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Practical Nursing

We are excited to share the School of Nursing has moved to the Pruitt Campus in Port St. Lucie! All classes and nursing skills laboratories will be held at Pruitt as of Fall 2023.

Applications for the Spring 2024 program are closed. Please check back for application updates.

Apply Here

Licensed Practical Nurses (L.P.N.s) are trained to work under the direction of doctors and registered nurses to assist with examining and treating patients; measure and record patient vital signs; prepare and administer injections; dress wounds; assist patients with bathing, dressing and eating; and record the progress of patients.

Once You Complete the Program

Graduates seek employment at a hospital, physician’s office, clinic, surgery center, nursing home, school system, private home or residential care facility after passing the National Council Licensure Examination.

Getting Started

The Practical Nursing program is offered through the IRSC School of Nursing. Applicants should carefully review the application procedures outlined in the Application Booklet and on this page. Admissions to the Practical Nursing program is on a selective-admissions basis. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application process is completed.

For more information, email:
IRSCSONPrograminfo@irsc.edu

School of Nursing

The School of Nursing at Indian River State College (IRSC) is committed to meeting the educational needs of future and current professional and vocational nurses within an ever-changing healthcare system. Faculty facilitates student achievement utilizing various teaching modalities.

In our effort to serve the diverse communities and cultures within the four-county area, we provide:

  • Quality, student-centered learning to promote student success
  • Innovative multi-dimensional learning experiences
  • Partnerships within the community that promote cultural enrichment and opportunities to strengthen involvement in local, natural, and global health issues
  • Commitment to excellence in nursing education, practice, and lifelong learning

Practical Nursing (clock hours)

The Practical Nursing program is a 1350 clock hour program. Students may complete the program after successful enrollment in four courses.

Information Sessions

Free information sessions are held periodically throughout the year. Upcoming sessions:

Applying to the Practical Nursing (P.N.) Program

Prior to beginning the application process:

  1. Read the Practical Nursing Application Booklet.
  2. Complete and submit the IRSC Nursing Application for the Practical Nursing program ($30 fee; keep a copy of your receipt).
  3. Register, pay and complete the HESI A2 Admission Assessment Exam.

Begin Application

Note: If at any time during the application process you have a change in personal information (name change, address, phone number, or emails), submit the changes through MyPioneerPortal and to the School of Nursing at 772-336-6330.

The HESI A2 Admission Assessment Exam is a computerized test used by the IRSC Nursing Department to assess the academic ability of perspective PN and RN students. The HESI A2 is a multiple-choice exam consisting of six sections (Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and General Knowledge, Basic Math, Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, and a Learning Style Inventory) and it takes approximately 4 hours to complete. Only students who are applying to an IRSC Nursing Program should register for this test.

The School of Nursing will notify applicants via email regarding the status of their application six to eight weeks after the application closes. An initial email will be sent to those who have been provisionally accepted into the program to their IRSC RiverMail account or personal email if RiverMail account is not yet active.

Final acceptance into the program is contingent upon satisfactory results from a

  • Physical examination with immunization,
  • Drug screen,
  • CPR certification and
  • Federal Bureau of Investigations National Background Check (FBI/NBC).

Additional information regarding physical examination, immunizations, drug screen, background check, CPR and Performance Standards for Admission and Progression is available in the Practical Nursing Application Booklet. 

Specific deadline dates will be required for submission of these documents. Information for obtaining these tests/reports will be provided in a mandatory meeting—date to be specified in the provisional acceptance letter from the School of Nursing.

These reports should not be submitted with initial application materials.

Licensure Requirements

Indian River State College offers a number of different degrees and certificates leading to professional licensure in the state of Florida.  Some professions require both a degree and the successful completion of additional criteria such as licensure exams, field placements, or clinical hours. Student eligibility to apply to sit for the NCLEX-PN exam in the State of Florida is defined in 464.008, F.S., and also includes possession of a valid form of identification and a social security number. Please visit the Florida Board of Nursing to ensure your eligibility.

Professional Licensure and Certification Disclosure Table for Nursing

Additional Program Information

HOSA

This is a national organization which supplements and complements the health occupations education curriculum. HOSA provides students in secondary, postsecondary and collegiate programs with opportunities to develop personal, leadership and career skills needed by healthcare providers. HOSA helps develop the total person, not just job-specific skills. The rapidly changing healthcare system needs workers who are technically skilled, people-oriented and capable of accepting leadership positions as a member of a team.  Join now.

Career Training

Students enrolled in the Practical Nursing Career Training program build increasingly sophisticated skills in 150-hour modules. For course descriptions, see the College Catalog.

Career Coach Employment Outlook


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