ABOUT PRACTICAL NURSING
LPNs provide a variety of patient care functions including basic bedside care, catheter monitoring, bathing assistance, personal hygiene assistance, assistance moving in bed, standing, walking, and more.LPNs monitor patients, report adverse reactions to medications or treatments. They gather information like health histories and current symptoms.
ATTENDANCE
Students must earn a minimum of 1306 clock hours in order to graduate. Students are eligible to miss 51 hours during the 12 months period. After that, because there are no makeup hours, students will not be eligible for graduation.Student receiving Financial Aid will continually be monitored for attendance and may forfeit their money due to poor attendance.
APPLICANT PHYSICAL / MENTAL AND HEALTH ISSUES
- Free of any physical or emotional condition that might adversely affect performance in any phase of the program.
- Possess personal qualifications which will permit the performance of required tasks in the practical nursing program. (See below)
- Caring, emotionally stable, observant, and sympathetic. Good communication and decision-making skills are also key to succeeding as a Licensed Practical Nurse.
- Verbal Communication- students must be able to communicate effectively (International students must provide a minimum TOEFL score of 500)
- Written Communication including correct spelling of all medical terminology as it relates to patient care; students are expected to master basic medical terminology upon graduation.
- Hearing ordinary conversation
- Seeing Near/Far with acuity
- Chemical Exposure to Chemotherapeutic Agents
- General Occupational Exposure to Airborne Particulate
- Exposure to Blood and Body Fluid Exposure > 1 per month
- Exposure to infection
- Physical Demand = Frequently
- Bend/Stoop
- Squat/Crouch
- Overhead:
- Reach > 7 #
- Push/Pull > 7 #
- Lift > 7 #
- Carry up to 10 lbs
- Patient transfers
- Push/pull up to 10 lbs
- Patient bed activities
- Distinguishing colors
- Repetitive Motion (Hands/Wrists)
- Marked changes in temperature and humidity
- Physical Demand = Occasionally
- Crawl, Balance/Ladder
- Carry up to 24 lbs. Lift up to 24 lbs.
- Push/pull up to and > 75 lbs.
- Work with moving machinery, radioactivity, and excessive noise
RULEMAKING HEARINGS
The Board of Nursing is concerned about the number of individuals with criminal conviction histories who apply for licensure as licensed practical nurses. The Board’s concern stems from the fact that nurses care for clients and families in a variety of settings where there may be no direct supervision. Individuals to whom care is given are often vulnerable, both physically and emotionally. The nurse has access to personal information about the patient and/or his/her family, has access to the client’s property and provides intimate care to the client. The Board believes that persons who receive nursing care in Tennessee should be able to have confidence that an individual licensed by the Board does not have a history of mistreatment, neglect, violence, cheating, defrauding the public, or otherwise taking advantage of another person. The Board will presume that an applicant is not entitled to licensure, and will therefore deny any application for initial licensure, temporary permit, or renewal following the provisions of the Administrative Procedures Act to a person who has been convicted, and on which conviction the time for appeal has expired, as an adult of any of the following crimes within five (5) years preceding said application or renewal:- Aggravated Assault, as in T.C.A. 39-13-102
- First Degree Murder, as in T.C.A. 39-13-302
- Second Degree Murder, as in T.C.A. 39-13-207
- Voluntary Manslaughter, as in T.C.A. 39-13-211
- False Imprisonment, as in T.C.A. 39-13-302
- Kidnapping, as in T.C.A. 39-13-303
- Aggravated Kidnapping, as in T.C.A. 39-13-304
- Especially Aggravated Kidnapping, as in T.C.A. 39-13-305
- Robbery as in T.C.A. 39-13-401
- Aggravated Robbery, as in 39-13-402
- Especially Aggravated Robbery, as in T.C.A. 39-13-403
- Aggravated Rape, as in T.C.A. 39-13-502
- Rape, as in T.C.A. 39-13-505
- Aggravated Sexual Battery, as in T.C.A. 39-13-504
- Sexual Battery, as in T.C.A. 39-13-505
- Statutory Rape, as in T.C.A. 39-15-506
- Theft of property, as in T.C.A. 39-14-103 or of services, as in T.C.A. 39-14-104, except as to a Class A misdemeanor, as in T.C.A. 39-14-105
- Forgery, as in T.C.A. 39-14-114
- Falsifying of Education and Academic Records, as in T.C.A. 39-14-136
- Arson, as in T.C.A. 39-14-301
- Aggravated Arson, as in 39-14-302
- Burglary, as in T.C.A. 39-14-302
- Aggravated Burglary, as in T.C.A. 39-14-404
- Incest, as in T.C.A. 39-15-302
- Aggravated Child Abuse, as in T.C.A. 39-15-402
- Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, as in T.C.A. 39-17-1004
- Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, as in T.C.A. 39-17-1004
- Especially Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, as in T.C.A. 39-17-1005
- Assisted Suicide, as in T.C.A. 39-13-216
- Rape of a Child, as in T.C.A. 39-13-522.
- First Degree Murder, as in T.C.A. 39-13-202
- Second Degree Murder, as in T.C.A. 39-13-207
- Kidnapping, as in T.C.A. 39-13-303; (d) Aggravated Kidnapping, as in T.C.A. 39-13-305
- Especially Aggravated Kidnapping, as in T.C.A. 39-13-305
- Aggravated Robbery, as in T.C.A. 39-13-402
- Especially Aggravated Robbery, as in T.C.A. 39-13-403
- Aggravated Rape, as in T.C.A. 39-13-502
- Rape as in T.C.A. 39-13-503.