Curriculum | Level I

Level I | Level II | Level III

The Practical Nursing Program is offered in one calendar year. The program is divided into three levels of instruction and totals 1554 hours of training. The program is designed for the full time student. Students are scheduled for seven hours of instruction daily, five days per week. Vacations and holidays are scheduled throughout the year.

To achieve the maximum benefit from the program, students are expected to attend all scheduled classes and clinical instruction sessions.

Nursing courses consist of both theory and clinical experience. Students learn to administer Nursing care to selected patients under the direct guidance of the program faculty.

Clinical rotation sites include:
Frick Hospital, Mt. Pleasant, PA
Uniontown Hospital, Uniontown, PA
Highlands Hospital, Connellsville, PA
Mt. Macrina Manor, Uniontown, PA
Cherry Tree Nursing Center, Uniontown, PA
LaFayette Manor, Uniontown, PA
Monongalia General Hospital, Morgantown, WV

Personal and Vocational Relationships I

This course serves to introduce the Practical Nursing student to their role as a member of the health care team. This course includes orientation to study methods, historical background of nursing, therapeutic communication skills, ethical conduct, legal responsibilities, and lines of administrative authority. The theory and clinical components of this course prepares students for their workplace.

Anatomy and Physiology

In this course, the Practical Nursing student is shown how body structures serve unique and specialized functions. Repeated emphasis of this principle encourages students to integrate Anatomy and Physiology into a single educational entity. The integrating principle of homeostasis is used to illustrate how normal interaction of structure and function can be maintained by counter balancing forces within the human body.

Pharmacology

This Course, designed for Practical Nursing for Practical Nursing students, reviews basic principles of mathematics as they relate to the calculation of drug dosages and intravenous fluids. Interpretation commonly employed to medication administration are included throughout the course. The principles of drug therapy and nursing responsibilities with emphasis on the impaired nurse are discussed. Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, drug interactions, and components of drugs are addressed relative to there action on human tissues. The issue of non therapeutic use of drugs is explored as well as nursing care such as clients. A simulated laboratory, using anatomically correct models, is incorporated to prepare the student for safe administration of medications using various injection sites and techniques. Specific classifications of drugs are presented with emphasis on drug therapy and wellness. The theory and clinical framework of this course prepares the students to aid the client in their pharmacological needs in the clinical setting.

Basic Nursing

This course, designed for the Practical Nursing student, provides a foundation of basic information necessary to introduce fundamental nursing skills. The course includes framework for all subsequent nursing practice.Initially, the learner is introduced to the unique roles and responsibilities of the nurse. The content then addresses theories and techniques that focus on individuals with varied needs throughout the health continuum. The course reflects on care that will improve or maintain health, minimize health problems, and provide emotional support for those clients with chronic and terminal illness. Included in the course format are laboratory simulations that illustrate, on a step by step basis, nursing procedures. Emphasis is placed on safety, scientific rationale, and accountability. Student autonomy is encouraged. Returned demonstrations are conducted in a supervised laboratory setting. Medical terminology is incorporated throughout the course to expand vocabulary and encourage understanding of the medical language. Sample nursing notes are provided for each skill, then various charting styles and formats are presented in a separate unit. The course concludes with an introduction to the steps of the nursing process and care plan development. The theory, simulated labs, and clinical competence contribute to performing technical skills fundamental to the practice of nursing.

Nutrition

This Course, designed for the Practical Nursing Program student, presents fundamental concepts related to the body's nutrition requirements, sources of nutrients, and utilization of nutrients by the body. Meal planning and food preparation is included as those skills relate to clients throughout the life cycle. Emphasis is placed on the correlation between nutrition and health status. Therapeutic dietary modifications address this issue. The theory and clinical components of this course prepares students to assist the client in meeting his nutritional needs for the clinical setting.