Nursing - Vocational

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Midland College offers a certificate in Vocational Nursing on the main campus in Midland and in Fort Stockton at the Williams Regional Technical Training Center (WRTTC). The Midland College Vocational Nursing program is approved by the Texas Board of Nursing, located at 333 Guadalupe, Suite 3-460, Austin, Texas 78701; phone (512) 305-7400. 

The Vocational Nursing Program is a one-year (12-month) program leading to a certificate. Satisfactory completion of the program qualifies the individual to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nursing (NCLEX-PN) which in turn allows the individual to become licensed to practice as a vocational nurse (LVN). Licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) provide basic nursing care. They work under the direction of registered nurses and doctors. They work in many settings including nursing homes and extended care facilities, hospitals, physicians’ offices, and private homes.

Admission Requirements

The Vocational Nursing program has limited enrollments based on specific admission criteria. The admission criteria are as follows:​

1. Complete the online Health Sciences General Application for Admission.
2. Hold a high school diploma or GED.
3. The applicant must satisfy all areas of the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) either by testing or exemption.
4. Provide official transcripts of all college work to the LVN program clerk and the Midland College Registrar’s office.
5. The applicant must complete the background check process with the Texas Board of Nursing before being accepted into the vocational nursing program.
6. The applicant must obtain a satisfactory score on the nursing entrance exam, Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS), most current version. The minimum acceptable score is in the academic preparedness category of Basic. Applicants must wait 6-weeks between retakes. The TEAS score is valid for 2 years.
7. Hold a current Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) license.
8. Applicants who were born and educated through high school outside the United States must obtain a minimum score of 79 on the TOEFL iBt (Test of English as a Foreign Language). The TOEFL score is valid for two years.
9. Training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) must be completed prior to the start of classes for students accepted into the program. Healthcare Provider Basic Certification must be obtained from the American Heart Association. Online CPR training is not acceptable.
10. The applicant must provide a record of required immunizations, including three doses of the hepatitis B vaccine, two doses of mumps-measles-rubella (MMR) or titer, current tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap), and varicella (chicken pox) vaccine or titer. All immunizations must be complete in order for the application to be considered for admission. Clinical agencies require students to have the current influenza vaccine and tuberculosis screening each year. These requirements can be met after being accepted into the program.

Admission points will be awarded if the applicant has completed the following courses with a grade of “C” or above:

• VNSG 1320  Anatomy and Physiology for Allied Health - this course must have been completed within the last five (5) years. The program chair can approve course substitutions for this course. The course substitutions are BIOL 2401  Anatomy and Physiology I and BIOL 2402  Anatomy and Physiology II, or BIOL 2404  Human Anatomy and Physiology. The grades for both courses are averaged to determine the number of admission points.
• HPRS 1106  Essentials of Medical Terminology - this course must have been completed within the last two (2) years.

Additional admission points will be awarded for the following:

• EDUC 1100  Effective Learning
• Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Institutional Award
• Certificate awarded by an accredited college.
• Degree awarded by an accredited college.
• Applicants that score higher than an academic preparedness level of “basic” on the TEAS exam will be awarded the following admission points:
  • Level of Proficient - 5 points
  • Level of Advanced - 8 points
  • Level of Exemplary - 10 points

Completion Requirements

To successfully complete the program, students must earn a grade of C or higher in all degree plan coursework. Additionally, candidates must complete the NCLEX-PN review course during their final semester. General education courses may be taken earlier than outlined in the curriculum plan but must be completed no later than the designated semester. Nursing courses must be taken in the prescribed sequence to ensure proper progression through the program.

In addition, the Texas Board of Nursing requires all applicants for initial licensure by examination to pass the board-approved jurisprudence exam. For full details, visit: Texas Board of Nursing.

Learn more about Vocational Nursing.

Programs

• Certificate, Nurse - Vocational

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