Practical Nursing (PN)

Fall and Spring Entry

(The Nursing and Simulation Center at Tradition)

Students declaring the Practical Nursing track enter the PN Exit Option during the Spring or Summer semester.

At Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, we are proud to offer nursing program options which will allow our students to choose the nursing career path that is best suited to their current needs.

The nursing options at MGCCC include the following programs:

• Associate Degree Nursing
• Practical Nursing
• LPN to RN Transitional (Hybrid & Non-Hybrid)

The Practical Nursing (PN) program option includes one semester of pre-requisites and three semesters of nursing course work. The curriculum consists of nursing courses included in the first year of the ADN curriculum, as well as, one semester of PN exit courses. The PN program is designed to prepare students to become licensed practical nurses. The program is state accredited by the Mississippi Community College Board (MCCB), 3825 Ridgewood Road Jackson, MS 39211 (601 432-6518) and nationally accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. (ACEN), 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326 (404- 975-5000)
 

Practical Nursing Accreditation Status:
Year of Initial Accreditation:	July 1998
Continuing Accreditation:
Last Evaluation Visit:	March 1-3, 2011
Most Recent Action:	June 2011
Next Evaluation Visit:	Spring 2020

Successful completion of the Practical Nursing Option leads to an MGCCC diploma. Graduates will be eligible to apply for Licensure from the Mississippi Board of Nursing and take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nursing® given by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) and will earn the title Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) credentialed upon successful completion of the exam.

Program Mission, Concepts and Outcomes

The mission of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Nursing Program is to provide a learning environment that facilitates the development of qualified persons in the community to achieve the goal of becoming nurses who value the concepts of caring, competence and professionalism.

The Concepts and Outcomes of the Practical Nursing program are:

• Practice nursing that is client centered, caring, culturally sensitive and based on the physiological, psychosocial and spiritual needs of clients (Client-Centered Care).
• Serve as a member of the interdisciplinary health care team to promote continuity of client care (Interdisciplinary Collaboration)
• Use current evidence from scientific and other credible sources as a basis for nursing practice and clinical judgment (Evidence-Based Practice).
• Promote quality improvement by contributing to implementation of care related plans to improve health care services (Quality Improvement).
• Provide a safe environment for clients, self and others (Safety).
• Use information technology in the provision of client care (Informatics).
• Provide selected health-related education with guidance (Client-Education).
• Practice nursing in a professional, ethical, and legal manner (Professionalism).

Admission Procedure

After successful completion and submission of ALL academic and entry requirements (see section below), the student is eligible to complete the Nursing Supplemental Application for Program Admission.

Fall Semester Application Submission: Between April 15th and July 1 complete and submit the online Supplemental Application.

Spring Semester Application Submission: Between August 15th and November 1st complete and submit the online Supplemental Application.                                       

To complete and submit the online Supplemental Application:

          1.  Access the college’s web page mgccc.edu
          2.  Click on Web Services (top tab)
          3.  Enter the GCID (M#) and Password
          4.  Select Student
          5.  Select Health Sciences Division Supplemental Application
                   
Thereafter, the applicant MUST read the guidelines carefully.  In order to complete and submit the application, college admission and ALL pre-requisite requirements are required.

Practical Nursing Admissions Checklist 18/19  

Supplemental Application Deadline Dates:                   

• Fall semester - July 1      
• Spring semester - November  1                                                   

(If deadline falls on a weekend, holiday, or closing, the deadline is 5 p.m. on the next college business day).
ALL required test scores, transcripts, and entry items (CBC, pre-orientation, etc.) must be completed with results placed in Banner (MGCCC’s computer information system) by the appropriate college employee prior to the deadline. In addition, any outstanding college holds must be clear in order for the applicant to complete and submit the supplemental program application. Incomplete applications will not be considered. (MGCCC reserves the right to review additional supplemental applications following the posted deadline).

Academic and Entry Requirements

• Completion of the Enhanced ACT is a program requirement.  A score of 18 or higher taken October 1, 1989 or later is required.  However, if the ACT score is less than 18, an applicant can qualify by  successfully completing 24 semester hours of the program’s degree-required courses maintaining a GPA of 2.5 or higher. The 24 credit hours must include Anatomy and Physiology I, Anatomy & Physiology II and Microbiology with a grade of “C” or better in each. Science Courses (A&P I, II & Microbiology) must be less than 5 years old unless the applicant is a LPN to RN Transitional student, a post professional BS degree conferred student, or has a conferred Health -related Associate of Applied Science Degree. (A post Baccalaureate-Degree student is defined as a student who currently holds a bachelor’s degree and is now pursuing the Associate of Applied Science Degree or a diploma in Nursing). An applicant earning two or more final grades of D and/or F in one or more required science courses must wait five years to apply following the most recent failed science course.
• A core grade point average of 2.5 or higher (A core GPA is defined as the average of the best grade achieved for all required  courses). If you have taken extra courses, not required by the program or previous nursing courses,  those courses will NOT be used to calculate the GPA.
• Review the online mandatory Pre-Health Sciences Orientation Session prior to completing the supplemental application for program ranking.  The session can be viewed anytime and anywhere you have access to the internet.  The Power Point presentation gives you valuable information on topics common to all health science programs at MGCCC.   Even without the ability to speak directly or interact immediately with a health sciences advisor, the session speaks to frequently asked questions from program entrance to completion.  In order to receive credit for viewing the session, follow the steps below.  The information is approximately one (1) hour in length.                                                         

To complete this requirement do the following:

1.   Access the college’s web page mgccc.edu
2.   Click on Web Services (top tab)
3.   Enter the GCID (M#) and Password
4.   Select Student
5.   Select Health Sciences Division Supplemental Application Orientation Session.                                                                                      
6.   In order to receive credit, you must review the entire session.
7.   Click survey complete so that your log-in information will be recorded in the college’s BANNER system.

• The ATI TEAS® measures basic essential skills in the academic content areas of reading, mathematics, science, and English and language usage. To help ensure students’ best results, is to limit the number of retakes per year with remediation periods between retakes.  The following MGCCC  TEAS guidelines apply:

1. Achieve a composite score of 60 or above on the ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) VI exam.
2. ATI TEAS exams taken prior to August 1, 2016 are NOT acceptable.
3. Effective August 1, 2017, applicants taking the TEAS exam are limited to three (3) retakes in one (1) year with remediation periods required between each retake.

Applicants making less than 60 on the TEAS VI exam (1st attempt) are required to:

A. Wait a minimum of 30 days to retake TEAS VI.
B. Prior to retesting, complete the ATI TEAS Online Practice Assessment - Form A (see atitesting.com for price and guidelines).
C. Print and File the assessment results as your ticket to retake.
D.  Register to test again with atitesting.com (2nd test date must be at least 30 days after first attempt date).
E. On day of testing, present to the college proctor the following items: MGCCC student ID and your Form A assessment results (Student ID and Assessment information must match).

Applicants making less than 60 on the 2nd TEAS VI exam attempt are required to:

A. Wait a minimum of 30 days to retake TEAS VI.
B. Prior to retesting , complete the ATI TEAS Online Practice Assessment - Form B (see atitesting.com for price and guidelines).
C. Print and File the assessment results as your ticket to retake.
D. Register to test again with atitesting.com (3rd test date must be at least 30 days after 2nd attempt date).
E. On day of testing, present to the college proctor the following items: MGCCC student ID and your Form B assessment results (Student ID and Assessment information must match).

Applicants making less than 60 on the 3rd TEAS VI exam attempt are required.

A. Wait a minimum of one year following the first TEAS attempt.
B Remediate again utilizing ATI TEAS Online Practice Assessment - Form A.
C. Print and File the assessment results as your ticket to retake.
D. Register to test again with atitesting.com (considered first attempt in 2nd one (1) year cycle).

• Comply with Mississippi law requiring a Criminal Background History Check with Fingerprinting through the Mississippi Department of Health. All students making application to a Health Science program at MGCCC are required to obtain a clear or acceptable Criminal Background Check from the MGCCC Campus Police Department at JD, JC, Perkinston, or GC Campus.  The criminal background check policy (including testing dates and times) can be viewed at Health Sciences Division Criminal Background Check Policy 17/18  

Selection Process

Program openings are filled based on Selective Admission; applicants are ranked based on their individual achievement test scores and prior college course work. Student ranking for entry into the Practical Nursing program is based on a point system and residency. Students are awarded points for the required ACT composite score, the G.P.A. (pre-requisite courses, plus any other degree-required  courses taken at MGCCC or another institution, and the TEAS examination result. In-district applicants (Mississippi residents of Harrison, Jackson, Stone and George Counties) are admitted before out-of-district applicants (all other Mississippi counties). Out-of-state applicants are not admitted until all qualified in-state applicants are admitted. Program enrollment is limited; however, enrollment is also influenced by the availability of clinical rotation slots, applicant numbers, and faculty.

Practical Nursing Program Policies

• Admission/acceptance acceptance into Semester one of the ADN and PN options is limited to two (2) unsuccessful attempts followed by a five (5) year waiting period from completion of the second unsuccessful attempt.
• All Health Science students are required to submit to substance testing in accordance with the substance testing policy and procedures for the Health Sciences Division.  The testing policy can be viewed by clicking here: Health Sciences Division Substance Testing Policy 17/18  
• The completed MGCCC Health Sciences Division health form, signed by an appropriate medical personnel, is required prior to or on the first class day. The physical form can be viewed by clicking here: MGCCC Health Sciences Division Pre_Entrance_Health_Form  
• Upon admission to the Practical Nursing Program, students must maintain a 2.0 GPA on the required courses and complete each course with a C or better.
• Adherence to additional clinical affiliation requirements may be necessary depending on clinical rotation placement. (i.e. hospital orientation, HIPAA training, etc.

MGCCC Nursing Division – Cost List (Estimate only)

Tuition

•  Full-time Tuition $1,550 per semester (15-21 credit hours)
•  Part-time Tuition $155 per credit hour

Fees

• Registration Fee $60
• Book Service Fee (Per Book) $40
• Technology Fee $4 - $60
• Non-resident Fee $155 per credit hour up to 14 hours
• Non-resident Fee $1,550 for 15 - 21 hours
• Credit card processing fee of 2% of the transaction amount Online course fee $15 per credit hour
• Career and Technical Program of Instruction Fee $60-$450/semester
• Out of State & International Fees $1400 - $2000
• Additional Miscellaneous Fees may be applicable – See MGCCC website

Housing

• Perkinston Campus Dormitory Room w/ Meal Plans $2,000 - $2,150 per semester
• Housing Deposit - $50.00
• A tiered fee schedule is based on facilities
• Hayden, Andrews, Moran, and Owen Halls – An additional $100
• Bryan and George Halls – An additional $200

Nursing Program Expenses – Non Refundable (Cost may be subject to change)

Prior to Entering Program

• TEAS Entrance Exam $76 - $85 (Register at http://www.atitesting.com)                          
• Criminal Background Check $65 - $80 (MGCCC Campus Police)

Once Admitted into Program

•  Program Fee $450 per semester
• Pre-admission Physical Exam and Immunizations $200 - $300                                          
• E-books $1,200 - $1,500 - (No rentals or hard books required)                                                              
• Substance Testing $29 - $35 per semester                       
• Liability Insurance $12 - $15 per semester
• Nursing Achievement Tests $149 - $155 per semester                   
• Workbooks, additional purchase items, supplies $300 - $500                
• Uniform, Lab Coat, Shoes, Accessories $200 - $300
• Student Nurse Association per year $40 - $60 (Required semesters 1 and 2)                                                                                   
• Nursing Conventions per semester $150 estimated (Required semesters 1 and 2)

Additional Expenses During Final Program Semester                                                                

•  Licensure Exam Fees $300 - $500
• School Pin and Nursing Lamp $50 - $200                                                       

     Cost may be subject to change