Practical Nurse 1

Course Description

PRN0091 – Practical Nurse 1 is a Postsecondary Adult Vocational (PSAV) clock-hour course in the Practical Nursing program (CIP 51.3901), the first major module in Florida's Practical Nursing program sequence. The course aligns with the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) Curriculum Framework for Practical Nursing and with regulatory requirements administered by the Florida Department of Health, Florida Board of Nursing.

Students develop foundational competencies in nursing practice, including the role and scope of the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), basic nursing skills, infection control, vital signs, body mechanics, basic patient care, communication, documentation, professional ethics, and an introduction to medical-surgical concepts. Coursework integrates classroom instruction with extensive nursing skills lab and supervised clinical experience in long-term care, acute care, and other clinical settings.

This course is offered at approximately 32 Florida technical colleges as the foundational module of the 1,350-clock-hour Florida Practical Nursing program. Successful completion of the full program (which includes PRN0091, PRN0092, and PRN0096) qualifies graduates to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) administered through Pearson VUE for the Florida Board of Nursing.

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Describe the role, scope of practice, and legal/ethical responsibilities of the Florida-licensed practical nurse, including delegation, supervision, and the chain of nursing authority within Florida law (Chapter 464, F.S.).
• Apply the nursing process at the LPN scope of practice, including data collection, planning, implementation, and evaluation in collaboration with registered nurses.
• Demonstrate infection control and safety practices, including standard precautions, transmission-based precautions, hand hygiene, sterile technique, PPE, and bloodborne pathogen protocols (CDC, OSHA).
• Perform basic nursing skills, including bed-making, hygiene, mobility and positioning, body mechanics, range-of-motion exercises, and assistive device use.
• Measure and document vital signs (temperature, pulse, respirations, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, pain) and recognize abnormal findings requiring escalation.
• Perform basic patient assessment and physical examination at the LPN scope, including head-to-toe assessment, focused assessments, and pain assessment.
• Apply therapeutic communication with patients, families, and the healthcare team, including active listening, empathy, cultural competence, and managing difficult conversations.
• Maintain accurate nursing documentation in paper and electronic health record systems consistent with legal, regulatory, and professional standards.
• Apply principles of nutrition in basic patient care, including therapeutic diets, feeding assistance, and intake/output monitoring.
• Apply principles of medication administration at an introductory level, including the rights of medication administration, basic pharmacology concepts, and oral/topical/transdermal administration techniques.
• Apply professional ethics and patient rights, including HIPAA, informed consent, advance directives, and patient advocacy.
• Demonstrate professional behavior in classroom, lab, and clinical settings, including punctuality, accountability, professional appearance, and response to feedback.

Optional Outcomes

• Earn the Florida Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) credential, available to PN students who pass the CNA exam during or after completion of this module (where included in the program).
• Earn BLS (Basic Life Support) certification from the American Heart Association.
• Apply concepts of geriatric nursing care in greater depth.
• Apply concepts of cultural competence for serving Florida's diverse patient populations.

Major Topics

Required Topics

• The Practical Nursing Profession in Florida: History of practical nursing; the role of the LPN; scope of practice under Florida Statutes Chapter 464; the Florida Board of Nursing; differences between LPN, RN, CNA, and APRN; LPN-to-RN articulation pathways.
• Healthcare Settings and the Healthcare Team: Acute care, long-term care, home health, ambulatory care, hospice; interdisciplinary team members; communication and collaboration.
• Legal and Ethical Issues in Nursing: Florida Nurse Practice Act; standards of practice; HIPAA; informed consent; advance directives; patient rights; mandatory reporting; impaired-nurse program; Florida Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN).
• Nursing Process and Clinical Reasoning: Five steps of the nursing process; LPN role within the nursing process; data collection vs. assessment; basic care planning.
• Infection Control: Chain of infection; standard precautions; transmission-based precautions (contact, droplet, airborne); hand hygiene; PPE selection and use; sterile technique; medical asepsis.
• Safety in the Healthcare Environment: Patient safety (fall prevention, restraints with consent, environmental hazards); workplace safety; ergonomics and body mechanics; safe patient handling; bloodborne pathogen exposure response.
• Vital Signs and Basic Assessment: Temperature (oral, axillary, tympanic, temporal, rectal); pulse (radial, apical, peripheral); respirations; blood pressure (manual and automated); oxygen saturation; pain assessment (numeric, FACES, FLACC); recognizing and escalating abnormal findings.
• Basic Care and Hygiene: Bed-making (occupied and unoccupied); bathing (bed bath, shower); oral care; perineal care; hair and nail care; positioning; transfers; ambulation; range-of-motion exercises.
• Nutrition and Hydration: Therapeutic diets (clear liquid, full liquid, soft, mechanical soft, regular, diabetic, cardiac, renal); feeding assistance; intake and output measurement; signs of dehydration and malnutrition.
• Elimination: Bowel and bladder care; toileting assistance; bedpan/urinal use; ostomy care basics; assisting with specimen collection.
• Therapeutic Communication: Active listening; open-ended vs. closed-ended questions; therapeutic vs. non-therapeutic responses; cultural competence; communicating with patients with cognitive impairment, sensory impairment, or language barriers.
• Documentation: Charting (narrative, focus, SOAP, PIE, FDAR); electronic health records; legal aspects of documentation; common documentation errors.
• Introduction to Medication Administration: The rights of medication administration; routes (oral, topical, transdermal); medication labels; basic dose calculation; observing for adverse reactions; reporting medication errors.
• Introduction to Pharmacology: Drug classifications; common drug categories; basic pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics at an introductory level.
• Care Across the Lifespan (Introduction): Developmental considerations from infancy through older adulthood; age-specific care considerations.
• End-of-Life Care: Hospice and palliative care basics; supporting dying patients and families; cultural and religious considerations; postmortem care.

Optional Topics

• Florida CNA Preparation: Test-taking strategies for the CNA exam; specific CNA exam content.
• Geriatric-Specific Care: Common conditions in older adults; dementia care; resident-centered care in long-term care.
• Cultural Competence in Florida Healthcare: Serving Florida's diverse patient populations including Hispanic/Latino, Caribbean, Haitian, and other communities.
• Health Information Technology: Electronic health records; barcode medication administration.

Resources & Tools

• Common Texts: Foundations of Nursing (Christensen/Kockrow), Foundations and Adult Health Nursing (Cooper/Gosnell), Lippincott Textbook for Nursing Assistants, Mosby's Textbook for Long-Term Care Nursing Assistants, NCLEX-PN review books
• Lab Equipment: Skills lab with hospital beds, mannequins (low- and high-fidelity simulation), vital signs equipment, IV training arms, medication carts, EHR simulation
• Reference Standards: Florida Statutes Chapter 464 (Nursing); Florida Administrative Code Chapter 64B9 (Florida Board of Nursing); FLDOE Curriculum Framework for Practical Nursing (CIP 0651390101); CDC infection control guidelines; OSHA bloodborne pathogen standards (29 CFR 1910.1030); HIPAA
• Online Resources: Florida Board of Nursing portal (floridasnursing.gov); ATI Testing or HESI nursing review platforms; Lippincott CoursePoint; Evolve (Elsevier)
• Professional Organizations: National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses (NFLPN); National Association for Practical Nurse Education and Service (NAPNES); Florida Nurses Association (FNA); Florida League for Nursing

Career Pathways

Successful completion of PRN0091 — as part of the full Florida Practical Nursing program — leads to LPN licensure and supports entry into:

• Licensed Practical Nurse (SOC 29-2061) — Long-term care, acute care, ambulatory care, home health, correctional health, school nursing.
• Long-Term Care LPN — Florida's substantial long-term care sector (skilled nursing facilities, assisted living, memory care) is the largest employer of LPNs in the state.
• Hospital LPN — Acute care hospital roles (varied by facility staffing model).
• Home Health LPN — Visiting nursing, hospice care, home infusion services.
• Physician Office / Clinic LPN — Outpatient practice support.
• School Nurse / Camp Nurse — Specialized practice settings.
• LPN-to-RN Bridge Pathway — Most Florida LPN graduates pursue RN licensure through articulated bridge programs at Florida colleges (Valencia, Miami Dade, Hillsborough, Pasco-Hernando, FSCJ, Polk State, Seminole State, etc.).

Florida's healthcare sector — particularly the state's substantial aging population and large network of long-term care facilities — sustains exceptionally strong demand for licensed practical nurses across all metropolitan areas.

Special Information

Florida Licensing Pathway

To obtain Florida LPN licensure, applicants must:

• Complete an approved Practical Nursing program (Florida technical college PSAV programs are the most common pathway)
• Pass a criminal background check and meet character requirements
• Pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN)
• Submit application and fees to the Florida Board of Nursing
• Be at least 18 years of age
• Complete required coursework in HIV/AIDS, Domestic Violence, Prevention of Medical Errors, and Florida Laws and Rules (these may be incorporated into the PN program)

Position in the Program Sequence

PRN0091 is the first major module of the Florida PSAV Practical Nursing program (1,350 hours total). Students proceed through PRN0091 → PRN0092 (Practical Nurse 2) → PRN0096 (Practical Nurse 3) plus additional supporting coursework. Hours invested count toward the program total. Students generally must achieve a minimum grade in PRN0091 (typically B or 80%) to progress to PRN0092.

Admission Requirements

Florida PN program admissions typically require:

• High school diploma or GED equivalent
• Minimum age 18 years (at the time of program completion or licensure application)
• Pre-admission examination (TEAS, HESI A2, or PSB-RNSAE) above a program-specific cutoff
• Background check and drug screen
• Current immunizations and tuberculosis screening
• BLS certification (often required prior to clinical rotations)
• Some programs require completion of a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) course or work experience as a prerequisite

Articulation

Per Florida statewide articulation, the Florida PSAV Practical Nursing program articulates to LPN-to-RN bridge programs (Associate Degree Nursing) at most Florida colleges. Students typically receive substantial advanced standing (often 6–15 credit hours or more) toward their A.S. in Nursing. This is among the most well-traveled career-advancement pathways in Florida education.

Workplace and Personal Considerations

Practical nursing involves physical demands (lifting, prolonged standing, repetitive motion), emotional demands (patient suffering, end-of-life care, family communication), exposure risks (infectious disease, bodily fluids, hazardous medications), and shift work (nights, weekends, holidays). Programs introduce students to these realities and to professional habits supporting long-term career sustainability.