Practical Nursing

Practical Nursing Program Information and Entry Requirements

Nursing is one of today's top careers – and there is high demand for professionals who can combine a mind for science with a passion for patient care. The SGTC Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) program provides academic and occupational courses with a variety of clinical experiences so that graduates are prepared to enter the fast-paced world of medicine and healthcare immediately upon graduation. The program is designed to prepare graduates to successfully complete the NCLEX-PN for licensure as a Practical Nurse. The LPN program is highly competitive. Students are admitted to the program based on the criteria below.
The SGTC Practical Nursing Program entrance exam is the Assessment Technologies Institute Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS). SGTC offers the TEAS tests several times annually. Scores from tests taken at other testing centers will be accepted within a five-year period. Scores from ATI Home Proctored Test will not be accepted. Students can only take the test twice within a 12 month period. Students must make a 58 or higher to be included in this pathway for entrance into the SGTC Practical Nursing Program.

The ATI TEAS is not health care based and is designed to assess essential academic knowledge. The LPN faculty strongly recommend that students purchase the ATI TEAS Study Guide. This guide may be purchased from ATI’s website, www.atitesting.com, or from any website that sells text books. Historically, students who utilized the study guide performed at a higher level on the test than those who chose not to do so.
Selection for the Practical Nursing Program is held twice per year on the Americus Campus: in July to select the students for Fall Semester, and in December to select the students for Spring Semester. Selection is held once per year on the Crisp County campus: in July to select the students for Fall Semester. The deadline date for submission of required documents will be given for each semester. Students missing the deadline will not be eligible for a seat in the program at that time.
A total of twenty-five students are chosen for each class or cohort. Interested students must complete an LPN Nursing Application. Contact SGTC Admissions at admissions@southgatech.edu for applications and testing dates. SGTC will accept the top 25 students per cohort based on TEAS scores. Students must make a 58 or higher to be included in this pathway for entrance into the SGTC Practical Nursing Program.
SGTC LPN SELECTION PROCESS

The SGTC LPN program selection process consists of the following:
1) LPN admissions application submitted prior to deadline.
2) Take and meet/exceed 58 or higher on the ATI TEAS exam. No at home Proctored TEAS Exams will be accepted. Students will be ranked based on highest test scores. Only 25 students will be accepted.
3) Students that have a balance with the college must have it paid off by the nursing deadline.
4) Students will be given points for completion of any on healthcare related education program (certificate/diploma/degree) from a college or university accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. In the event of multiple awards, points from one of the highest earned awards will be applied to the ranking score. Official transcripts showing the conferment of the award must be received by SGTC by the competitive selection program application deadline for the points to be added to the rank score:
a. College Certificate 2 points
b. College Diploma 3 points
c. Associate Degree 4 points
d. Bachelor Degree 5 points
e. Masters or Terminal Degree 6 points
f. Active/Current Health Care Professionals – Applicants who have one of the following active current licenses or certifications at the time of the competitive selection program application deadline may have three (3) additional points added to their rank score. Verified current Georgia CNA license or current National Registry for EMT, or current CMA (AAMA), RMA (AMT) or CCMA (NHA) or applicants who have a t least one (1) year of verifiable Patient Care Technician experience within the last three (3) years. In the event of multiple licensures and/or PCT experience, points will only be applied to the ranking score once.
g. To verify PCT experience, a letter from the Human Resources Department of the employing company on their company letterhead verifying your job title, job duties, and dates of employment must be received by the application deadline. It is the applicant’s responsibility to email proof of licensure, certification of PCT experience to admissions@southgatech.edu by the competitive selection program application deadline. The selection committee will verify the submission with the licensing body or employer prior to points being awarded.

The required documents must be submitted to the Admissions Department.

Tiebreaker

In the event of a tie in the ranking, the student who has the highest average on the Math and Science section of the qualifying TEAS exam will be given the remaining seat.

Students selected will receive notification via their email addresses approximately one week after the deadline with further instructions.

Students not selected will receive email notification during the same time period. Those students are encouraged to contact their respective advisors to discuss ways to improve performance for possible admission in the next selection. A student who is not selected may choose to keep the current TEAS test score for the next selection.

**Criteria subject to change for next competition**