Durham Technical Community College

Nursing Programs Offered

ADN Program Details

The Associate Degree Nursing curriculum is designed to prepare the graduate to assess, analyze, plan, implement, and evaluate nursing care. The graduate is eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination.

The registered nurse may be employed in a wide variety of health care settings, such as hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, physicians' offices, industry, and community health agencies.

Approved by the North Carolina Board of Nursing and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, the five-semester Associate Degree Nursing program provides the knowledge and skills needed to function effectively in all areas of the profession. Clinical and classroom experiences represent an integrated approach, with the student moving from simple to complex nursing concepts and skills. The classroom portion of the program is taught during the day. Clinical experiences are more flexible, with day and limited evening rotations available at health care facilities throughout the Triangle area.

A new student may enroll in the fall semester. Students are required to have CPR certification and be a certified Nursing Assistant I before entering the first nursing course. Students who are licensed as a Practical Nurse may be enrolled as an advanced-standing student. Program graduates are awarded the Associate in Applied Science degree.

LPN Program Details

The Practical Nursing program prepares the student to care for patients with a variety of common medical-surgical problems in various stages of illness. The licensed practical nurse is dedicated to helping assess the patient's physical and mental health, including the patient's reaction to illnesses and treatment regimens; recording and reporting the results of the nursing assessment; participating in implementing the health care plan developed for the patient by other authorized health care professionals; reinforcing the teaching and counseling of a registered nurse, licensed physician, or dentist; and recording and reporting the nursing care rendered and the patient's response to that care.

Approved by the North Carolina Board of Nursing and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC), the three-semester program involves both classroom and clinical activities. The program focuses on theory and practice in a broad range of nursing activities. These activities encompass direct patient care in relatively stable nursing situations. In addition to instruction in nursing care, the student completes related general education courses and is also introduced to microcomputers. Formal classroom study takes place at Durham Technical Community College. Practical experience is gained through clinical courses taken concurrently with theory and conducted under the instructor's supervision. Clinical experiences take place at Duke University Medical Center, Durham Regional Hospital, Lincoln Community Health Center, and other area health care facilities.

Program graduates are awarded diplomas in Practical Nursing. They are eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN), which is required for practice as a practical nurse. Licensed practical nurses are employed in hospitals, nursing homes, extended-care facilities, clinics, physicians' and dentists' offices, and other health care agencies.

Classes are offered during the day and may be completed in three semesters if the three non-nursing courses are taken prior to entry into the nursing component. New students are enrolled in the fall semester.