Ready to get going on your nursing career? Find a fast-track to working in the medical field by getting an advanced certificate in practical nursing.
During your journey to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN), you’ll practice critical thinking, team building and communication. You’ll be prepared to work in a variety of environments, including home healthcare, hospitals, clinics and nursing homes.
Delta’s 9,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art health professions lab provides an outstanding simulated hospital patient care environment for students to learn and practice nursing skills. You'll have the knowledge, skills and confidence you need to hit the ground running.
Program details
Our program prepares you for a career as a practical nurse. You can start with an
entry-level advanced certificate, and then use those courses toward the associate
degree to become a registered nurse later.
Degree info
Practical Nurse
- Time & credits
- 5 semesters
44 credits - Course information
- In-person/online
- Blended
- Estimated tuition & fees
- $11,252 (in-district)
$17,483 (out-of-district)
$18,220 (out-of-state)
There's more
The clinical portion of this program is approximately one year in length. The Delta College PN program is excellent at preparing students for the LPN State Board Exam with an exceptionally high pass rate.
Once a student has graduated and received their State Board of Nursing license to be a Licensed Practical Nurse, they can work in a variety of settings such as acute care hospitals, long-term care facilities, doctor office and home health care. The practical nurse assists physicians and registered nurses in the development and modification of patient care plans, performs basic tests and assists with medications and other treatments.
Professional licensure
This program prepares you to take the NCLEX exam in the state of Michigan. Graduates who want to practice in other states should review licensure guidance at NCSBN.org or contact the program coordinator.
Michigan Board of Nursing
All of our nursing programs, Associate Degree in Nursing (both full-time and part-time
tracks), including the Transition to ADN track, and our Practical Nursing Certificate
program have approval from the Michigan Board of Nursing. The ADN program has been
approved since 1964 and the LPN program since 1990. The Michigan Board of Nursing
can be contacted at:
Bureau of Health Services
Ottawa Building
P.O. Box 30670
Lansing, MI 48909-8170
517-335-0918
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
The practical nursing program at Delta College located in University Center, MI is accredited by the: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, GA 30326
404-975-5000
The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the practical nursing program is initial accreditation.
View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding this program on the ACEN website.
Getting your degree in a health field is unique compared to other programs. You must first take your prerequisite core courses, and then you'll apply for validation.
The Registrar's Office validates your prerequisite courses to confirm you are eligible to begin the clinical portion of your program.
Success tips
- Declare the Licensed Practical Nurse program.
- Meet with your advisor regularly. Stay on track with what you need to do to apply.
- Apply for validation with the Registrar's Office once you've started your final semester of prerequisite courses.
- Stay connected for important updates from Delta.
Students entering the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program or Practical Nurse (PN) program must provide documentation of ability to perform specific nursing skills prior to entry into the clinical portion of the program. Students must be competent in performing ALL of the specific nursing skills that are learned and practiced as a CNA (recording vital signs, eating, dressing, grooming, bathing and toileting).
The nursing curriculum, for the ADN and PN programs, builds on this knowledge and expects each student to perform in a safe and competent manner related to these functions.
We think it's important to know how we're doing so we can continually improve our programs—collegewide. We work really hard to give our students the best possible education. So, we annually evaluate and show you what we find out.
NCLEX results
The licensure pass rate is the percent of first time takers achieving a passing score on the NCLEX-PN.
| Year | First time test takers achieving a passing score (Delta College average) | First time test takers achieving a passing score (national average) |
|---|---|---|
|
2020 |
77.27% |
83.08% |
|
2021 |
85.7% |
79.6% |
|
2022 |
85% |
79.93% |
Program completion rate
The completion rate is percentage of graduates within 100% of the program length.
| Years | Graduates at 100% of program length |
|---|---|
|
2019/20 |
46.4% |
|
2020/21 |
34.6% |
|
2021/22 |
66.7% |
Job placement
The job placement rate is the percentage of graduates employed full or part time in a nursing related position as indicated on the Career Program Graduates survey.
| Completion year | Job placement rate |
|---|---|
|
2018/19 |
100% |
|
2019/20 |
100% |
|
2020/21 |
100% |
With your successful validation, you're guaranteed a spot in the program if you follow the required steps.
Current wait times from semester of validation to clinical entry are below, although please know that these are estimates and subject to change.
- RN full-time track
2 – 4 semesters - RN part-time track
2 – 6 semesters - Paramedic/LPN to RN transition track
1 – 3 semesters - LPN
2 – 5 semesters
Transfer
One of the best things about Delta College is the opportunity to start here and go anywhere. And, in the process, save thousands of dollars. It's a smart choice to get your associate's and then transfer on.
Delta works with many colleges and universities to provide associate-to-bachelor’s degree transfer pathways. Check out what's available in this career field.
Job outlook
Interested in a career as a practical nurse? Learn more about our region’s employment
outlook and career opportunities you can pursue in this field of study by reviewing
the sampling below. Visit Career Coach to search all careers.
Get started at Delta
Contact us
Admissions
H Wing
admissions@delta.edu
989-686-9093
