Practical Nursing : Emily Griffith Technical College

Practical Nursing

We have full-time and part-time start dates throughout the year! Give us a call at 720-423-4700 to find out when our next available start date is.

Nursing is an essential part of our healthcare system. If you love caring for people and making a difference in people’s lives, get started on your healthcare career today. 

What’s a Practical Nurse? A Practical Nurse or a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) are an important part of the U.S. healthcare system. LPNs provide hands-on care to patients under the supervision of Registered Nurses (RNs) and physicians. LPNs are often in charge of basic bedside care for patients, including taking vital signs, treating bedsores, preparing and giving injections, applying dressings, monitoring catheters and more. With additional training, LPNs can also administer intravenous (IV) fluids and medications. 

The Emily Griffith Practical Nursing program is one of the oldest in the state of Colorado. It began in 1949. In our program, you will learn how to give direct patient care in a multi-disciplinary healthcare setting. You’ll start learning and practicing essential skills immediately in our nursing skills lab and then move on to clinicals in local health care facilities. 

National accreditation

The Practical Nursing program at Denver Public Schools/Emily Griffith Technical College at the Emily Griffith Technical College campus located in Denver, Colorado is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Nursing Education (ACEN). The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, 3390 Peachtree Rd, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30326; (P) 404-975-5000; acenursing.org. The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the Practical Nursing program is Initial Accreditation.

Students who complete the program are qualified to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN Examination) Passing this exam qualifies you as nationally licensed LPN. If you successfully complete the IV Therapy for LPNs course, you are eligible for IV certifiation by the Colorado State Board of Nursing. 

Clinical placement: Complete 4 different clinical placements in a variety of health care settings including hospitals, nursing facilities, and more. You will be required to complete 400 clinical internship hours in order to complete the program.

Program Requirements: In order to apply for the Practical Nursing program at Emily Griffith, you will need to complete several prerequisites and submit an Admissions Portfolio. You must be certified as a nurse assistant (CNA) or must have completed a medical assistant (MA) program. You will also need to complete the BIO 106 course and HPR 139 or HPR 178 course before you can enter the Practical Nursing program. 

Learn more about the Practical Nursing Admissions Process here. And view the full Admissions Portfolio Checklist here. 

The priority deadline to submit a portfolio for the Evening August 2021 cohort is June 10th, 2021. The next Full Time Start Date is January 2022 and the deadline to submit a portfolio is October 2nd, 2021.

Want more information? Get the Practical Nursing Program Flyer, the Practical Nursing  Program Checklist, the Practical Nursing Student Handbook, Practical Nursing Achievement Outcomes and the Practical Nursing Student Outcomes.

Important: In order to register for this program, you will need to complete a criminal background check, a drug test and show proof of vaccinations. Review the program checklist for more details.

What Can I Do with an Emily Griffith Practical Nursing Certificate?

Graduates from Emily Griffith’s Practical Nursing program have gone on to work as an LPN in:

  • Ambulatory Care Centers
  • Skilled Nursing Facilities
  • Hospital Systems
  • Correctional Care
  • Long-term Care Facilities

Students who complete their LPN can also go on to other careers in the healthcare field, including Registered Nurse (RN), Nurse Practitioner (NP), Physician’s Assistant (PA) and administrative roles. 

Required Practical Nursing Courses

These are the classes you will take as a Practical Nursing student. The Practical Nursing program qualifies for federal financial aid.

Prerequisite Courses

  • Medical Terminology
  • Basic Anatomy and Physiology
Health & Wellness
$11,701
Approximate cost. Additional material and book fees may apply
11 Months
Full Time
Program length


No upcoming starts available.

18 Months
Part Time
Program length


No upcoming starts available.

Apply to Emily Griffith Technical College

Course Information

Required Courses

Course Code Course Title Credits
NUR 102 Alterations in Adult Health I 4
NUR 103 Basic Assessment for the PN 1
NUR 104 Alterations in Adult Health II 5
NUR 105 Practical Nursing Arts and Skills 6
NUR 110 Pharmacology Practical Nursing 3
NUR 111 Advancement into Practical Nursing 1
NUR 113 Basic Concepts MA NB Nursing 2
NUR 114 Basic Concepts Pediatric Nursing 2
NUR 115 Bsc Concpts of Mental Health Nursng 1
NUR 116 Basic Concepts of Geriatric Nursing 1
NUR 170 Clinical I 3
NUR 171 Clinical II 2
NUR 172 Clinical III 1
NUR 173 Clinical IV 3
NUR 201 IV Therapy for LPNs 2.5
NUR 102 Alterations in Adult Health I

Provides acquisition of basic nursing theory, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking necessary for safe, patient-centered nursing care to diverse adult patients experiencing common health alterations requiring medical/surgical interventions. The course introduces Practical Nursing and incorporates the legal and ethical responsibilities of the Practical Nurse.

Start Date: No upcoming starts available.
NUR 103 Basic Assessment for the PN

Provides the theoretical knowledge and psychomotor skills used by the Practical Nurse performing a basic assessment of health status of stable adult patients with predictable outcomes, including collecting, reporting, and recording objective/subjective data, observing conditions or changes in condition, and differentiating normal from abnormal findings. Principles of therapeutic communication and patient teaching are included. Includes practice collecting basic assessment data in the nursing skills laboratory.

Start Date: No upcoming starts available.
NUR 104 Alterations in Adult Health II

Apply and expand the knowledge and skills learned in Adult Health I to provide acquisition of basic nursing theory, communication, collaboration and critical thinking necessary for safe, patient-centered nursing care for diverse adult patients with conditions that are stable and predictable. The course focuses on care of patients experiencing common health alterations requiring medical/ surgical interventions. The course incorporates legal and ethical responsibilities of the Practical Nurse in the care of adults.

Start Date: No upcoming starts available.
NUR 105 Practical Nursing Arts and Skills

Employs basic nursing theory and applies that theory and theory from other co-requisite nursing courses to the performance of nursing skills. Communication, collaboration, and critical thinking necessary for safe, patient-entered nursing care are applied to the care of patients across the lifespan with stable and predictable outcomes. The course applies guidelines related to the professional, legal, and ethical scope of practice of the Practical Nurse, including demonstrating safe performance of all psychomotor skills.

Start Date: No upcoming starts available.
NUR 110 Pharmacology Practical Nursing

Categorizes basic principles of pharmacology, including major drug classifications using prototype drugs, principles of medication administration including best practices for safe, quality,and patient-centered care. Discusses the legal and ethical responsibilities of the Practical Nurse related to medication administration. Application of this content is used throughout the program nursing courses.

Start Date: No upcoming starts available.
NUR 111 Advancement into Practical Nursing

Demonstrates the roles and responsibilities of the Practical Nurse including scope of practice, supervision, assignment, and leadership skills. Emphasis on accountability, lifelong learning, perspectives in healthcare, and career and job readiness skills for entry level nursing practice.

Start Date: No upcoming starts available.
NUR 113 Basic Concepts MA NB Nursing

Applies and expands the knowledge and skills learned in the previous and concurrent courses to provide the acquisition of basic nursing theory, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking necessary for safe, patient-centered nursing care to childbearing families. The course incorporates the legal and ethical responsibilities of the Practical Nurse in the care of childbearing families.

Start Date: No upcoming starts available.
NUR 114 Basic Concepts Pediatric Nursing

Applies and expands on the knowledge and skills learned in the previous and concurrent courses to provide for the acquisistion of basic nursing theory, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking necessary for safe, patient-centered nursing care to children and their families. The course incorporates the legal and ethical responsibilities of the Practical Nurse in the care of children.

Start Date: No upcoming starts available.
NUR 115 Bsc Concpts of Mental Health Nursng

Applies knowledge of basic nursing theory, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking necessary for safe, patient-centered nursing care to diverse patients at various levels of mental health promotion and mental illness management. The course incorporates the legal and ethical responsibilities of the Practical Nurse in the care of patients with mental health issues.

Start Date: No upcoming starts available.
NUR 116 Basic Concepts of Geriatric Nursing

Applies and expands the knowledge and skills learned in the previous and concurrent courses to provide for the acquisition of basic nursing theory, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking necessary for safe, patient-centered nursing care to older adults. The course incorporates the legal and ethical responsibilities of the Practical Nurse in the care of older adults.

Start Date: No upcoming starts available.
NUR 170 Clinical I

Offers the clinical practicum to apply the related nursing theory.

Start Date: No upcoming starts available.
NUR 171 Clinical II

Offers the clinical practicum to apply the related nursing theory.

Start Date: No upcoming starts available.
NUR 172 Clinical III

Offers the clinical practicum to apply the related nursing theory.

Start Date: No upcoming starts available.
NUR 173 Clinical IV

Offers the clinical practicum to apply the related nursing theory.

Start Date: No upcoming starts available.
NUR 201 IV Therapy for LPNs

Provides LPNs with an opportunity to expand their nursing roles by learning appropriate procedures for intravenous therapy and venous blood withdrawal. The course includes lecture, laboratory practice and clinical experiences. The course prepares the student for IV certification under State Board of nursing guidelines.

Start Date: No upcoming starts available.
EMILY’S STORIES


"It has been my desire to succeed in life and I believe that having a good education is the foundation of good success."

Lillian is a graduate of our HSE program. Lillian is originally from Nigeria and came to Denver in 2016. She came to Emily Griffith to continue her education. The GED program was her starting point and her goal was to then continue to CNA and then LPN and from there additional training in nursing if she has the chance.

Lillian says her husband encouraged her and helped explain concepts. Laura Blom gave her textbooks to practice reading, Martha in the SSC was really helpful as well. Lilian used the SSC to get help with math questions and Martha would help her out, and Laura was always there and she approached her on breaks to ask questions. The encouragement she received was really important to staying positive and ultimately achieving her goal.

Lillian passed her GED and she is now preparing to apply to the CNA program! “It has been my desire to succeed in life and I believe that having a good education is the foundation of good success,” says Lillian. “I would like to thank Laura, and Emily Griffith for showing me the way and for providing me the opportunity to achieve one of my goals.”

Congratulations Lillian! 

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