Academic Programs

After successful completion of the Practical Nursing Program, students will receive the Practical Nursing Diploma and be eligible to take the NCLEX-PN examination. Students may enter the nursing workforce or continue to the Associate Degree in Nursing Program (after graduation students are eligible to take the RN licensing examination). 

PREREQUISITES:  Courses must be taken prior to starting the nursing program: Nursing Assistant (NA) course (from a state approved NA course and location), BIOL 2201 Human Anatomy, EMS 1112 or an equivalent American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR course with an in person skills test-out certification.  Students must remain CPR certified through the completion of the program.

The following course sequence is required for completion of this program. Only students who have been accepted into the Nursing program are allowed to take the NURS courses.  The non-nursing course, PSYC 1150 Lifespan Developmental Psychology, may be taken either before or during the Fall term.  All other prerequisite courses must be taken before the beginning of the program.  Recommended courses to prepare for the Practical Nursing Program are:  MATH 1111 College Algebra, BIOL 2245 Medical Terminology, and CSCI 1102 Computer Applications I.

Notes:  Practical nursing students are required to participate in the ATI Testing Program.

Required end of program assessment will include:

• Completion of a ATI Integrated predictor exam prior to graduation
• Completion of a ATI Review course prior to authorization to test for NCLEX-PN exam.

**Clinical experiences are a part of the program and are done in healthcare facilities located in southwest Minnesota. On-campus and online learning students need to be prepared to travel to assigned clinical sites as part of the program.

The Practical Nursing program at Minnesota West Community and Technical College at the Worthington, Granite Falls, and Pipestone Campuses located in Worthington, Granite Falls, and Pipestone, Minnesota is 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 Practical Nursing program is initial accreditation.
View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding this program on the ACEN website.