Nursing has long been considered an honorable and fulfilling profession. Have you been considering training to become a nurse? At Fortis, we offer practical nursing programs designed to prepare you for an entry-level position as a practical nurse. Our practical nursing programs in Florida, Ohio, Virginia and Pennsylvania offer a comprehensive curriculum and small class sizes designed to help you reach your educational and career goals. 

Practical Nursing Careers

Often called LPNs, licensed practical nurses are often frontline caregivers in a wide variety of health care settings, ranging from nursing homes, extended and skilled care facilities, rehabilitation centers, to hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities.  Practical nurses can be found in virtually every hospital department and their roles may include Emergency Room Nurse LPN, Labor and Delivery Nurse LN, Oncology Nurse LPN, Pediatric Nurse LPN, and more. 

So, what is a practical nurse? Essential members of the healthcare team, practical nurses generally work under the supervision of a registered nurse and/or doctor and, at times, may be responsible for the supervision of nursing aides. LPNs monitor and care for patients by performing a wide variety of patient care and administrative roles. Some of these responsibilities may include:

• Taking and recording patient’s vital signs
• Administering medications
• Collecting body fluid specimen samples
• Performing standard lab tests
• Listening to patient concerns and answering their questions
• Assembling equipment such as catheters, gastrostomy (feeding) tubes, and oxygen supplies

Practical nursing is rapidly growing career that is expected to grow by over the next several years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. As baby boomers are reaching retirement age, even more LPN positions are expected to become available. LPNs will also find plenty of advancement opportunities as they progress in their careers.

FORTIS’s Practical Nursing Program

The Practical Nursing program at Fortis provides the theory, laboratory and clinical experiences to prepare students to sit for the NCLEX licensure exam and pursue an entry-level position in Practical Nursing. After graduating the program, passing the exam and meeting any other requirements, the practical nurse becomes a “licensed” practical nurse, also known as an LPN. 

The Fortis curriculum is a balance of traditional classroom instruction, laboratory work and hands-on skill development. The clinical portion of the PN nursing curriculum includes real-world hands-on experience providing nursing care to diverse patient populations in hospitals and other healthcare agencies. In addition, the clinical portion of the PN program will enable the student to observe first-hand and learn the qualities that are crucial to employability.

Our experienced and dedicated faculty teach courses in the Practical Nursing program include science and health topics, as well as math for medical professionals and pharmacology. LPN courses cover content including basic Nursing Skills, Biology, Anatomy, Physiology, Emergency Care, Pediatric Nursing, Obstetric Nursing, Medical/Surgical Nursing and more. 

Upon successful completion of the practical nursing (PN) program, students must apply to take the NCLEX-PN examination to obtain licensure as a practical nurse.

Take the Next Step

We are proud of our nursing facilities and would love the opportunity to give you a tour of a local campus. Request information to learn how to get started in one of our PN schools in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania or Virginia today!