Pima Medical Institute is pleased to announce it has begun enrolling students for its new Practical Nursing certificate program at the Albuquerque campus.
The new program takes 11 months to complete and prepares students for the licensed practical nurse (LPN) exam.
“Students who are accepted into the program will learn basic nursing skills, professionalism, medical terminology, communication skills, medication administration, and intravenous therapy,” said Pima Medical Institute Albuquerque Campus Director, Lisa Knigge-Huntsman. “Upon completion, graduates will be eligible to sit for the National Council Licensing Exam for Practical Nurses.”
Under the direction of registered nurses and doctors, practical nurses assist patients by providing wound care, checking and documenting vital signs, intravenous therapy and administering medications.
During the program at Pima Medical, students will learn medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, the clinical foundations of nursing, pharmacology, maternal child nursing theory and strategies for success in practical nursing.
“With an expanding senior population, the licensed practical nurse will be increasingly important to the health system in providing safe quality care,” said Pima Medical’s Corporate Manager of Nursing, Catherine Garner, DrPH, MSN, RN.
“This is an exciting time to join the profession of nursing. Pima Medical’s facilities include simulation laboratories as well as clinical skills laboratories for preparing nurses for today’s clinical environment and increasing the supply of nurses for the rapidly expanding population.”
Employment demands for LPNs in Albuquerque and throughout New Mexico are growing, Knigge-Huntsman said.
“A survey by Pima Medical Institute’s Nursing Program Advisory Board revealed that there are multiple job vacancies for practical nurses not only in Albuquerque but across the state of New Mexico,” she said. “There is a great need for LPNs in settings such as skilled healthcare, hospice, physician’s offices, correctional facilities and home healthcare.”
Pima Medical’s Albuquerque campus has already begun enrolling for the Practical Nursing program. Those interested in applying are encouraged to tour the campus and meet the instructors by calling 800-477-7462. More information about the program may be found online at https://pmi.edu/programs/certificate/practical-nursing.
The Albuquerque campus is located at 4400 Cutler Avenue, NE, Albuquerque, N.M., 87110. It offers several other healthcare career programs, including the Dental Assistant, Medical Administrative Assistant, Medical Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, and Veterinary Assistant certificate programs, and associate degrees in Dental Hygiene, Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiography and Respiratory Therapy.
Pima Medical also offers three certificate programs at its Albuquerque West Rio Rancho campus, located at 8601 Golf Course Road, NW, Albuquerque, N.M., 87114. Those programs include Central Sterile Processing, Medical Administrative Assistant and Medical Assistant.
