All of the graduates of 2017 class Greenfield Community College's Practical Nursing Program taking the national licensure exam passed during their first time taking the test. While previous cohorts of GCC Practical Nursing graduates generally have had pass rates in the upper 90 percent range, this is the first time where 100% of the class passed the exam. Practical Nurses must pass this exam and have a license to practice as a PN.

The National Council Licensing Examination - Practical Nursing (known as NCLEX-PN) is the standardized licensing exam that State Boards of Registration use to determine if an individual is prepared to enter the practice at an entry level. In Massachusetts, Practical Nurses are licensed by the Board of Registration in Nursing (BORN). The scope of practice is regulated by the BORN and it allows Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) to function in health care settings such as long-term care facilities, sub-acute units, healthcare provider practices, and in some specific roles within hospitals.

The NCLEX-PN exam covers fundamentals of nursing care, patient safety and infection control, quality care and improvement, patient needs, coordination of care, pharmacology, and health promotion and maintenance. The test plan is varied and GCC's ten-month training program is designed to include topics covered by the licensing exam.

GCC's Practical Nursing Program Coordinator Deborah Palmeri said, "Greenfield Community College's Practical Nursing program in Northampton, MA prepares students to practice within a diverse healthcare environment. Since a license is required to practice as a PN, the 100% pass rate reflects the graduates' ability to integrate their knowledge gained from the program into the testing environment. Passing the exam shows they have the ability to practice and obtain a position as a PN. PN jobs are available throughout the region. Often employers contact me to ask for candidates and we post those positions to program graduates."

GCC's Practical Nursing Program admits 32 students each year to the ten-month program that lasts from September to June. In recent years, Practical Nursing students have ranged in age from 20 to 60 and come from Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden counties in Massachusetts and from New Hampshire.

For information about GCC's Practical Nursing Program, visit https://www.gcc.mass.edu/academics/programs/practical-nursing/#tab1 or contact Deborah Palmeri at .