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Admission Procedure

The application process for the PN Program is as follows:

  1. Apply to Denmark Technical College.
  2. Take college placement tests (minimum scores for the PN Program application must be met).
  3. Attend a nursing information session.
  4. Apply to the practical nursing program.
  5. Take the Kaplan Entrance Test (must score 60% or higher).
  6. Arrange for a criminal background check through DTC (fee paid to the DTC Business Office).
  7. Take a drug screening.

Admission to the PN Program has additional admission requirements due to the limited availability of admission slots. Program admission is academically competitive with admission decisions based on the applicant’s academic preparation, assessment results, clear drug screening and clear criminal background check. The clinical facilities require several screenings prior to approval for student eligibility for participation in clinical experiences. One is the criminal background check, provided by SLED for S.C. residents and by the FBI for non-S.C. residents, and drug screening. Clinical facilities may refuse student participation in clinical experiences if screenings reveal unclear reports. Students must be able to attend all clinical experiences during the academic year to complete course and program requirements.

Selected program applicants are admitted once per year in the fall semester. After acceptance into the PN program, students are required to attend a practical nursing orientation session and provide required current medical information.

Progression Procedure

The practical nursing curriculum is divided into general education and nursing courses. To be eligible to graduate from the program a student must meet the following criteria:

  1. Make a minimum grade of C on all nursing courses, courses that have a PNR prefix. Any student that fails to meet the minimum grade requirement of C or above will not be able to progress in the program. The student will receive notification by the Nursing faculty immediately that he/she will not be able to enroll in the next semester in the nursing courses. The student may proceed on the general education courses if desired. The students will be informed of their options for readmission if desired.
  2. Make a minimum grade of C on all co-requisite general education courses. General education courses are those that have an ENG, BIO, MAT or PSY prefix. A student that does not meet the minimum grade requirement of C or above in a co-requisite course will not be allowed to progress in the nursing program. This includes any grade of D, F, W, or WF.

Example

  • Must achieve a grade of C or above in PNR 110 to progress to PNR 120.
  • Must achieve a grade of C or above in PNR 120, BIO 210, ENG 101, and MAT 155 to progress to PNR 122 and PNR 130.
  • Must achieve a grade of C or above in PNR 130 to progress to PNR 140.
  • Must achieve a grade of C or above in PNR 140, PNR 122, and BIO 211 to progress to PNR 165 and PNR 170.
  • Must achieve a grade of C or above in PSY 201, PNR 165 and PNR 170 to graduate from the PN program.
  1. Have a minimum GPA of 2.5 and completed all PN program curriculum courses, both nursing and co- requisite general education courses, with a “C” or better to be considered for graduation from the program.
  2. An overall grade of “Satisfactory” is required on the lab/clinical component of the course. A grade of “Satisfactory” or “Unsatisfactory” will be based on mastery of stated lab/clinical competencies as outlined on the evaluation form. The student will be evaluated and a rating of “Satisfactory” must be achieved. A student who achieves a theory grade of 80% or above but has an “Unsatisfactory” rating on the lab/clinical component fails the course and will be withdrawn from the program. A student who achieves a “Satisfactory” rating on a lab/clinical component and achieves a theory grade of less than 80% fails the course and will be withdrawn from the program.
  3. Academic Dismissal: The student may be academically dismissed at any time by:
    • Earning a grade of less than a C in a required nursing course or required general education course.
    • Not maintaining a GPA of 2.5. Students should refer to student code and grievance procedure found in the Denmark Technical College Academic Catalog and Student Handbook
  4. Nursing courses are offered in sequence and the program requires three consecutive semesters of coursework for completion.
  5. Should a criminal background check disclose an adverse report resulting in not being able to participate in clinical experiences, the student will be withdrawn from the program.
  6. A student who does not have a C average in any course at midterm is encouraged to discuss their situation with their instructor.
  7. Students who withdraw prior to midterm will receive a grade of W. Students who withdraw after midterm with a C or better receive a grade of W. Students who withdraw after midterm without a grade of C or better will receive a WF.

 

Grading Scale For Nursing Courses

The grading scale for all nursing courses is as follows:

Grade Average (GPA)
A 93-100
4.0
B 85-92
3.0
C 80-84
2.0
D 75-79
1.0
F 74 & below
0.0

The nursing grading scale is more stringent than other DTC courses. Nursing students are held to a higher standard of success and competency due to the critical component for safe nursing practice. As a result, the nursing grading scale is elevated to a level more consistent with expectations on the NCLEX-PN licensure exam.

Nursing Graduate’s Procedure

PN graduates are eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination for the Practical Nurse (NCLEX-PN). An endorsement of completion will be sent to the SC State Board of Nursing by the PN program dean for eligible students that meet all endorsement criteria. In order to meet graduation requirements of the practical nursing program, a student must do the following:

  1. Have a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 with a C or better in all courses in the curriculum.
  2. Show safe and adequate nursing practice on all clinical evaluations.
  3. File a DTC graduation application.
  4. Complete applications to take the National Council
  5. Licensure Examination for the Practical Nurse (NCLEX-PN).
  6. Obtain fingerprinting background check.
  7. Mail in a passport picture, copy of Driver’s License and Social Security Card.

**Any student that has a prior conviction of a crime (excluding minor traffic violations) or a drug or alcohol abuse problem could make the student ineligible to take the NCLEX-PN. Early notification to the SC State Board of Nursing is suggested. See the Dean of Nursing for questions regarding the NCLEX-PN.

Practical Nursing Licensure Examination

Upon graduation from an approved nursing program, the National Council Licensure Examination for the Practical Nurse (NCLEX-PN) is required for licensure as a licensed practical nurse as required by the South Carolina Board of Nursing and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Please go to the SC Board of Nursing website for current information regarding requirements for licensure at: http://www.llr.state.sc.us.POL/NURSING/.

Practical Nursing Program Readmission Procedure

  1. Students may only apply for readmission into the practical nursing program one time.
  2. A request tore-enter form (see appendix) must be completed and submitted to the fean of nursing at the beginning of the course prior to the desired readmission date. Forms may be picked up from the nursing division.
  3. All nursing courses must be completed within a two-year period beginning at the first admission into the program. The two-year period is the academic year when the student was unsuccessful and the immediately following academic year (example: In 2020-2021 student was unsuccessful; they must apply for readmission into the 2021-2022 academic year).
  4. Readmission candidates not able to complete the program the following academic year must reapply to the program as a new student and begin with PNR 110 Fundamentals of Nursing and progress through the entire program schedule of classes.
  5. Readmission is based on space availability & eligibility. Currently progressing students have priority in enrollment in nursing courses, as there are only 20 slots available in each nursing course.
  6. If there are more students seeking readmission than can be accommodated, the date the student completed all requirements for readmission will be the deciding factor in the order in which available space is awarded.
  7. To be eligible for readmission, the student is required to meet current admission criteria into the nursing program.
  8. The student must submit an application to the admissions office for readmission into the college the semester prior to requested readmission.
  9. The student must follow PN application process as outlined in the nursing readmission application packet.
  10. A student requesting readmission into the nursing program is required to submit updated criminal background check and updated drug screen results.
  11. The student must submit current CPR and First Aid cards and updated medical form, including current PPD and immunizations. A dropped, withdrawn or failed course must be successfully completed before the student can progress to the next nursing course(s).

A student who makes a D, F, or WF in a nursing course on the first attempt, must make a C, 80 or above, on the second attempt. No required nursing course may be attempted more than twice in order to earn a C. If the student fails to earn a C on the second attempt, he/she will not be eligible for future readmission into the nursing program.

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