The Practical Nursing curriculum provides knowledge and skills to integrate safety and quality into nursing care to meet the needs of the holistic individual which impact health, quality of life, and achievement of potential.

Coursework includes and builds upon the domains of healthcare, nursing practice, and the holistic individual. Content emphasizes safe, individualized nursing care and participation in the interdisciplinary team while employing evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and informatics.

Graduates are eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN), an exam required for practice as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Employment opportunities include hospitals, rehabilitation/long-term care/home health facilities, clinics, and physicians’ offices.

Admission to PN Program

Prerequisites

Curriculum students should be ENG/MAT “ready” in order to enter ECC Health Sciences programs. For clarification, students must be eligible to take ENG 111  and/or MAT 110  with or without the RISE co-requisites by the program start date.

Prerequisite Coursework:

• BIO 094  or Test Out
• ENG 002  with a Minimum Grade of P2
• MAT 003  with a Minimum Grade of P1 or MAT 110  

Admission Requirements

ATI/TEAS

Scores must be within five years of the application date.

• A 58% or greater on the Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI/TEAS) for the PN program.
• If testing occurred at a site other than ECC, test results are delivered to the College through official means by the agency that administered the test. Contact atitesting.com or (800) 667-7531.
• All four sections of the ATI/TEAS were taken.
• No more than two ATI/TEAS scores per fiscal year (July 1-June 30), at least 28 days apart, will be eligible.
• ATI/TEAS Test Review Guide

GPA

Admission GPA

• A minimum GPA of 2.5 on Nursing curriculum general education courses taken through the Fall semester is required.
• The college uses the highest grade attained in general education courses in the GPA calculation for admission.
• An overall 2.0 GPA on all attempted courses at ECC is required.

Ranking GPA

The college uses the grades in all attempted Nursing curriculum general education coursework in the GPA calculation for ranking, including courses with grades below a “C” from any college. Only transfer credits from regionally or nationally accredited institutions will be accepted.

Ranking Point Score

• Applicants to the PN program who receive an overall ATI/TEAS score of 58% or higher are ranked based on a point score from their ATI/TEAS score, their BIO GPA, and quality points on all attempted general education coursework in the curriculum.
  • The Biology GPA carries greater weight in the point score than other general education courses.

Admission Steps for PN

Repeat steps for each year of application.

Step I: Application Process (March 1)

• Attend the mandatory Health Sciences Orientation.
• Complete a Nursing Information Session between September 1, and February 28 (Please submit certificates to the Nursing Counselor by 5:00 p.m.).
• Submit all by March 1:
  • If not currently enrolled, submit an updated online ECC application for admission
  • Official high school transcripts or equivalency
  • A partial transcript if currently enrolled in high school. Students must submit a final transcript at the time of graduation.
  • Official transcripts from all colleges attended
  • A PN Program application after attending the Nursing Information Session (attendance required every year of application)
  • ATI/TEAS score(s) to Student Services. If testing occurred at a site other than ECC, test results are delivered to the College through official means by the agency that administered the test. Contact atitesting.com or (800) 667-7531.

Step II: Ranking

• The college ranks eligible applicants according to their point scores. The highest-ranked applicants who have a 2.5 admission GPA or greater will move to Step III.
  • The highest twenty (20) ranked PN applicants will move to Step III.
• Applicants who have a 2.5 admissions GPA but do not have a point score high enough to move to Step III will initially remain at Step II and receive an email notification that they are on a waiting list. Many applicants will give up their seats for a variety of reasons, which opens up places for applicants still on the waiting list.
• Ranked applicants with a 2.5 admission GPA will move to Step III as seats become available over the summer.
• All applicants who remain at Step II at the end of the spring semester will have their point score recalculated with spring grades and will be re-ranked. Re-ranked applicants with a 2.5 admission GPA will move to Step III as seats become available over the summer.
• The admission application cycle ends July 31.

Step III: Conditional Acceptance

• The highest-ranked applicants will receive a letter via email of conditional acceptance and a medical form.
• Accept or reject the seat via email to the Nursing Admissions Counselor by the due date.
  • Applicants must complete a medical form, background check, and drug screen by the due dates.
  • Applicants must maintain a 2.5 admissions GPA or higher through spring and summer terms.

Step IV:  Final Acceptance

The college will notify applicants who meet the clinical agencies’ employee health standards, background, and drug screen requirements of final acceptance. The cost of meeting these requirements can be significant and final acceptance is dependent on meeting the due dates listed in the conditional acceptance letter.