Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN)

Program Start Date: Spring 2023
Minimum Program Length: 58 academic weeks; 4 consecutive terms; 44-46 credits
Program ID:  DASC.PN
Curriculum Code: 15209

Program Description

The Practical Nursing diploma prepares students for employment as beginning level-staff nurses under the direction of a registered nurse or physician. 

Practical Experience

Students gain interpersonal and technical skills through clinical rotations in affiliated hospitals, clinicals, physicians’ offices, health care facilities, and lab simulations. 

Professional Opportunities

Licensed practical nurses

Unique Aspects

Weighted admission criteria is used in the selection of students for entry into the LPN program. Students must be able to independently lift 25 lbs. Students must maintain an 80% or higher in all nursing courses in order to progress through the program. Students will be required to demonstrate continuous competency and passing competency exams associated with certain courses within the curriculum prior to being allowed to progress to the next curriculum courses or to graduate from the program. Students who are unsuccessful at passing competency exams after a pre-determined number of attempts will not be allowed to continue in or graduate from the program regardless of previous course grades. A criminal background investigation (CBI) and drug testing are required at student expense for each Health and Human Services student who has been accepted into a Spartanburg Community College curriculum program of study. For more information, please visit the Criminal Background Investigations and Drug Testing Policy section of the SCC webpage. To become a licensed practical nurse and to obtain employment as a licensed practical nurse, graduates must pass the Computer Adaptive Testing National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-PN). Graduates who successfully pass the NCLEX-PN must apply for licensure in their home state. South Carolina is a part of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) which allows nurses to have one multistate license with the ability to practice in the home state and the other 33 states in the compact. Please visit https://www.ncsbn.org/nurse-licensure-compact.htm for a complete list of US states and territories in the Nurse Licensure Compact. There are legal limits for state licensure in South Carolina for graduates with prior criminal records. 

EEDA Career Cluster:

Health Science

Program Learning Outcomes:

Students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate proficiency in the performance of nursing skills and medication administration within the scope of practice.
2. Demonstrate reasonable clinical judgments using the nursing process to provide culturally competent client-centered care across the lifespan.
3. Demonstrate the use of effective communication.
4. Collaborate as a member of the interprofessional team in the management of patient and family-centered care in the health of communities and populations.
5. Demonstrate professionalism and ethical self-accountability.
6. Use evidence-based practice to advocate for patients and families across the lifespans