Practical Nurse (PN)

Program offered at:

Aurora Non-Main Campus

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Apply Now for the Reverend Simmons Grant

If you’re planning to study Practical Nursing at Casa Loma College, you may qualify for the Reverend Simmons Grant, an institutional scholarship valued at $3,000.

Students who apply anytime during the 2026 calendar year are eligible for this opportunity. The grant is applied directly toward tuition—$500 per semester for full-time students (12 or more credits) or $250 per semester for part-time students (11 or fewer credits).

This scholarship helps make your education more affordable while you prepare for a future in nursing.

Contact us today to see if you qualify for the Reverend Simmons Grant and begin your path toward a degree in Practical Nursing at Casa Loma College.

What Is a Practical Nurse?

A practical nurse (PN) – also called a vocational nurse, depending on the state – is trained to provide basic and vital medical care to a diverse range of patients who are ill, injured, disabled, or convalescing. A frontline healthcare worker, PNs often work under the supervision of registered nurses, doctors, and physicians as part of the overall patient care team. There are over 650,000 PNs working in the U.S. as of 2023, many of them employed in nursing and residential care facilities, as well as state, local, and private hospitals.

Practical nurses are trained to perform tasks like:

• Monitoring patients’ health by checking their blood pressure, body temperature, and other vital signs
• Providing basic patient care and comfort, including changing bandages and helping with bathing or dressing
• Discussing care with patients and listening to their concerns
• Reporting patients’ status and concerns to registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, or physicians
• Documenting patient care and maintaining health records

A skilled and successful PN will also embrace qualities like:

• Compassion and empathy toward their patients
• Effective communication skills with both patients, families, and healthcare teams
• Attention to details to ensure quality care
• Ability to multitask and juggle multiple patients with a variety of differing health needs
• Strong interpersonal skills

Nursing Accreditation

The Practical Nurse and the Associate of Applied Sciences in Nursing programs are not accredited by a programmatic accreditation agency which may impact future educational and career options and may limit future educational and career opportunities for students. Casa Loma College has initiated the processes to achieve programmatic nursing accreditation from the Accrediting Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). The College cannot guarantee programmatic accreditation will be achieved prior to a student’s anticipated graduation date.

Casa Loma College, Nashville Associate of Applied Science in Nursing Program has been granted Candidate Status by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). This achievement represents a mark of academic distinction, signifying that the program has demonstrated its commitment to excellence in nursing education and its potential to meet rigorous national standards.

This status indicates that, based on the review of the program’s Candidacy Presentation, the nursing program has shown compliance or the potential to comply with selected ACEN Standards and Criteria within two years of notification.

Where to Find More Information

Details about Casa Loma ACEN Candidacy and accreditation processes can be found on the official ACEN website:

https://www.acenursing.org/acen-programs-05202024/casa-loma-college-a
FAQs: Candidacy and Initial Accreditation

ACEN Contact Information:
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc.
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, GA 30326
Phone: (404) 975-5000
Website: https://www.acenursing.org

How Do You Become a Practical Nurse?

BIf you’re interested in becoming an PN, your first step is to find and enroll in an approved educational program.

Casa Loma College is a non-profit college that has been serving the Los Angeles professional health care community since 1966. The college offers a blended learning Practical Nurse (PN) certificate program, which combines in-depth online course work in medical concepts and terminology with hands-on practical and clinical experiences.

Our curriculum builds a foundation of knowledge and skills one class at a time, covering topics like:

• Understanding the history and role of the practical nurse in healthcare and how to apply the principles of professionalism, critical thinking, and the clinical problem-solving process
• Recognizing basic patient needs and making clinical judgments using evidence-based techniques, healthcare technologies, and patient-centered approaches
• Developing interviewing and physical assessment skills to collect and document patient findings during physical, psychosocial, and spiritual assessments
• Understanding the basic principles of pharmacology, including drug action and interaction, indications, routes of administration, and safe dosages

Our program is designed to ready you to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN), which is required in order to qualify for entry-level PN positions.

How Long Does It Take to Become a Practical Nurse?

At Casa Loma College, our goal is to help you earn your PN certification in just a year utilizing a hybrid, blended learning format. The program requires completion of 40 semester credit hours and can be completed in 48 weeks.

You can complete your application to the PN certificate program at Casa Loma College without obligation.

	CIP Code	Credits	Months	Instructional Weeks	Award	Terms
Practical Nurse (PN)	51.3901	40 semester	12 months	48 weeks	Certificate	3 semesters

What Is the Job Outlook for PNs?

There is a consistent need for trained practical nurses in both the U.S. in general and in Colorado specifically.

U.S. growth: According to the U.S. Department of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), employment for practical nurses is expected to grow as fast as the average for all occupations through 2033. They project around 54,000 openings each year on average as many workers retire or shift careers.

What Will I Learn at Casa Loma College’s PN Program?

Graduates of the Casa Loma College Practical Nurse (PN) certificate program receive the education they need to sit for their NCLEX-PN licensure exam and qualify for entry-level jobs in their field. Some course you will take include:

• Anatomy and Physiology for Practical Nurses
• Introduction to Practical Nursing
• Practical Nursing Skills
• Health Assessment
• Medical Surgical Nursing
• Pharmacology
• Mental Health Nursing
• Parent Child Nursing
• Practical Nursing Capstone
• NCLEX-PN Success

Our program learning objectives include:

• Using a systematic clinical problem-solving process to make clinical decisions and judgments based on current best practices and patient preferences
• Collaborating with patients and interprofessional healthcare team members to implement safe, patient-centered care across the lifespan and continuum of care
• Applying healthcare technology and informatics tools to enhance communication and improve healthcare quality within complex healthcare environments
• Demonstrating professional standards, personal accountability, and cultural humility when caring for diverse patients

The program also includes a capstone course that engages our students in vital hands-on clinical experiences that promote gradually increasing their autonomy in patient care.

How Much Does an PN Make?

Practical nurses in the U.S. and in Colorado can earn a competitive salary. Wages vary by geographical location. As a guideline:

In the United States, the most recent data available is from May 2024:

The median annual salary was $62,340. This is what approximately half the practical nurses in the occupation earn. Half earn more and half earn less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $47,960. The highest 10 percent earned more than $80,510.

The highest paying employers were through government jobs, nursing and residential care facilities, and home healthcare services.

Financial Aid

For those who are eligible, financial aid is an excellent tool to help reduce the out-of-pocket costs to attend college. Casa Loma College has a committed team of financial aid professionals on call to help students and parents navigate the process.

Casa Loma College participates in many programs to help reduce the cost of college, including:

• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
• Federal Work Study
• Federal Direct Loans (Subsidized, Unsubsidized, Parent PLUS)
• CSAC Cal Grant

To learn more about the financial aid process, and what loans or grants you may be eligible for, please refer to our financial aid page.

For Aurora PN Students 

ACEN Candidacy Statement

Effective May 4, 2026 this nursing program is a candidate for initial accreditation by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. This candidacy status expires in Spring 2028.

ACEN Contact Information:

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 975-5000
https://www.acenursing.org/search-programs?status=Candidate 

Note: Upon granting of initial accreditation by the ACEN Board of Commissioners, the effective date of initial accreditation is the date on which the nursing program was approved by the ACEN as a candidate program that concluded in the Board of Commissioners granting initial accreditation.