The Birmingham Times
The Lawson State Community College Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Program was ranked #1 by practicalnursing.org for 2021 after 16 LPN programs from across the state were analyzed.
The ranking was based on the passage rates of the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN exam) which is administered by individual State Boards of Nursing in which Lawson State produced an overall score of 100.00.
“The designation of this is important because out of LPN programs approved by the Alabama Board of Nursing, the Lawson State Community College, Practical Nursing Program is number one,” said the college in a statement. “This is/was a collective effort by the faculty, staff and students to ‘Trust the Process.’ We are very proud of this accomplishment, and much continued success to every student who comes through a LSCC nursing program.”
The ranking process, according to Practical Nursing.org, is as follows:
–Pass rates were analyzed going back to the most recent years of data available up to 5 years.
–Schools pass rates were averaged together and weighted by the recency of the exam.
Nursing education at LSCC is comprised of both general education and nursing courses. Utilizing planned learning experiences, the curriculum for the ADN and LPN to Associate Degree Mobility programs are designed to provide the student with the knowledge and technical skills necessary for competent practice.
The focus of the nursing education program is to prepare a registered nurse who functions as a self-directed individual, and who accepts responsibility and accountability for his/her personal and professional behavior.
Through an organized sequence of planned guided learning experiences, students are provided a solid foundation upon which to develop cognitive, psychomotor, and affective abilities necessary to make sound nursing decisions and to practice competently as a registered nurse.
The curriculum plan provides for the acquisition of knowledge, attitudes, and skills inherent in the roles basic to registered nursing practice including the roles of provider of care, manager of care, and member within the discipline of nursing. Graduates of the RN program are strongly encouraged to pursue advanced professional degrees.
Alabama has strict requirements for becoming an LPN in the state—the most important being attending a State Board-approved nursing program and passing the NCLEX-PN exam. Along with a completed application for licensure, the applicant must submit:
- Office transcript from state-approved nursing program.
- Proof of US citizenship or lawful presence.
- Receipt of NCLEX exam registration.
Applicants educated abroad can apply for a license in Alabama and must not only have passed the NCLEX-PN, but he or she must also submit his or her official school transcripts for the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) to perform a full course-by-course review and evaluate the credentials.
