Wayne welcomes practical nursing program downtown

Mayor Susan Rowe and Dorsey President and CEO John Barnes cut the ribbon to the new Practical Nursing Program in Downtown Wayne.

By Carolyn Marnon – Early this year, Dorsey Schools announced it would offer its Practical Nursing Program in Wayne. It was already in existence at the Madison Heights campus. A program also was started at the Roseville location.
In February, Dorsey held a ribbon-cutting and opened their doors to their first Practical Nursing class in Wayne. Besides the Dorsey programs in Madison Heights and Roseville, there are no other Licensed Practical Nurse programs in this area. The closest school is in Ohio.
What is the difference between a practical nurse and a registered nurse? The education is the major difference. A PN must complete a year program whereas an RN would need to attend a 2-4 year program. PNs do not do intravenous lines, blood work or set up/place medical equipment. Other than that, they do pretty much everything an RN does.
If you are interested in becoming trained as a Practical Nurse, the process is easy. You would complete an application, attend an information session (held 1-2 times a week with morning and evening sessions available) to see if the program is really what you want to do, and then you would take a test called ATI TEAS-Test of Essential Academic Skills. The test does not cover nursing knowledge; it is a basic skills test of what a person would learn in 11th and 12th grade.
Not everyone who applies for the PN program will get in. An interview process is also scored.
Prospective students face a competitive process to get into the nursing program at Dorsey School in Wayne. There are 24 slots for students each enrollment period. The enrollment period begins every 12 weeks.
Students attend class 4 days a week from 8:00 a.m. until Noon or 1:00 p.m. The 5th day of the week is spent doing clinicals from 7:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at a community subacute facility or long-term care nursing home. More advanced students may do their clinicals at St. John’s. Attendance is required at classes.
Upon graduation, students will be awarded a certificate in practical nursing. Graduates will also be eligible to sit for the NCLEX-PN® exam. The National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses is administered by individual State Boards of Nursing. The NCLEX-PN is often referred to as “The Boards” or “State Boards.” It has only one purpose: to determine if it is safe for you to begin practice as an entry-level practical/vocational nurse. Candidates must successfully pass the exam in order to become licensed as an LPN.
If you are interested in the Practical Nursing program, call Dorsey School at (734) 595-1540 and ask for Shawn. Shawn Gordon is the Associate Director of Practical Nursing Recruitment.