See Special Requirements of Nursing Programs
Effective Fall 2010, Practical Nursing is now a limited-entry program. To be eligible to declare Practical Nursing as a major, students must be eligible to complete the “Application Process” as outlined in the Catalog. At the time of application, the student must declare Practical Nursing as a major.
Graduates of the Practical Nursing (PN) certificate program meet the requirements set by the New Mexico State Board of Nursing to take the NCLEX-PN licensing examination. Specific terms of licensure can be obtained through the New Mexico Board of Nursing. The Practical Nursing (PN) certificate program prepares practical nurses to care for patients in a variety of health care facilities under the supervision of registered nurses, physicians, or dentists.
Nursing courses emphasize a holistic approach to client care utilizing the concepts of communication, critical thinking/nursing process, caring and competence. The curriculum for this program includes classroom, laboratory, and supervised clinical instruction which integrates the required arts and sciences courses with the nursing courses. The PN program is accredited through the National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). For more information on accreditation visit the NLNAC website at nlnac.org. The NLNAC can also be contacted at (800) 669-1656. x 153 or by mail to 61 Broadway-33rd Floor, New York, NY 10006.
SPECIAL NOTES
Petitioning Process: Students must petition for acceptance into the nursing program. Petitions for entry in the program are accepted early in the spring, summer and fall terms. Applicants may contact the HWPS Office for the dates and times when petitions are accepted. To be eligible to petition a student must meet the following prerequisites: high school graduate or equivalent, a minimum score of 85 percent on the HWPS Basic Math test within 12 months prior to petitioning and a cumulative CNM GPA of 2.5 or higher, science courses (anatomy and physiology) must be taken within five years from the date of petition to the nursing program. If the Anatomy and Physiology coursework is older than 5 years, Pathophysiology 1 and 2 (BIO 2710/2711) will be accepted in lieu (taken within 5 years). All prerequisite coursework must be complete with a letter grade of “C” or better. Students will also be required to take a national nursing entrance exam and achieve a threshold score. (Should there be more petitioners than available spaces, the date of declaration of nursing as a major will used for prioritization. In the event of a “tie” the date of completion of all required arts and sciences courses will be used as the final selection criterion.) Because of the high demand for this program, it may take more than eighteen months after petitioning to begin the nursing core coursework. The petition process is subject to change. Students who have not petitioned should plan to attend an information session to remain current on petitioning requirements. Information sessions cover the petitioning process, program requirements and career opportunities and are scheduled regularly. Dates and times for Program Information Sessions can be obtained by calling the School of Health, Wellness & Public Safety at (505) 224-4111.
After petitioning, requirements for entering clinical courses are:
- Demonstrated competence in Basic Patient Care skills. Students accomplish this by either successfully demonstrating the skills at a Competency Check-Off Session or completing the NA or NAHA courses at CNM. The skills competence must be current; meaning completed no more than 12 months before the student’s start date for Check-Offs OR 18 months for the NA or NAHA class.
Specific details of these requirements will be mailed to students upon successful petitioning.
Students are responsible for any transportation associated with the course. Students should also be aware that there may be afternoon, evening, and weekend clinical obligations scheduled.
There is a program fee in the first term which is used to purchase the required uniforms, personal nursing tools, standardized testing, criminal background checks, drug screening, lab tests in the event of a needle stick or exposure to bodily fluids, and hospital parking permits. Each subsequent course has program fees for continued standardized testing and hospital parking permits.
Students are responsible for the expenses of the physical examination, immunizations, fingerprinting, a watch with a second hand, pen light, uniform shoes, textbooks, licensing exam fees, and a graduation pin.
CAREER AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Practical nursing graduates find employment opportunities in nursing homes, clinics, and long-term care facilities. Nurses can attain specialty credentials through employment and specialty course offerings. CNM nursing students are encouraged to continue their education toward and Associate of Science in Nursing and ultimately a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in order to pursue leadership positions in nursing and in the community.
Return to: