As a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) you can feel good about what you are doing — helping others. You can also enjoy being in a profession where there is a need for more people as well as flexibie schedules. The path to becoming an LPN is relatively short and you will have the option to continue on to become an RN if you choose to. You will find students of all ages in this program.
BMCC offers a certificate program to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to fulfill an immediate need in the healthcare workforce and it will also serve as a pathway to other medical careers. The program has 46 credits with 16 credits of general education prerequisite courses and 30 credits of LPN courses. The competitive GPA of the five prerequisite courses (i.e., BIO 111, HED 110, ENG 101, MAT 104, and PSY 100) and the competitive score on an admission test (e.g., HESI A2) would determine admission.
The program will provide you with the knowledge, practical skills and experience to become a valuable professional, contributing to quality healthcare. Students progress through the program by passing all nursing courses with 73% (C) or better. Upon completion of the program, students will be eligible to take the National Council of Licensure Exams for Practical Nursing (NCLEX-PN).
Learn more about Admission to the Practical Nursing Certificate Program.
Image courtesy of the American Nurses Association
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Requirements
Practical Nursing Certificate Program Maps
General Education Courses
- Introduction to the structure and function of the human body with emphasis on both the physiological mechanisms in health and disease, as well as concepts and current issues in human biology. Topics include: the molecules of life, cells, tissues, and organ system homeostasis; the skeleton, muscles, the heart, blood, skin, the sensory mechanisms of the eye, ear, taste, touch, and perception; nervous, endocrine, respiratory systems, the brain, genetics, and immune system, infectious diseases, cancer and nutrition.
Course Syllabus - English Composition is the standard freshman writing course. The course introduces students to academic writing. By its conclusion, students will be ready for English 201 and for the writing they will be asked to do in advanced courses across the curriculum. Students completing ENG 101 will have mastered the fundamentals of college-level reading and writing, including developing a thesis-driven response to the writing of others and following the basic conventions of citation and documentation. They will have practiced what Mike Rose calls the "habits of mind" necessary for success in college and in the larger world: summarizing, classifying, comparing, contrasting, and analyzing. Students will be introduced to basic research methods and MLA documentation and complete a research project. Students are required to take a departmental final exam that requires the composition of a 500 word, thesis-driven essay in conversation with two designated texts. Prerequisite: Pass the CAT-R and CAT-W or Accuplacer tests
- This course in health educations offers a comprehensive approach that provides students with the knowledge, skills, and behavioral models to enhance their physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual health as well as facilitate their health decision-making ability. Areas of specialization include: alcohol, tobacco and abused substances, mental and emotional health, human sexuality and family living, nutrition, physical fitness, cardiovascular health, environmental health and health care delivery. HED 110 fulfills all degree requirements for HE 100. Students who have completed HED 100 - Health Education will not receive credit for this course.
- This course covers computations and measurements essential in the health science professional fields with an emphasis on nursing. Topics include units and systems of measurement, reconstitution of powdered medications, oral and parenteral dosage calculations, adult and pediatric dosage calculations based on body weight, intravenous calculations, and pediatric medication calculations. Students who passed MAT 104.5 cannot take MAT 104 course. Students who passed MAT 104 course cannot take MAT 104.5 course.
Prerequisites: MAT 12, MAT 14, MAT 41, MAT 51 or MAT 161.5
Course Syllabus - The course introduces students to the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. Students will learn about current perspectives, historical roots and scientific methods in psychology. Topics within major areas of psychology may include biopsychology, human development, learning, cognition, social processes, personality and psychological disorders.
LPN Certificate Courses
Semester One
- The fundamentals of nursing for the LPN includes the role of the LPN in health and wellness, an overview of the healthcare delivery system taking and recording vital signs, the nurses role in caring for immobile patient including how to safety mobilize and transfer patients, care of the skin, wound care and prevention of the complications of bedrest An adapted version of the nursing process, is introduced. Other topic subjects include: -Oxygenation, fluid, electrolyte, and Acid-Base Balance, electrolyte replacement, nutrition therapy, urinary and bowel elimination, pre- operative, perioperative and post-operative patient care. How to support the patient through adaptation, for the experience of loss, death and grief. Discussion about the older adult includes sensory functioning, sensory alterations, client safety, and emergency preparedness, rest and sleep, and providing comfort measure to manage pain. Finally, you will explore federal and state statutory issues and legal and ethical nursing care.
Prerequisite: ENG 101, MAT 104, BIO 111, PSY 100 and HED 110 - The first of the practical skills courses which prepares the LPN student for client care in clinical practice. With the emphasis on safe client care, this skills course includes effective and ineffective communication techniques with relatives, patients and the multidisciplinary team, adults with special needs and mental health conditions daily hygiene care of an adult patient, assisting with nutrition and hydration, elimination. Basic life support and management of clients in an emergency is included in this skills course. Additionally, the LPN will learn how to monitor and document vital signs, blood sugar and collect urine and stool samples.
Prerequisite: ENG 101, MAT 104, BIO 111, PSY 100 and HED 110 - Pharmacology and Nutrition Across the Lifespan provides the student with an introduction to basic pharmacology with emphasis on the physiological mechanisms in health and disease across the lifespan from baby to older adult. The emphasis is medication classifications, and potential interactions with different food groups. This course will include care of the client as it relates to the medications, medication regimens and nutrition. Topics included are medication classifications and actions, common adverse reactions, contraindications, precautions, and food interactions. How the LPN monitors and manages adverse reactions and educates clients about the use of these drugs under the supervision of the RN is addressed as part of the course.
Prerequisite: ENG 101, MAT 104 and BIO 111
Semester Two
- This course introduces students to the care of a clients with mental health disorders which require intervention within an acute care or ambulatory care setting. The focus is on the psychosocial needs of clients throughout the life cycle. During this course, the student practical nurse will learn about stress, anxiety, adaptation, coping psychological defense mechanisms and various types of psychiatric/mental health disorders.
Focusing on the use of self as a therapeutic agent, students will learn communication techniques, psychopharmcology and other types of intervention to promote and maintain clients' mental health, as well as assist clients who are mentally ill. Experiences will be provided in psychiatric/mental health settings so that they can effectively care for their patients and their unique mental health needs.
Prerequisite: ENG 101, MAT 104, BIO 111, PSY 100 and HED 110 - This course will introduce the practical nurse to the provision of nursing care for families in the childbearing years. The students will learn how to care for antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum women; newborns; pediatric clients; and their families utilizing a holistic healthcare approach and family-centered care. This includes the physical, psychosocial, growth and development and cultural aspects of nursing care. Care of the maternal and newborn client will include supporting the health of the mother, fetus, newborn, and family by promoting good health habits, reducing risk factors and preparing parents for the responsibilities of parenthood. Care of the pediatric client will include developmentally appropriate physical assessment and nursing care of the whole child including the respiratory, cardiovascular, hematological, cerebral, neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, integumentary, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary systems and disorders. Child abuse recognition and mandated reporting will also be covered.
Prerequisites: LPN 101, LPN 103 and LPN 104
Corequisites: LPN 203, LPN 202 and LPN 204 - This is the second of the practical skills courses which prepares the LPN student to give client care in clinical practice. With the emphasis on safe client care, this skills course includes communication techniques with babies and children and skills in dealing with women during pregnancy, labor and delivery and postpartum care. Additionally, the LPN will learn how to take and record vital signs in babies and children, take a urinary sample from a baby or child, demonstrate understanding of interactive play in children and how to manage a baby/child emergency. Further skills include how to administer IV medication, medication via an N/G or PEG tube, exhibit safety in blood transfusion administration and demonstrate how to insert a female urinary catheter. Medication administration of opioids is also addressed together with storage and checking of controlled substances.
Prerequisites: LPN 101, LPN 103 and LPN 104
Corequisites: LPN 201 and LPN 203 - This unit introduces the students to the care of a client with a disease or disorder requiring medical and/or surgical intervention within an acute care or ambulatory care setting. The content includes the nursing care of patients with selected medical surgical conditions such as neurological conditions, both acute conditions such as head injury and stroke, and clients requiring long term care who have for example - multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease. You will be learning about clients with cardiac, respiratory, gastrointestinal problems and renal conditions commonly seen in long term institutions. Care of the hematological client, clients with reproductive system conditions such as STDs and cancer, and care of the burns patient are just some of the other medical surgical conditions covered within this course.
Prerequisites: LPN 101, LPN 103 and LPN 104
Corequisites: LPN 201, LPN 202 and LPN 204 - The third of the practical skills courses prepares the LPN student to give client centered care in clinical practice. With the emphasis on safe client care, this skills course includes effective and ineffective communication techniques, how to respond appropriately in an emergency or sudden deteriation in a clients condition (basic life support e.g. how to manage a client with epilepsy, cardiac/respiratory arrest, routine suctioning on a stable patient, giving IV medication, setting up running an IV pump, the administration of controlled substances with discussion on safe storage and checking of Controlled substances Additionally, the LPN will promote skin health and apply sterile dressings. Practicum assessments – BLS, setting up oxygen and suction equipment, hanging a wound dressing, routine airway/tracheostomy suction demonstration. Setting up and running IV medication, complex communication methods such as communicating with relatives, colleagues and diverse client groups in difficult situations.
Prerequisites: LPN 101, LPN 103 and LPN 104
Corequisites: LPN 201 and LPN 203
Semester Three
- This course will enable you to care for the older adult and address their unique needs for this you require an understanding of the functional performance of older adults to enable you to assist in care activities which focuses on the restoration and/or maintenance of physical function. This course will provide the student practical nurse with the knowledge skills and abilities to perform their role in gerontology, rehabilitation/restorative care of the older adult population in terms of their age specific characteristics and healthcare needs.
Prerequisites: LPN 101, LPN 102, LPN 103, LPN 104, LPN 201, LPN 202, LPN 203 and LPN 204 - The emphasis in this course is on your transition from Student Nurse to Licensed Practical Nurse. In this course you will examine issues, challenges and current trends in healthcare and how to navigate the clinical setting as a newly qualified Licensed Practical Nurse. This course encourages students to think critically about the nursing profession and career opportunities. You will examine legal and ethical aspects of nursing, cultural and social issues, standards of nursing practice, and inter-professional collaboration, technology in the clinical setting, evidence-based practice and quality improvement.
Prerequisites: LPN 101, LPN 102, LPN 103, LPN 104, LPN 201, LPN 202, LPN 203 and LPN 204
30
Total LPN Certificate Program Credits
46
Total Curriculum Credits
Footnotes
- Students who have successfully completed BIO 425 within 5 years of admission to the program can use that course as a substitute for the BIO 111 requirement.
- ENG 100.5 will also satisfy this requirement.
- MAT 104 must be taken at BMCC. MAT 104.5 will satisfy the requirements of MAT 104.
