Practical Nursing Diploma

Nursing majors require a passionate drive to help others. At Minnesota State College Southeast, our practical nursing program will teach you the skills to earn your practical nursing diploma. Start your nursing career now at Southeast!

Career Area: Health Sciences
Program: Nursing
Campus(es): Winona/Red Wing

 Major Details

Minnesota State College Southeast's Practical Nursing program in Red Wing and Winona, MN, offers a concept-based approach to the curriculum, giving you a holistic view of the patient's health care needs. The Practical Nursing program at Minnesota State College Southeast is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and approved by the Minnesota Board of Nursing.

Practical Nursing

The Practical Nursing major is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide direct nursing care to patients in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, home and community-based settings within the scope of practice of a Practical Nurse. This challenging 2-semester program requires students to demonstrate competence in classroom theory, laboratory experiences, simulated events, and supervised clinical rotations. We recommend that students complete general education coursework prior to entering the nursing program.

Admission deadlines

• The Red Wing Practical Nursing Program will admit new cohorts in the Fall each year.

• The application window is April 15 – June 1.

• The Winona Practical Nursing Program will admit new cohorts in the Spring each year.

• The application window is September 1 – October 15.

• Apply for admission to Minnesota State College Southeast (if you are not a current, actively enrolled Southeast student).
  

• Apply for admission to the Practical Nursing program.

• Note: The ATI TEAS Exam must be completed in-person/on-campus at an institution or testing center prior to the application deadline. For specific directions on how to register, see the ATI Testing website. (Do not register for the online TEAS exam.) Watch the TEAS Test Registration Video.

Upon successful completion of the Practical Nursing program, you will be eligible to be licensed as an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) after passing the state administered nursing examination called the NCLEX-PN®.

Important Student Documents

• 2026-2027 Practical Nursing Student Handbook (PDF)

• Practical Nursing Student Program Outcomes (PDF)

Continued Education Pathways

RN-BSN Completion Program: Winona State University offers a RN-BSN Completion program on the Red Wing campus. The RN-BS Completion program is for Associate Degree or diploma-prepared RNs who wish to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. RN licensure is required prior to beginning the RN-BSN Completion Program. Students in their last semester of nursing school may apply. For more information, see RN-BS Completion at WSU's website.

Minnesota State has a Statewide Nursing Program Transfer Agreement for both Practical Nursing Diploma to Associate of Science in Nursing and Associate of Science in Nursing to Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing which supports a smooth articulation pathway. Learn More (PDF)

Cluster/Pathway

Download the Program Plan

 Courses

NOTE: BIOL2515 Anatomy and Physiology I and BIOL2516 Anatomy and Physiology II can be substituted for BIOL1200 Human Biology.
Note that this will raise the total credits to 38 for Practical Nursing Diploma.

 Career Opportunities

• Acute Care

• Clinics

• Home Health Care

• Hospice Care

• Long Term Care

Use the MN DEED Career and Education Explorer Data Tool to learn about wages, job growth, and much more in this career field.

 Outcomes

Practical Nursing Program End of Program Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Informatics/Technology
   The practical nurse graduate will utilize information technology to facilitate best care practice in the health care setting.

2. Managing Care
   The practical nurse graduate will manage care through planning, organizing, and assigning aspects of care to UAP's and LPN's under the direction of an RN or other licensed Health Care Provider to provide a safe effective environment.

3. Nursing Judgment/Evidence Based Care
   The practical nurse graduate will utilize evidence based nursing judgment when prioritizing care, implementing interventions, reporting changes, and promoting the health of individual patients across the lifespan within the healthcare system.

4. Patient/Relationship Centered Care
   The practical nurse graduate will integrate effective communication skills while providing patient care founded on basic physical, developmental, spiritual, cultural, functional, and psychosocial needs of individual patients across the lifespan.

5. Professional Identity/Ethical Behavior
   The practical nurse graduate will integrate professional behaviors/accountability with legal and ethical nursing practice standards for a competent practical nurse.

6. Quality Improvement
   The practical nursing graduate will provide input into systematic processes that measure patient outcomes/variances, and contribute to the development of changes in policies/procedures to achieve effective patient outcomes.

7. Safety
   The practical nurse graduate will provide a safe care environment for patients, self, and others.

8. Teamwork/Collaboration
   The practical nurse graduate will participate as a member of the interprofessional team collaborating and communicating with other health care providers to promote safe, quality, patient centered care.

 Highlights

• Successful applicants can begin core classes in fall or spring semester

• Clinical and lab experiences provide simulated scenarios and direct patient care with healthy and ill patients across the lifespan.

• Multiple clinical sites allow the student to explore different fields within nursing before graduation.

• Due to the chronic nursing shortage, there are several Loan Forgiveness Programs available to graduates.

 Media

Majors in the Nursing program

Associate of Science in Nursing Degree AS

Practical Nursing DIP

Become a certified Nursing Assistant

Nursing Assistant Training
This 80-hour class can lead directly to a new career, plus it's a prerequisite for entry into Nursing at MSC Southeast.

Nursing Assistant Testing - Red Wing
Nursing Assistant Testing - Winona

After you complete the course, take the required test to be placed on the national registry.

Accreditations

The Practical Nursing program at Minnesota State College Southeast at the Red Wing and Winona campuses located in Red Wing, MN and Winona, MN is accredited by the:

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 975-5000
http://www.acenursing.us/accreditedprograms/programSearch.htm

The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the Practical Nursing program nursing program is continuing accreditation. The next visit will be scheduled for 2028.

MSC Southeast's Practical Nursing program is approved by the Minnesota Board of Nursing.

MSC Southeast is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).

Licensure Requirements by State Disclosure

The U.S. Department of Education has implemented new regulations (Regulation 34 CFR 668.43 (a) (5) (v)) which require Minnesota State College Southeast's Practical Nursing program to provide the following:

1. A list of all states/jurisdictions where the institution's curriculum meets state educational requirements for professional licensure or certification;

2. A list of all states/jurisdictions where the institution's curriculum does not meet state educational requirements for professional licensure or certification; and

3. A list of all states/jurisdictions where the institution has not made a determination of whether the curriculum meets educational requirements.

The Practical Nursing program at MSC Southeast is approved by the Minnesota Board of Nursing and holds accreditation with the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. The Practical Nursing Program meets the educational requirements for practical nurse licensure in the state of Minnesota. MSCS has not made a determination of whether the PN curriculum meets educational requirements for initial licensure in any other state. Students should contact the Board of Nursing they would like to be licensed for specific requirements. Students may also explore the following link to determine other states' licensure requirements: Board of Nursing Professional Licensure Requirements.