Practical Nurse Certificate

Did you know you can get your Practical Nursing Certificate in just one year?

We offer the PN program in-person at our St. Mary's campus in Troy. We have waived our application fee for the practical nurse program.

Plus we have scholarships and supportive services like assistance with transportation. Get started by filling out an application form.

Apply Now

Don’t wait. Application deadline is May 15, 2024. Classes start in August.

Practical Nurse (PN) Certificate Program

Practical nurses (PN) are important members of the healthcare team and can be found anywhere healthcare is delivered - in hospitals, nursing homes and other exciting settings.

Unlike other PN programs, students at Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing receive college credit for their courses. Graduates are eligible to apply for the National Council Licensure Exam to become licensed as an LPN. Upon completion of the PN program and required prerequisite courses, students may be eligible for admission for advanced placement into our, or other, AD programs.

Each graduate of the practical nurse certificate program will:

• Promote the dignity, integrity, self-determination, and personal growth of diverse patients, families, communities, and oneself to provide individualized, culturally appropriate, relationship-centered nursing care to maximize human flourishing.
• Provide a rationale for nursing judgments used in the provision of safe, quality care and for decisions that promote the health of patients within a family or a care environment.
• Assess how one’s personal strengths and values affect one’s professional identity as a nurse and one’s contributions as a caring member of the health care team who provides safe, high-quality care.
• Approach nursing practice with a spirit of inquiry, questioning the basis for nursing actions, considering research, evidence, tradition, and patient preferences.

Requirements for the PN Certificate Program at Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing

Graduates of this program are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses.

First Semester Credits

Practical Nursing I ... 6 
*General Psychology ... 3 
*Biology of the Human Organism ... 4

Second Semester Credits

Practical Nursing 2 ... 8 
*Developmental Psychology ... 3 
Practical Nursing 4 ... 1

Third Semester Credits

Practical Nursing 3 ... 9 
*English Composition 1 ... 3

Total Nursing Credits ... 24 
Total Corequisite Credits ... 13 
Total Program Credits ... 37 
Ratio of Theory to Clinical Lab Hours 1:3