Practical Nursing

The programme is 1350 clock hours, the length Big Bend’s catalog publishes for it. It is a planned sequence of instruction organised into Florida Occupational Completion Points, so a documented credential is earned at each stage of the sequence rather than only at the end.

Reciprocity Agreement

Big Bend Technical College (BBTC) does not have a reciprocity agreement with any other state. BBTC does not offer postsecondary education through distance education or correspondence courses to students located in a state in which the institution is not physically located or in which the institution is otherwise subject to that state's jurisdiction as determined by that state.

BBTC’s Practical Nursing (PN) program is a Florida Board of Nursing (FBON) Licensed approved Nursing Education program (License # NPPN701104 ) that meets the educational requirements for a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in Florida, that is required for employment in that field. Successful completion of the BBTC PN Program, passage of the NCLEX exam and fingerprints submitted electronically to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) via Livescan for a national criminal history are required to meet licensure requirements in Florida for occupation as an LPN. The requirements for licensure by examination can be found in Section 464.008, F.S.

The Florida Board of Nursing website address is: https://floridasnursing.gov

Students must pass all required coursework and maintain an 80% average in each major unit, maintain an 85% average in the clinical rotation and be absent no more than 30 hours per semester in the scheduled 1350 hours of the program. Additionally, the student must have satisfied all financial obligations before he/she is eligible to receive a certificate of completion.

Application Requirements

Important note

Only 30 students can be accepted into the program. The selection process is based on the applicant’s score, prior education and/or medical employment.

Big Bend charges by the clock hour rather than by the term. At Florida’s resident rate the college records for this programme, its 1350 clock hours come to about $3,240.00 in tuition. Lab, certification and programme-specific fees vary and sit outside that figure; the college provides a fee sheet to each applicant.

Federal financial aid is available to those who qualify — Big Bend’s accreditation by the Council on Occupational Education (COE) is what makes its programmes Title IV eligible. The college publishes its financial-aid information, including its CARES Act and HEERF disbursement reports, on its own site.

Big Bend states its mission as providing quality education and technical training that empowers each student to reach their potential, under the motto “Educate, Empower, Employ”. Programmes are built to Florida’s career and technical education frameworks, and several carry industry certifications earned inside the programme’s own time frame; the college lists the certifications attached to each programme in its catalog.

Big Bend states that it holds no reciprocity agreement with any other state, and that it does not offer postsecondary education by distance or correspondence to students located in a state where it is not physically located. Licensure requirements outside Florida should be confirmed with that state’s board before enrolling.

Big Bend is a public technical college operated by the Taylor County School District, and its career and technical programmes are measured in clock hours against Florida’s Occupational Completion Point framework. That is why length, progress and price are all quoted in hours here rather than credits or semesters.

Expect the work to be hands-on and the sequence to be set by the programme. Expect basic skills in mathematics, reading and language arts to be assessed where the Florida framework for your programme sets a level, and expect regulated health programmes to add an entrance examination, drug screening and a Level II background check at your own expense.