Practical Nurse

The practical nurse certificate program is designed to prepare students in the cognitive, psychomotor and behavior learning domains for a career as a practical nurse. Upon successful completion of the program, provided all requirements for graduation are met, the graduate will receive a certificate in practical nursing and be eligible to sit for the PN-NCLEX Exam. The curriculum is designed to challenge students to problem solve, develop critical thinking skills, and to understand legal, ethical, moral, and cultural issues of today’s health care communities. The practical nurse works under the direction of the physician or registered nurse to provide patient care, to assist with patient education, manage team nursing patient care delivery, and supervise unlicensed assistive personnel.

Available at the Madison Heights, Roseville, Saginaw, Wayne, and Woodhaven Campuses.

Clinical Training

The clinical setting provides real-life situations where there are opportunities to apply classroom theory to practice. Practical nurse students are placed in a variety of clinical settings throughout their academic program, which provide students with a range of experiences with diverse populations, organizations, and agencies. Cooperating agencies are located in both urban and suburban settings throughout Metropolitan Detroit and Southeastern Michigan.

Licensure

Licensure as a practical nurse is required for employment in this field. Dorsey College has determined that its practical nurse program curriculum is sufficient to fulfill educational requirements for licensure in the State of Michigan only. Dorsey College will pay the cost one-time for graduates of this program to challenge the NCLEX-PN, including application and fingerprint fees, contingent upon the graduate meeting Dorsey College exam preparation requirements.

The Practical Nurse program at the campuses located in Madison Heights, Roseville, Wayne, Woodhaven and Saginaw are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

Admissions inquiries may be directed to a Dorsey College campus convenient to you, or you can call 888-422-1188 to arrange a convenient appointment with an admissions representative. A career planning session will be scheduled to review Dorsey College’s career programs and the applicant’s attitude, motivation, and commitment to training. Successful applicants will be provided with a copy of their fully executed enrollment agreement.

The practical nurse program length is 11.1 months (48 weeks) of contact time, which is scheduled over approximately 12 months.

Tuition includes course e-textbooks and textbooks (except non-consumable textbooks, which remain the property of Dorsey College). One complimentary “medical scrub” uniform, a lab coat, a blood pressure kit with stethoscope, and an electronic device are provided to all students enrolled in the practical nurse program.

Types of Financial Aid

After completing the FAFSA and establishing eligibility, students at Dorsey College receive a financial aid offer that may include one or more types of assistance.

Scholarships — Typically awarded on the basis of academic achievement or other qualifying criteria. Scholarships do not need to be repaid. Examples include the Fostering Futures Scholarship, Michigan Achievement Scholarship, Michigan Competitive Scholarship (MCS), Mi Gear Up Scholarship, Dorsey Great Start Scholarships, and several memorial scholarships.

Grants — Need-based awards that may be funded by the federal government, the State of Michigan, Dorsey College, or private organizations. Grants do not require repayment. Examples include the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Children of Veterans Tuition Grant (CVTG), Michigan Tuition Grant (MTG), Ruth Dorsey Grant, Pat Fischer Culinary Arts Grant, and Dorsey Veterans Grant.

Loans — Low-interest student loans are available and must be repaid when a student graduates, withdraws, or drops below half-time enrollment. Options include the Federal Stafford Loan Program, Direct PLUS Loan (for parents), Dorsey Institutional Loan, and private educational loans.

Federal Work-Study — Provides part-time employment opportunities, enabling students to earn wages that can be applied toward educational expenses.

Other Benefits and Job Training Opportunities — Students may also qualify for state-sponsored programs, veterans’ benefits, or other workforce development and job training initiatives, including the Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) Phase I, EMS Career Programs Advance Payment Incentive, Tuition Reimbursement, Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS), Michigan Merit Award, Veterans Education Benefits, Workforce Investment Act (WIA), and UAW Tuition Assistance Plan.

The Dorsey College financial aid department provides students with both entrance and exit loan counseling.

Total program tuition is $29,760 (tuition only; any fees billed separately).

Career Services

Career services coordinators assist program completers in establishing and accomplishing personal employment goals, polishing resumes, and providing job search and interview techniques, in support of Dorsey College’s objective to “assist students to secure training-related employment.” The Dorsey College career services coordinators can be reached at each campus or online at www.dorsey.edu.

Dorsey College maintains an impressive graduate employment (“placement”) rate, serving as its hallmark. Dorsey College calculates its placement rate according to the requirements of its institutional accreditor. Thousands of graduates from Dorsey College have launched new, exciting, and rewarding careers with many of Michigan’s leading employers. These graduates fulfill Dorsey College’s objective to educate students who are well prepared to enter the workplace, and assume the tasks and challenges associated with their new careers and satisfy the performance requirements of employers. Licensure must be obtained from the State of Michigan to work as a practical nurse, registered nurse, massage therapist, emergency medical technician, paramedic, cosmetologist, manicurist, esthetician, EMT instructor/coordinator or as a pharmacy technician.

Dorsey College does not guarantee job placement or starting salary. Dorsey College has developed and continues to develop long-term relationships with employers to enhance employment opportunities for completers.

A Message From the President

At Dorsey College we take great pride in providing our students with a positive learning environment that includes smaller classes taught by credentialed instructors with real-world experience. Training at Dorsey College is hands-on and performance based, using simulated work environments to ensure you are equipped with the practical skills needed to meet the demands of your chosen career field. Most of our programs are taught in a hybrid learning model that includes online and on-ground courses to provide flexibility and convenience. Classroom and laboratory training is combined with clinical training or an externship in most programs, where students go on-site to an employer in their field to gain real life industry experience.

Established in downtown Detroit in 1934, Dorsey College continues the heritage of its founder, Ruth Dorsey, as a trusted name for comprehensive, quality career training. Now in operation for over ninety years, Dorsey College has continued to be a mark of educational distinction with tens of thousands of graduates enjoying successful careers throughout the country. Institutional facilities consist of seven campus locations with well-equipped classrooms and laboratories, including medical labs, dental labs, HVAC and electrical labs, culinary kitchens, cosmetology clinics and massage therapy clinics furnished with program-appropriate equipment to simulate the work environment for which the student is training.