School of Practical Nursing Overview

Mission Statement
"To prepare students educationally, technically, and socially, according to each student's needs, to become productive citizens."

Goals

  • Establish quality education programs that incorporate the Standards of Learning and complement school division curricula and support cost-efficient and effective solutions to regional education needs.
  • Deliver rigorous and relevant curricula meeting student needs, preferences, and workforce requirements.
  • Provide state-of-the-art equipment, instructional technology and facilities.
  • Insure excellent customer relations with students, parents, member schools and the business community.
  • Extend work-based experiences and apprenticeship opportunities to students that reinforce academic learning and technical training.

History
In the early summer of 1951, the Board of Trustees at Dixie Hospital announced the implementation of an adult level program for the training of African/American women in the vocation of licensed practical nursing. This action was based on the recommendation that the demand for professional nurses exceeded the supply and it was in furtherance of the Hospital's policy of providing the best possible nursing service to the community.

At the time of inception, there were only six schools for practical nursing in the State and only Saint Phillips School at the Medical College of Virginia operated for the training of African/American practical nurses. With its record of more than sixty successful years of training African/American women for professional nursing, the Hampton Training School for Nurses was anxious to be among the first to offer the one year practical nursing course to qualified African/American women of the area. After many hours of planning, the proposed practical nurse education program was presented to the Virginia State Board of Nurse Examiners for approval and on July 21, 1952, the first class was admitted.

In May 1992 New Horizons Technical Center Nursing Staff voted to change the Nursing School name to New Horizons Technical Center School of Practical Nursing. Effective during the 1993-1994 school year the Practical Nursing School's name was changed to New Horizons Regional Education Center School of Practical Nursing.

In keeping with the mission and tradition of our founding members, we continue to strive to meet the demand for professional nurses in our community. We have over fifty years of providing competent, committed individuals who possess a passion and respect for the delivery of healthcare to individuals in need.

Description of Program
The Practical Nursing Program consists of four semesters, eighteen months, of theory and clinical experience consisting of 1,720 contact hours. The Practical Nursing Program is open to high school seniors and adults, offering day and evening hours. The program prepares its graduates to provide nursing care in relatively stable situations. Students are trained to function as essential members of the health team under the supervision of a physician and/or a registered nurse. The nursing program articulates with Thomas Nelson Community College, Tidewater Community College and Norfolk State University where you will have the opportunity to earn transferable college credit hours towards their LPN to RN programs.

We believe that nursing education is designed to provide a program of learning based on a foundation of knowledge derived from biological, physiological, psychological, and sociological sciences, which is then integrated with nursing theory. We believe that Practical Nursing Education is a planned program of competency-based instruction in which an individual is prepared for the beginning role in practical nursing. The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of the health care community. Upon successfully completing the written state licensing exam, graduates can work under the supervision of a registered nurse or a licensed physician to provide skilled nursing care to selected patients. We are approved program by the Virginia Board of Nursing.

The New Horizons Regional Education Center does not discriminate in admission to, or access to, or treatment or employment in, its educational programs, services, or activities based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, or age in accordance with state and federal laws.

Program Highlights

  • Day and evening classes
  • Small class size
  • Affordable competitive tuition (books included in tuition)
  • Computer adaptive instruction
  • Meds Publishing internet access remediation and NCLEX Preparation
  • Nurturing supportive faculty
  • Designed for the working adult
  • LPN to RN affiliation agreements with local colleges

Class Hours

LEVEL I CLASS HOURS:  Day: 8:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M.   

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday
 
X
X
X
  

LEVEL I CLASS HOURS:  Evening :  5:30 P.M.-10:00 P.M.
X
X
X
X
  

*LEVEL II CLASS HOURS:  Day:  8:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M.  Evening:  4:30 P.M. -10:00 P.M.
X
X
X
X
X

*Level II Class Room Theory Days:  Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
*Level II Clinical Days:  Monday and Friday

Tuition and Fees (Per each nine months)

2008—2009 School Year

  • $3,975.00 Tuition (books included)
  • $200.00 Activity fee

Practical Nursing Philosophy

  • We believe that each individual in society is a human being who functions as a change agent and reacts with the environment in an effort to fulfill their potential.
  • We believe an individual is a bio-psycho-socio-spiritual-cultural-ethnic being.
  • We believe the individual is responsible for self-evaluation and decision making in the health care delivery system.
  • We believe that the individual is part of society which includes the family, groups, and communities which assist the individual in meeting his/her basic health needs.

Conceptual Framework
The conceptual framework gives structure to the curriculum, and flows from the philosophy and program objectives of the School of Practical Nursing. The philosophy of the School of Practical Nursing reflects beliefs about the individual, society, nursing, practical nursing, the teaching-learning process, nursing education, and education as a lifelong process. These beliefs constitute the basis for the program objectives, level objectives and the curriculum of the vocational practical nursing program.

The framework of the practical nursing curriculum is divided into two levels. The individual is viewed as a system in the first level of the program. At the second level the individual is viewed as a part of a family system. It should be noted, even though the emphasis shifts at each level, the individual is continuously considered as a unified whole within a diverse, developmental, multi cultural society.

Within the conceptual framework, horizontal and vertical strands provide guidance for the development of level and course objectives and the sequencing of courses throughout the curriculum. The horizontal strand of the curriculum is the nursing process throughout the curriculum. The vertical strands of the curriculum include individuals and families, as well as the wellness/illness continuum. The vertical strands are supportive to progressive learning experiences and emphasis is given to patient/client systems and health alternations throughout the curriculum.

Nursing practice is conceptualized as a dynamic intervention health care service that recognizes the intrinsic value of each individual. As a practice discipline, nursing utilizes a holistic, systematic, scientific approach defined as the nursing process. The nursing process incorporates the phases of assessing, problem identification, planning, implementing and evaluating the health care needs of the client. The client may be an individual, a family, a group, or a community setting care of the client.

The nursing process is a systematic way of thinking for problem solving, critical thinking and acting that serves as a guiding force directed toward providing total health delivery care.

Practical nursing intervention, utilizing the nursing process is designed to (1) support a client in maintaining a state of homeostasis for nursing intervention; (2) assist clients in their abilities to adapt or adjust under direct supervision of a legislative qualified health care worker; (3) prevent or minimize threats to clients’ basic health needs. The nursing process is accomplished through implementing the roles of the practical nurse as an accountable learner, teacher, assessor, motivator, planner, intervener, advocator, evaluator, interpreter, and collaborator under the direct supervision of a qualified health team member.