2025-2026 College Catalog
Practical Nursing, C.C.
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Program Code: 3400
This program is designed to provide you with classroom theory and clinical experience in nursing skills. The program includes the scientific principles of nursing care common to all patients and the development of the beginning skills necessary to implement a nursing care plan. Guided learning experience in the care of selected patients is provided in community facilities. Upon completion of the program, you will be eligible to take the NCLEX-PN® exam for licensure as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). The program is approved by the Florida Board of Nursing. This Board has the authority to deny a license to you, if you are found guilty of violating Section 456.0635, Florida Statutes (F.S.).
Length: 1350 contact hours / 45 occupational credits
This is a limited access program. Admission to this program occurs once per year. Online applications will be accepted until the posted deadline date at 11:59 p.m. Visit southflorida.edu/healthsciences for important application information and deadlines.
Basic Skills Exit Requirement (TABE):
All students must meet the Exit Requirement (TABE) or qualify for an exemption.
You are exempt if you:
- Earned a GED within the last two years
- Graduated from a Florida high school with a standard diploma in 2007 or later
- Are an adult student with a documented disability
- Hold an Associate in Applied Science degree or higher
Other exemptions may also apply. For more information, contact Advising and Counseling at 863-784-7131.
For non-exempt students:
- You must take the TABE (entry-level exam) within six weeks of starting the program.
- If your test results show you need additional skills, you’ll be referred to applied academics or another adult education program for structured basic skills instruction. This instruction may include English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).
- You must demonstrate the required basic skills before receiving a Career Certificate of Completion, as outlined in the state curriculum frameworks.
Basic Skills Exit Scores (TABE):
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Math |
596 |
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Language |
584 |
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Reading |
576 |
Admission Requirements
| 1. |
Completed online SFSC Admissions Application. |
| 2. |
Demonstrate competency in English, reading, and math. You may satisfy this requirement by completing any one of the following options prior to application to the program: |
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Earn an associate degree or higher; or |
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Entered ninth grade in Florida public school in the 2003-2004 school year, or any year thereafter, and earned a Florida standard high school diploma; or |
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Earned a State of Florida High School Equivalency Diploma (GED®) within two years of admission; or |
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Attained the following scores on approved testing (if TABE® is being used to establish competency, target scores must be achieved prior to program exit): |
Exam
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Score |
| TABE® 11 & 12 (Test for Adult Basic Education - Taken after 12/30/18): |
| Math |
596 or higher |
| Reading |
584 or higher |
| Language |
576 or higher |
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| PERT (FL Education Readiness Test): |
| Reading |
106 |
| Writing |
103 |
| Mathematics |
114 |
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| SAT, The College Board (Since March 1, 2016): |
| Reading Test |
24 |
| Writing and Language Test |
25 |
| Math Test |
24 |
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| ACT with Writing or ACT: |
| Reading |
19 |
| English |
17 |
| Mathematics |
19 |
| 3. |
Official high school transcript, GED®, or equivalent verifying proof of high school graduation. |
| 4. |
Completion of ATI TEAS® entrance exam. |
| 5. |
All required developmental courses must be completed prior to application to the nursing programs. |
Admission Procedures
You are responsible for the following admissions procedures and for ensuring that your records are complete in the Admissions, Registration, and Records Office. No application will be considered unless it is complete.
| I. |
Submit the following to apply to the program: |
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A. |
Completed online SFSC Admissions Application, select Nursing (Practical) major/program |
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B. |
Official high school/GED® transcript |
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C. |
Official transcript from each postsecondary institution |
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D. |
Placement test scores |
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E. |
Take ATI TEAS® entrance exam |
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F. |
Submit references from the following sources may be mailed or delivered by hand if in a sealed envelope: |
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Current or most recent employer or instructor |
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Person of your choice other than a relative |
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| II. |
Once accepted into the program, you will receive instructions to complete the following: |
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A. |
Physical health exam and a record of immunizations from a licensed physician or nurse practitioner (forms will be provided after acceptance into the program). |
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B. |
Florida Department of Law Enforcement fingerprinting (will be scheduled prior to enrollment). |
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C. |
CPR Certification. |
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D. |
10-panel drug screen. |
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E. |
You will be required to submit program documentation through a third-party compliance company throughout the program. |
NOTE: Failure to complete these requirements will result in loss of enrollment into the program.
Selection Criteria
There are specific criteria which will be used when making selections for the program. These criteria are as follows:
| 1. |
The ATI TEAS® is the entrance exam for limited access nursing programs (PN, LPN to RN, and Generic RN). The Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS®) measures basic essential skills in the academic content area domains of reading, mathematics, science, and English and language usage. |
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You will have 209 minutes to complete the exam which consists of the following four subtests: |
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The READING subtest covers paragraph comprehension, passage comprehension, and inferences/conclusions (53 questions). |
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The MATH subtest covers whole numbers, metric conversions, fractions and decimals, algebraic equations, percentages, and ratio/proportion (36 questions). |
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The SCIENCE portion of the exam covers science reasoning, science knowledge, biology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology, basic physical principles, and general science (53 questions). |
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The ENGLISH and LANGUAGE usage subtest measures knowledge of punctuation, grammar, sentence structure, contextual words, and spelling (28 questions). |
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ATI TEAS® components target scores: |
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| Test Content Areas |
Target Score |
| Reading |
70% |
| Math |
65% |
| English |
65% |
| Science |
65% |
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The target scores to be considered for admission to the program are competitive. Scores in the mid-70 range and higher are predictive of program acceptance and success; however, scores in this range do not guarantee acceptance. Scores are reviewed annually and are, therefore, subject to change based on current ATI® data. |
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Applicants who wish to retake the exam to achieve a higher score must retake the entire exam. There must be a minimum of three (3) months between test dates. Each test is considered a combined complete entity. There will be NO combination of scores from separate tests. ATI TEAS® exam results are valid for five (5) years. |
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Test preparation materials are available in the SFSC Campus Store (Highlands Campus), SFSC Library, and online at atitesting.com. |
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| 2. |
Review of professional references. |
Selection Process
| 1. |
If you meet the minimum requirements by application deadline, you will be rank ordered, highest to lowest, based on your earned Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS®) score. |
| 2. |
In cases where all credentials are equal, the following criteria will be used in the given sequence to determine who will be admitted into the program: |
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A. |
Residence in service district. |
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B. |
Completed application date. |
General Information
| 1. |
SFSC reserves the right to deny admission to you, if you lack the necessary qualifications for PN Program. You must reapply if you wish to be considered for a subsequent class. Each class is selected from a new applicant pool. |
| 2. |
Expenses (approximate) incurred upon acceptance to the program include a Level II background screening, a 10-panel drug screen, CPR certification, and online document manager. |
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| CPR |
$65 |
| Drug Screen/Document Tracker |
$70 |
| FDLE Level II Background Check |
$62 |
| Physical Examination |
Variable |
| Required Titers and Immunizations |
Variable |
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| 3. |
The nursing program at SFSC has a stringent attendance policy. It is imperative that you understand and agree to abide by the published attendance standards prior to entering the program. The attendance policy is published in the Nursing Student Handbook which specifies the number of allowable absences for each portion of the program. If you have life or health conditions that might hinder attendance, you may wish to consider another program or delay application until a strong commitment to attendance can be made. |
| 4. |
An official criminal history background check and a drug screen are required for entry into the Practical Nursing Program. Be aware that some providers of clinical experiences will not allow individuals with certain types of criminal history into their facilities. This may prevent entrance into the program, because such individuals would not be able to successfully complete clinical portions of the nursing program. A criminal history may also prevent you from being allowed to take the NCLEX® examination for licensure by action of the Florida Board of Nursing. For more information or questions regarding your status, contact the Board of Nursing at 850-245-4125 or access information at doh.state.fl.us/nursing. |
| 5. |
SFSC is a drug-free campus. As a student, you may be required to submit to random drug testing at your expense. |
Academic Requirements
An overall grade of 75 or higher in each and every nursing course is required. Theory and clinical grades are computed separately. Minimal passing grade for each is 75%.
Approximate Program Costs
| Admission fee |
$ 15 |
| Background check/drug screen/document management |
132 |
| CPR |
65 |
| Graduation fee |
15 |
| Laboratory fees which include uniforms, clinical lab skills kit, |
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| NCLEX® Review, and NCLEX® testing fees |
2,136 |
| Medical costs (varies by provider) |
500 |
| Resident tuition |
3,983 |
| Textbooks |
1,225 |
| Approximate Total |
$ 8,071 |
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