Certificate in Practical Nursing

The Certificate in Practical Nursing program is eighteen (18) months in length registered, accredited and approved by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) Office of the Professions. Upon completion, the graduate of the PN Program is eligible to sit for the NCLEX-PN. Medgar Evers College will award a Certificate in Practical Nursing upon the student’s successful completion of all thirty-nine (39) Practical Nursing Program credits.

Program Purposes

1. Provide a program of study designed for students who wish to qualify to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for the Practical Nurse (NCLEX- PN).
2. Provide a foundation for upward mobility in Nursing.

Faculty Statement

Our diverse faculty often teaches across our programs. You may encounter 9-10 shared faculty.

Admission Requirements

Applicants to the Medgar Evers College PN Program at Medgar Evers College must:

1. Hold a High School Diploma or a General Equivalency Diploma (GED).
2. Meet all requirements for admission to Medgar Evers College (MEC).
3. All Science courses must have a grade of “B-”, or higher.
4. Science courses must be current (within 5 years).
5. Any college courses attempted must have a letter grade (no INC)

Retention/Progression through the Certificate in Practical Nursing (CPN) Program

Each candidate in the PN Program must satisfactorily complete the PN Certificate curriculum as outlined:

1. Sequential completion of all pre-requisite, co-requisite, and nursing courses as required.
2. Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 and a grade of B- or better in all biology courses.
3. Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 and a grade of B- or better in all nursing courses.
4. Achieving less than a B- in a nursing course is considered a failing grade. Only one failure in a nursing course is allowed. A second failure in a nursing course will result in dismissal from the nursing program.
5. Schedule advisement sessions each semester with assigned nursing faculty advisor while enrolled in the clinical phase of the nursing program.
6. Pass all three (3) course components lecture, skills lab & clinical to progress. If you fail any component, you must repeat that component during the next available offering.
7. A student who fails the lecture component of a course but successfully passes the skills lab and clinical components is required to complete ten (10) independent hours during the semester they are repeating the lecture.
8. Students are allowed only two opportunities to withdraw from any nursing course during their time in the program. Withdrawing from two classes in the same semester is considered equivalent to one withdrawal.
9. Subsequent withdrawals from a nursing course constitute a dismissal from the nursing program.
10. Complete the program within 3 semesters.

Practical Nursing Program Nclex Scores

Completion and Job Placement Rates

*More than 90% of graduates obtain jobs within six months of licensure.

Credit/Clock Hours

Credit to clock Hours Definition

Didactic: 1 credit hour of didactic equals 50 minutes clock time Didactic- courses can be 2 or 3 credits depending on the course

Skills Lab: 2 credits – 1 hour (is 50 minutes x2) for skills lab this equals of 100 minutes

Clinical: 1 credit hour (is 60 minutes) x 6hrs

Financial Aid Default Rates: Rates are calculated by the United States Department of education every three years.

NSLDS: Official Cohort Default Rate – Schools (ed.gov)

MEC OEPID number : 010097