Practical Nursing

All SCTCC graduates from the Practical Nursing program are equipped with the skills needed to succeed in the workforce. As the third-best program in the state of Minnesota, we ensure all students use information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision making while working in the field.

Our students demonstrate therapeutic communication skills while working with patients to practice nursing care that is patient and family centered, culturally sensitive, and based on the physiological, psychosocial, and spiritual needs of patients across their lifespan.

After graduation, Practical Nursing students know how to provide rationale to patients for judgments that utilize safe and quality care and promote the health of the patient. SCTCC graduates minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through system effectiveness and individual performance.

With a Practical Nursing degree, students know how to demonstrate professional behaviors of accountability that coincide with the legal and ethical nursing practice standards, and can foster open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making to achieve quality patient care within their nursing and inter-professional teams.

To excel in the workforce, SCTCC graduates can even support quality improvement by contributing to the implementation of care and the utilization of resources to improve health care services. To ensure success, our students learn to integrate the most accurate and current evidence with clinical expertise, patient and family preferences, and values for delivery of optimal health care.

Quick Glance

• Demonstrate therapeutic communication skills to practice nursing care that is patient and family centered, culturally sensitive and based on the physiological, psychosocial and spiritual needs of patients across the lifespan.
• Provide rationale for judgments used in the provision of safe, quality care and for decisions that promote the health of patients.
• Minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance.
• Use information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision making.
• Demonstrate professional behaviors of accountability according to legal and ethical nursing practice standards.
• Function effectively within nursing and inter-professional teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making to achieve quality patient care.
• Support quality improvement by contributing to the implementation of care and the utilization of resources to improve health care services.
• Integrate best current evidence with clinical expertise and patient/family preferences and values for delivery of optimal health care.

Types of Careers

With a degree in Practical Nursing from SCTCC, students have various career options. From long term care, Gerontology, acute care, to psychiatric mental health, our graduates can use their degree to succeed in the path they choose.

SCTCC graduates even work with primary and preventive care, end-of-life care, pediatrics, and OB/GYN.

While utilizing skills taught at SCTCC, our graduates have gone on to work with hospice to provide end-of-life care that fosters open communication to ensure the patients and families comfortability with their care plan.

Potential Employers

After graduation, SCTCC students have worked with long term care facilities, assisted living, hospice, home care agencies, acute care and hospitals, and clinics.

From schools, veteran’s health care systems, community behavioral health hospitals, correctional facilities, and industrial and occupational health, the options as an SCTCC Practical Nursing graduate are limitless. By utilizing skills taught in the classroom, our graduates are certain to succeed in the career path they pursue.

Projected Job Growth

With a Practical Nurse degree in Minnesota, the projected growth rate between 2012 and 2022 is 18.6%, according to MN DEED. As a growing profession, SCTCC is proud to train Practical Nurses to enter the workforce.

Quick Glance

Types of Careers

• Long Term Care: Gerontology
• Acute Care
• Psychiatric Mental Health
• Primary and Preventative Care
• End-of-Life Care
• Pediatrics
• OB/GYN

Potential Employers

• Long Term Care Facilities
• Assisted Living
• Hospice
• Home Care Agencies
• Acute Care/Hospitals
• Clinics
• Schools
• Veterans Health Care System
• Community Behavioral Health Hospitals
• Correctional Facilities
• Industrial/Occupational Health

The SCTCC Practical Nursing degree was named the third-best Practical Nursing program in the state of Minnesota in 2018 by practicalnursing.org.

Colleges were ranked based on the NCLEX-PN pass rates in the past five years. The NCLEX, or National Council Licensure Examination, is the exam practical nursing students take to become a licensed practical nurse.

The Practical Nursing Program at St. Cloud Technical & Community College located in St. Cloud, Minnesota is accredited by the: 
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850
Atlanta, GA 30326
404-975-5000

The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the Practical nursing program is Continuing Accreditation.

View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding this program at http://www.acenursing.us/accreditedprograms/programSearch.htm.

Practical Nursing is approved by the Minnesota Board of Nursing, 1210 Northland Drive Suite 120, Mendota Heights, MN 55120. Telephone: (612) 317-3000, Fax: (651) 688-1841

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PDF of NCLEX Pass Rates