Skip to main content
Apply Now!

Practical Nursing (LPN)

Nursing is a dynamic and essential discipline within the healthcare sector, focused on the care and well-being of individuals across various stages of life. At its core, nursing is rooted in compassion, ethics, and a commitment to patient-centered care. Nurses play a critical role in promoting health, preventing illness, and providing holistic care to patients, which encompasses physical, emotional, and social dimensions.

The discipline is characterized by its emphasis on evidence-based practice, where nurses utilize current research and clinical guidelines to inform their care decisions. This scientific foundation supports the delivery of safe and effective care, ensuring that nurses are equipped to respond to the complex needs of patients.

Collaboration is a key aspect of nursing, as professionals work closely with physicians, therapists, and other healthcare providers to develop comprehensive care plans. This interdisciplinary approach fosters an environment where patient outcomes can be optimized through shared knowledge and resources.

Nursing also encompasses a commitment to advocacy, with nurses often serving as the voice for patients’ needs and preferences. This advocacy extends to public health initiatives and community education, where nurses engage in efforts to improve overall health and well-being at the population level.

The profession is continuously evolving, influenced by advancements in technology, changes in healthcare policy, and emerging health challenges. As such, lifelong learning and professional development are integral to nursing, allowing practitioners to stay current and responsive to the evolving landscape of healthcare.

  • Professionalism: The graduate will ensure accountability and integrity while upholding legal and ethical standards of the LPN role that govern professonal nursing practice.
  • Collaboration: The graduate will manage care with the patient, significant support systems, and other healthcare team members to achieve optimal patient outcomes.
  • Clinical Decision Making: The graduate will utilize evidence-based practice and clinical judgement when providing care to diverse patient populations across the lifespan.
  • Caring: The graduate will support the patient as an individual while providing compassionate and therapeutic care based on respect for the patient's preferences, values, and needs.
  • Management of Care: The graduate will implement patient care within the scope of practice for LPNs through holistic assessment and data collection, communication with the healthcare team, and performance of nursing interventions and skills.

Breaking Ground on Your Pathway


Plan Your Courses

Meet with our counselors to customize this plan just for you. You can also search the quarterly schedule for class days and times.

Prepare for College-level Math

Math placement is required for this program. If your math placement is below MATH& 146, you’ll need to take the following sequence of courses, starting from the level you placed into:
AE 48 → MATH 87 → MATH 88 → MATH& 146

Placement

English placement is not required for this program.

The Practical Nursing Program at SCC will open doors to an exciting career in nursing in under a year! The program offers hands-on experience in the lab, simulation, and clinical settings as well as interactive classroom instruction. Local facilities are offering positions in hospitals, extended care, home health, clinics, mental health, and many more. This program will give you the training you need to not only get hired but enter the workforce feeling excited and confident.

The demand for Licensed Practical Nurses is projected to grow 5% from 2022-2032 and local employers have been instrumental in the development of this program. SCC Students can expect a robust curriculum developed in partnership with our Nursing program and faculty. Students will be prepared to sit for the NCLEX-PN exam.

All support courses must be completed prior to acceptance but ENGL& 101 and MATH& 146 may be in progress during the quarter students apply to the program. Before students will be accepted and start the program, they must complete all support courses with a 2.5 GPA or better.

There is an application process and requirements students must satisfy to be eligible. Please consult the Program Requirements and Application Requirements pages of this website in addition to meeting with a counselor for program specific advising.

This program is best suited for students who:

  • Want to enter the workforce in healthcare with more advanced skills than a Certified Nursing Assistant and are building a career in healthcare.
  • Are interested in working in the field to gain additional experience before starting an RN program.
  • Students who would like to go to work in the nursing field with less time commitment than an RN program.
  • Please visit our Detailed Information page for more information.

Program Map for

Print/Download

Choose program map:

Total Prerequisites Credits: 30

Total Program Credits: 49

Prerequisites

NOTE: All students must recieve a minimum 2.5 GPA in all support courses

First Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
Math based on placement   2
0
BIOL&160
General Biology with Lab   1
5
ENGL&101
English Composition I  
5
Total Credits
 
10

Second Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
Math based on placement   2
0
BIOL&241
Human A & P 1   1
5
PSYC&100
General Psychology  
5
Total Credits
 
10

Third Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
BIOL&242
Human A & P 2   1
5
MATH&146
Introduction to Statistics   1
5
Total Credits
 
10

Program Courses

NOTE: You must apply and be accepted into the program before taking the following courses

First Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
PN 101
Fundamentals in Nursing  
3
PN 102
Application of Fundamentals in Nursing  
5
PSYC&200
Lifespan Psychology   3
5
Total Credits
 
13

Second Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
NURS 106
PSYC 106/Psychosocial Issues in Healthcare I   3
2
PN 110
Care of the Family and Mental Health Patient  
6
PN 111
Application of Care of the Family and Mental Health Patient  
4
Total Credits
 
12

Third Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
NURS 113
PSYC 113/Psychosocial Issues in Healthcare II   3
3
PN 120
Care of the Medical/Surgical Patient  
4
PN 121
Application of Care of the Medical/Surgical Patient  
5
Total Credits
 
12

Fourth Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
NURS 202
PHIL 202/Ethics and Policy in Healthcare I   3
3
PN 130
Practical Nursing Capstone  
5
PN 131
Transition to Practice  
4
Total Credits
 
12

Math based on placement  

  MATH 87 OR MATH 88 if needed based on placement to prepare for MATH& 146

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
MATH 87
Algebra for Math Literacy I  
5
MATH 88
Algebra for Math Literacy II  
5
1 This required support course must have been completed in the last ten years with a 2.5 grade or higher.
2 This class is below college level. The credits will not count toward the certificate but they will be used to calculate Financial Aid and the grade earned affects GPA. Please reach out to a counselor with any questions.
3 LPN students must register for the appropriate section of this course. Please contact the program director or counseling with questions.

Completion of the required support courses does not ensure admission into the Licensed Practical Nursing program.

Students must complete all required support courses with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 with a minimum of 2.5 GPA in each course. Only required support courses will be considered in the calculation of the GPA. If any course is repeated, the highest grade will be used. The ampersand in each course subject indicates these are generally transferrable courses within Washington state 4-year institutions.

Required support courses include:

  • BIOL& 160: General Biology with Lab2 (5 credits)
  • BIOL& 241: Human Anatomy and Physiology I1 & 2 (5 credits)
  • BIOL& 242: Human Anatomy with Physiology II1 & 2 (5 credits)
  • ENGL& 101: English Composition (5 credits)3
  • PSYCH& 100: General Psychology (5 credits)1
  • Math& 146: Introduction to Statistics (5 credits)2 & 3
  • 1Following course grades will be utilized in the competitive scoring process
  • 2Course must have been completed within the last ten (10) years
  • 3This course may be in progress when applying to the PN program

Once students have confirmed with a counselor that they have successfully satisfied the program requirements, they must apply to the program. Please see the Special Application Requirements page for more information.

Estimated costs for completing this program

 
WA Resident
Non-Resident
International
Tuition
$ 9,823
$ 13,148
$ 24,413
Books
$ 604
$ 604
$ 604
Course Fees
$ 370
$ 370
$ 370
Institutional Fees
$ 784
$ 784
$ 3,727
Supplies and Materials
$ 387
$ 387
$ 387
Total Costs
$ 11,968
$ 15,293
$ 29,501

Costs for completing a degree or certificate can vary. For more information about costs, visit our How Much Does it Cost? page.

The Practical Nursing program at Spokane Community College is seeking accreditation candidacy with the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

Additionally, the Practical Nursing program is working toward obtaining full approval from the Washington State Board of Nursing (WABON).

Associate in Nursing Direct Transfer Agreement/Major Related Program – Nursing

The Spokane Community College nursing program meets the requirements for licensure in Washington State. The nursing program has not decided that the curriculum meets the requirements for licensure in any other state/jurisdiction. Please check with the state/jurisdiction where you hope to be licensed.

To easily find professional nursing licensure requirements (RN, PN, and APRN programs) by state, please click on the button below and select the states/jurisdictions where you want to know their professional licensure requirements (Resource is from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing):

NCSBN

Disclaimer: NCSBN has gathered this information from a variety of sources. Although NCSBN has made every effort to provide complete, accurate, and up-to-date information, NCSBN makes no warranties, express or implied, or representations as to the accuracy or reliability of this information. The information is fluid and evolving. Spokane Community College and NCSBN assume no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the information contained in this resource.

The Spokane Community practical nursing program meets the requirements for licensure only in Washington State. If you are interested in learning more about licensure requirements in other states, please visit the NCBSN link above.

Students may apply to the Practical Nursing program after completing the required support courses. If applicants are not currently students at Spokane Community College, they must apply for admission.

Apply to SCC

Admission is competitive. Applications for the summer cycle are now closed.

  • Applications for the winter cohort open August 1 and close September 15.

You may apply while finishing ENGL& 101 and MATH& 146, but all support courses must be completed with at least a 2.5 GPA before you can be accepted into the program.

Practical Nurse Application

All those accepted into the PN program are required to meet clinical requirements. These requirements will be further outlined in a letter sent to students accepted into the program, and you can read more about them on the Details page. The two (2) main components are below:

  1. Provide documentation of selected immunizations and present an American Heart Association Healthcare Provider CPR card. This will occur prior to registering for PN courses.
  2. Have a clear background check. This will occur when acquiring your clinical onboarding account during the program.

Clinical Passport for vaccination information.

Clinical Passport Form
Student and faculty Clinical Passport Guidance

This program is best suited for:

  • Students who want to get started working as a nurse require less time and financial commitment.
  • Students who would like to enter the workforce more quickly than taking the time to complete a full Registered Nurse program.
  • Students who might want to become an RN after spending time in the workforce.
  • Students who can commit as a full-time student.
  • If this sounds like you, please visit our Contact Us page and reach out to a counselor for more information.

Admissions Process for the Licensed Practical Nurse

Please read the following information carefully so you fully understand what will be required as you apply to the SCC Licensed Practical Nursing program. Please reach out to the Licensed Practical Nurse program director or counseling with questions.

Details

  • Three quarters of required support courses before applying to the Practical Nurse portion of the program.
  • Competitive entry to start the program in quarter four (after three quarters of supports complete).
  • The entire program from start to finish, including support course, requires a total of seven quarters.
  • Requires students to commit to attending clinical hours off campus at various times and locations. These hours are required and may fall outside of a standard class schedule.
  • Background checks and vaccination records are required for clinicals.
  • The estimated costs to attend can be found on our What to Expect to Pay page
  • Students will sit for the NCLEX-PN upon program completion.

Resources

Links

Jobs

Note: Spokane Community College does not assume any responsibility for the contents of the external and independent sites linked here.

Have a question? Let's hear it.

Apply to SCC Now
Request Info

Brittany Heidenreich

Program Director
Brittany.Heidenreich@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-8004

Mary Golden

Co-Chair
Mary.Golden@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-8128

Karlee Kedroske

Co-Chair
Karlee.Kedroske@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-7416

Pathway Specialists

scc.reg-office@scc.spokane.edu

509-533-8400

Academic Counseling

counseling@scc.spokane.edu

509-533-7264