skills, and values/attitudes to prepare for the LPN scope of practice. The student is given the opportunity to reflect on the importance of patient/relationship centered care, teamwork and collaboration, leadership skills, quality improvement, safety, informatics/technology, professional identify/behaviors, and nursing judgment/evidence based care within individual practice as a future LPN.
The Practical Nursing and Associate Degree Nursing programs at the Worthington, Pipestone,
and Granite Falls campuses of Minnesota West Community and Technical College, located
in Worthington, Pipestone, and Granite Falls, Minnesota, are accredited by the:
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 975-5000
https://www.acenursing.org/
The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for
the Associate Degree Nursing Program is Continuing Accreditation.
The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for
the Practical Nursing Program is Continuing Accreditation.