Those who want to pursue a career in nursing should have a sincere desire to help people and must be sympathetic to the needs of others. Nurses need to be able to accept responsibility and direct or supervise the activities of others. They must have initiative, good judgment, and be able to respond appropriately to critical situations.

Nursing is a rewarding and challenging profession. It’s a career that involves care, compassion, specialized knowledge, and skill.

Campus Practical Nursing Deadline for Fall 2011:
Application and Kaplan Nursing School Entrance Exam - December 15, 2010
Transcripts - December 30, 2010

See the Nursing Online Home Web site for application deadlines for
the online practical nursing programs.

Lake Area Technical Institute and the University of South Dakota have cooperated to offer a 1 + 1 Nursing program. This program offers a choice of becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and/or a Registered Nurse (RN). During a student's first year, she/he acquires the skills to be a practical nurse. The student may choose to exit the program after eleven months or apply for admission into the USD Associate Degree Nursing program for the second year.

Individuals who already have earned LPN licensure may apply for admission into the second year. Prerequisites for second-year students are Anatomy, Algebra, Psychology, and Freshman Composition. The completion of four credits of college chemistry is highly encouraged.

The Nursing program at Lake Area Technical Institute provides theory and practical experience in the care of obstetrical, pediatric, medical, psychiatric, surgical, and geriatric patients.

Employment of nurses is expected to increase much faster than average for all occupations in response to the health care needs of a growing and aging population.

Nursing education offers employment opportunities in hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, assisted living facilities, and community health locations. In addition, nurses are becoming increasingly involved in patient home care.

Graduates of the 1 + 1 program are eligible to write the National Licensure Exam to earn the title of LPN and/or RN.

The Practical Nursing program is accredited by the National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission located at: 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 500, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, 404-957-5000, www.nlnac.org.

Although not required, the following courses would be beneficial to this course of study prior to attending Lake Area Technical Institute: Health, Computer, Communications, Science, Chemistry, Biology, and English.