Practical Nurse Program Overview

Mission Statement

The Community College of Rhode Island is the state’s only public practical nursing program. We provide students with the opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for developing effective communication, critical thinking, clinical reasoning and teamwork/collaboration skills. Building upon a rich tradition of teaching excellence and high academic and collegial standards, our faculty and staff are committed to developing a strong, responsive, and diverse nursing workforce aimed at advancing the health of our communities, state, and nation.

Practical Nurse Core Organizing Concepts

• Patient-centered Care
• Nursing Judgment (Evidence-based Practice)
• Safety & Quality Improvement
• Professional Identity
• Teamwork and Collaboration
• Informatics and Technology

Program Philosophy

Nursing is an art and science reflective of and responsive to an ever-changing healthcare environment. Nursing professionals utilize clinical judgment, quality improvement, informatics, teamwork and collaboration to provide safe, culturally-competent, patient-centered care. The goal of the LPN is to protect, promote, and restore comfort and health throughout the lifespan.

Education as a life-long, interactive process that provides the opportunity for the adult learner to develop personally, socially, and intellectually. The adult learner’s previous life experiences and knowledge provide a foundation for acquiring new knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

Practical Nursing (PN) prepares the graduate for entry into nursing practice. As a PN generalist, the PN graduate leads, manages, and provides direct care to individuals, families, and groups across various healthcare environments.

End of Program Student Learning Outcomes

1. Patient-Centered Care: Provide safe, evidence-based patient-centered nursing care to a diverse population in a variety of health care settings.
2. Nursing Judgment: Provide a rationale for judgments used in the provision of safe, quality care and for decisions that promote health of patients and their families within their community.
3. Safety and Quality Improvement: Implement established quality measures to improve desired health outcomes from an individual, unit and systems perspective.
4. Professional Identity: Demonstrate accountability for the delivery of standard-based nursing care that is consistent with legal and ethical principles.
5. Teamwork and Collaboration: Function effectively in collaborative relationships within the healthcare team.
6. Informatics: Utilize information management systems and patient care technologies to implement best nursing practices.

Program Outcomes

The Practical nursing program at the Community College of Rhode Island at the Knight campus located in Warwick, Rhode Island, is accredited by the: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326 (404) 975-5000 https://www.acenursing.org/

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

Last evaluation visit: October 22-24, 2019; Next evaluation visit: Fall 2027.

The Community College of Rhode Island is the state's only public practical nursing program and associate degree nursing program. We provide students with the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for intellectual, professional and personal growth within the nursing program. Building upon a rich tradition of teaching excellence and high academic and collegial standards, our diverse faculty and staff are devoted to fostering creativity, critical thinking skills and competencies in nursing practice. Our high academic standards, while necessary for career success, are responsive to needs of the community, the state of Rhode Island, and the profession of Nursing.

* Information presented above reflects the new stand-alone program overview for students starting the program in Fall 2017.