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This program is designed for students interested in becoming a licensed practical nurse as an entry into the nursing career ladder program.

The Practical Nursing program prepares a student to be a direct care giver in hospitals, long-term facilities and ambulatory care-clinic settings. The student must demonstrate college-level proficiency in reading and writing in order to be admitted to this program. This program has selective admission requirements and requirements may change from year-to-year. It is the student's responsibility to obtain the current admission requirements.

The application deadline is March 1 of every year. Classes begin in August. Students complete the program in May and are eligible to take the State Board examination (NCLEX) for LPN Licensure. There is a Grand Junction cohort and a separate Montrose cohort for this program. For more information about how to apply to the PN program, see this page: https://www.coloradomesa.edu/health-sciences/undergraduate/nursing/apply.html.

Tuition and fees: See this page for information about CMU undergraduate tuition and fees. For questions about tuition and fees, contact CMU's IRIS desk at [email protected] or (970) 248-1177. 

Completion of the Practical Nurse Certificate allows graduates to progress to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, LPN to BSN program.

Academic Requirements for Professional Certificate in Practical Nursing

The Practical Nursing program prepares the graduate to be a direct caregiver in hospitals, home health, mental health settings, long-term facilities and ambulatory care clinic settings.

Application Process
PN Handbook
Program Effectiveness Data
90.5%

PN-NCLEX Pass Rate

Five-year average pass rate of CMU graduates; the national average is 86.6%.

87.7%

Job Placement Rate

Five year average of graduates employed within 12 months.

97%

Program Completion Rate

Overall - Five year average of students who completed the program in two semesters. Grand Junction cohort: 94% (past year) Montrose cohort: 77% (past year)

Program Accreditation

The Practical Nursing Program at Colorado Mesa University located in Grand Junction, Colorado is accredited by the: 

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta GA 30326
(404) 975-5000

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.com/accreditedprograms/programSearch.htm