Practical Nursing Program

Application Considerations

1. Student placement in clinical site/agency assumes that the applicant is able to successfully pass the rigors of a background investigation and criminal history check. While it is not the policy of Northern Michigan University's Practical Nursing Department to validate or ensure these prerequisite qualities in our majors, federal guidelines for many agencies mandate that the clinical site/agency may perform background checks. Therefore, each nursing student is advised that the clinical site/agency may perform background investigation on students who are placed in their clinical site/agency. The nature and scope of the background investigation is the prerogative of the specific agency and is in accordance to federal or state guidelines mandating the background check, however, lack of consent may disallow a student from being placed in that clinical site/agency, and therefore, may prohibit the student from progressing in the nursing program.


2. Practical nurses must be licensed by the state(s) in which they plan to work. Persons making application for licensure are screened for criminal records and/or convicted felonies. If you have a criminal record, you should consider seeking individual legal counsel as to the possibility of being ineligible for licensure prior to applying for admission to the program.


3. Student practical nurses are exposed to a variety of substances within the work environment such as occasional fluctuations in temperature and electromagnetic radiation. Exposure to blood and other body tissue and fluids, dust, electrical hazards, loud or unpleasant noises and occasional high humidity or wetness are the norm. Practical nursing students are also exposed to many latex products - avoidance of latex in clinical training of health occupation students is not possible. An individual with a latex allergy who is starting career training is advised to select a career outside the health occupations.

The Department of Practical Nursing does not review individual cases as to the medical and/or legal suitability of a student. However, we do wish to have prospective students informed of performance standards and practice considerations prior to making an investment of time and money in the program.

Student Application Information

Potential Practical Nursing Students: Please read the following statements carefully before applying.

Nursing is an occupation which involves daily contact with individuals and requires ability to perform a wide variety of activities. Some individuals might not be suited to perform the activities of a practical nurse. Many hospitals require physical examination, laboratory testing and x-rays prior to hiring an individual to rule out pre-existing conditions which could cause problems in performing the expected duties. If you have any condition which might impair your ability to perform the activities required of a practical nurse, you might wish to reconsider applying for admission to the Practical Nursing Major. Indicated below are core performance standards for admission and progression in the Practical Nursing Program.

The program is approved by the Michigan State Department of Vocational Education and the Michigan Board of Nursing.

Admission Criteria

To be admitted as a full-time student, applicants must have:

1. Completed high school or its equivalent (GED) with at least a 2.0 GPA in academic classes. Transfer students from other majors or colleges must have at least a 2.0 GPA in college courses attempted. In addition, student must have a cumulative NMU GPA of 2.0.
2. Been accepted for admission to Northern Michigan University as a student in good standing. Applications may be obtained by contacting the Admissions Office.

To be considered for admission into the Practical Nursing Clinical Program:

1. A student must have met all admission requirements and be a student in good standing.
2. Must have a minimum total GPA of 2.0 in all the prerequisite college courses taken that are required in the program. The student must have a minimum grad of C in all prerequisite courses. In addition, the student must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0.
3. Taken the Pre-Practical Nursing Assessment test and achieved a passing score in all of the subsets of the test.
4. Admission into the clinical nursing sequence is based upon a student's GPA in the prerequisite courses and their admission placement test results. Students who have the highest GPA and test scores will be admitted first until the class is filled. Not all students who have met the minimum standards will be admitted if the space is not available.
5. Must have successfully passed all required nursing courses after a maximum of two tries.

Students will be notified of acceptance or rejection on a rolling basis. If the number of eligible applicants exceeds the number of placements available, the faculty reserves the right to select the applicants who shall be admitted. Students who have completed all prerequisites by the end of summer semester will be given priority for admission into the fall class.

Retention in the Nursing Sequence

For a student to remain in the nursing sequence they need to meet the following conditions:

1. Maintain a minimum overall GPA of a 2.0 in all nursing courses and an overall NMU GPA of 2.0. Achieve a C in all nursing classes (NE and PN)
2. Adhere to the University's Student Code and Practical Nursing Student Policies.
3. Demonstrate a pattern of safe clinical practice commensurate with their educational experience to date.

Readmission Criteria

When a nursing student wishes to be readmitted into the nursing sequence of courses after having a withdrawal or failure in a previously enrolled nursing course the student must initiate the following steps. Students who have failed any nursing courses more than twice are ineligible for readmission.

Department of Practical Nursing
Northern Michigan University
1401 Presque Isle Avenue
Marquette, MI 49855

(906) 227-2640

Northern Michigan University is an AA/EO institution.
© 2006 by the Board of Control of Northern Michigan University.