Vermont Tech nursing students work in the life-like simulation laboratory on both the Randolph Center and Williston campuses. Learn more in the links below. WCAX: Vt. health care students put to the test with lifelike simulators WCAX: How an unusual patient helps health care workers train for emergencies WPTZ: Health care students work together in Vermont Tech’s simulation lab
School of Nursing and Health Professions
Nursing (PN)
Vermont Technical College will join with Castleton University and Northern Vermont University to become Vermont State University on July 1, 2023.
Visit VermontState.edu to learn more about Practical Nursing for fall 2023.
Vermont Tech offers a career ladder progression approach for students to enter and advance in a nursing career. The career ladder approach is provided in a 1+1+2 model which allows for the completion of the Practical Nursing (PN) certificate, followed by the completion of the Associate of Science in Nursing (ADN) leading to eligibility for RN licensure, and culminating with the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Qualified students may be accepted into Vermont Tech’s Nursing program at any point (pre-PN, ADN, or BSN) and may progress through the bachelor’s degree or may choose to stop after receiving the PN or ADN credentials. If so, students may re-enter the program at a later time.
Launch 2021 Nursing Simulation Lab (Williston)
Vermont Tech also offers an LPN and an RN re-entry program. These programs are provided for LPNs and RNs whose licenses have lapsed and would like to have them reinstated. The LPN and RN re-entry programs update the nurse’s credentials, allowing them eligibility to return to a nursing position upon completion of the program. For further information about these programs, contact the Nursing department.
Graduates’ NCLEX pass rates for licensure are higher than the national average. Students in our nursing programs also have high completion rates.
After licensure, PN graduates typically find employment in long-term care, outpatient clinics, physicians’ offices, and other healthcare agencies and work under the supervision of a registered nurse, physician, or dentist. With experience, they can assume increasing responsibilities in the nursing field.
The PN and ADN programs are offered at four locations across the state with campuses in Bennington, Brattleboro, Randolph Center, and Williston and at distance education sites in Lyndonville, Middlebury, Newport, St. Albans, and White River Junction, which use telepresence technology. The BSN program is offered exclusively online. We’re a recognized leader in distance learning and health care simulation, which allows nursing students who practice in small rural communities across the state to experience lifelike medical situations. Our instructional curriculum is offered at distance education sites throughout the state, while the clinical experience takes place at local agencies. We also provide the latest in simulation technology at six high-fidelity simulation labs throughout the state.
The Vermont Technical College Practical Nursing-system-wide (distance education), Associate Degree in Nursing-system-wide (distance education), and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-BSN, distance education) programs are accredited by the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA) located at 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Washington, DCÂ 20032, 202-909-2526.
A student with a certificate in Practical Nursing will be able to:
- Employ the nursing process for select clients to maintain, achieve, or regain optimal self-care
- Integrate knowledge of scientific, behavioral, and cultural principles in the care of clients in a variety of settings
- Establish collaborative relationships with members of the nursing and health team
- Maintain confidentiality in a clinical setting and support the use of legal and ethical standards
- Assume the role of a member of an interdisciplinary team
- Provide care which maximizes the self-care potential of individuals across the lifespan in a variety of healthcare settings
- Contribute to the development of a teaching plan for the client with an alteration in basic self-care needs
- Assume responsibility for self-directed, goal-oriented growth
The PN program extends over three terms, August through June. The student learns PN skills through independent study, lectures, demonstrations, and practice in a nursing skills lab and provides patient care under instructor supervision in a variety of healthcare settings.
Upon completion of the program, the graduate is awarded a Certificate of Practical Nursing and may apply to take the NCLEX-PN licensure exam. It’s the Vermont State Board of Nursing’s responsibility to determine eligibility to sit for the licensure examination and to issue a license.
Students accepted into the Practical Nursing program must be 18 years of age by September 1 of the PN fall term.
PN students must receive a grade of C+ (77) or better in all NUR courses and a C (75) or better in BIO and PSY courses in order to progress in the program. If a student in the last term of the program doesn’t achieve these grades, they aren’t allowed to graduate. Grades lower than the required 75 or 77 are reflected on the transcript with the corresponding letter grade, so credits may be awarded for any grade above an F (60), but the student won’t progress or graduate from the program.
The certificate program includes 495 hours of theory and 630 hours of clinical/lab.
Only 35 credits from the PN program count toward cumulative credits. Only non-clinical hours/courses count toward GPA.
* Prerequisite courses required at all sites except Randolph.
Curriculum Details
year
1
-
fall Semester
- BIO 1030 Introduction to Nutrition
- BIO 2011 Human Anatomy & Physiology I
- NUR 0111 Principles & Practices of Nursing I Lab
- NUR 1020 The Nurse-Client Relationship
- NUR 1111 Principles & Practices of Nursing I
Job Projections
NATIONAL AVG.
7%
Licensed Practical Nurse
11%
That Translates Into
3,096,700
JOB OPENINGS BETWEEN 2019 - 2029
Projected Employment Growth for Licensed Practical Nurses, 2019-2029 (source: BLS)
Student Stories
Student Stories
news
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11May
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15MarRead more
Vermont Tech’s online Bachelor of Science in Nursing program (BSN) program was ranked #5 out of 500 in the nation for Best Online RN to BSN Programs by RegisteredNursing.org, an organization of registered nurses based in Carlsbad, CA. RegisteredNursing.org recognized that Vermont Tech’s program features online courses with local capstone experiences, a 100% job placement rate, and the opportunity for…
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02MarRead more
Vermont Technical College’s graduating class of 2021 achieved a 99% placement rate, reflecting that they are either employed or enrolled in continuing education programs after completing their certificate or degree. Since 2014, Vermont Technical College has had an average placement rate of more than 97%. As in years past, 98% of Vermont Technical College’s graduates in the class of 2021…
