The Practical Nursing program prepares students to attain licensure as a practical nurse (LPN). LPN’s work with interdisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals to provide holistic, culturally safe care across the lifespan. The program focuses on delivering healthcare in rural Alaska and underserved urban areas. The certificate provides students with core professional skills and prepares them to be eligible to take the national licensure exam in practical nursing (NCLEX-PN).

Students completing the certificate in practical nursing are eligible to apply for the LPN to RN Bridge Program (Practical Nursing to Registered Nurse Bridge Pathway ). 

The Alaska Board of Nursing in keeping with statutes AS 08.68.100(a) and AS 08.62.290 and regulations 12 AAC 44.010 and 12 AAC 44.055, provides oversight and annual approval of nursing programs. The Alaska Board of Nursing has issued full approval of APU’s Practical Nursing program for 2025-2026.

The practical nursing program at Alaska Pacific University at Anchorage Alaska is accredited by the: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 975-5000

The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the RN to BSN nursing program is initial accreditation.

View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding this program on the ACEN website.

https://www.acenursing.org/search-programs

Learning Outcomes

The certificate is designed to meet the following End-of-Program Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Cultural Competence and Cultural Safety: Explain various ways of knowing and healing from Alaska Indigenous populations in the delivery of holistic nursing care across the lifespan in a variety of settings.
2. Professional Communication and Collaboration: Understand culturally safe communication within the context of a collaborative team approach to improve client safety and quality improvement.
3. Professional Care: Provide culturally safe focused individual assessments through the integration of foundational concepts, critical thinking, clinical reasoning, evidence-based practice, and the use of the nursing clinical judgment model.
4. Evidence-Based and Technology-Assisted Assessment: Develop evidence-based nursing practice to improve client outcomes.
5. Personal and Social Responsibility: Discuss nursing advocacy through adherence to professionalism, ethical and legal frameworks, and patient-centered care as part of individual nursing practice.

Licensure

The State of Alaska licenses nurses for professional practice. To receive initial licensure as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) in Alaska, candidates must have received their degree from a board approved, nationally accredited nursing program. Candidates must also successfully pass the NCLEX-PN exam, and pass a state background check. Each LPN candidate must submit a notarized application, a completed fingerprint card, official transcripts, and nursing program verification forms when applying for initial licensure through examination through the Alaska Board of Nursing. For information about licensure in other states, see https://www.ncsbn.org/.

Admissions

The general requirements for admission to undergraduate programs at APU are found in the Admissions section of the catalog (General Admissions - Alaska Pacific University). In addition, the following is required for admission to the Practical Nursing Undergraduate Certificate. These courses must have been completed in the past 10 years and must be completed with a ‘C’ or higher to gain admission into the program.

• HS 20500 Culturally Safe Healthcare: Inquiry & Practice  (4)
• SC 26000 - Human Anatomy and Physiology l  (4)    
• Applicants are also required to have experience in healthcare such as a Certified Nurse’s Aide certification or a Health Aid certification.

Students who are accepted into the program must submit evidence of:

• Cleared background check in compliance with the Alaska State Department of Health standards;
• Drug test negative of all federally controlled substances;
• Successful completion of mandatory training for compliance with Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act;
• Successful completion of mandatory training for compliance with occupational safety and health administration requirements;
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification from the American Heart Association or other approved alternate providers;
• Up to date evidence of screening for tuberculosis;
• Up to date evidence of required immunizations:
  • Current Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis (Tdap)
  • Current Measles/Mumps/Rubella (MMR)
  • Current Varicella (chicken pox)
  • Current and complete Hepatitis B series
  • Current seasonal influenza (must be updated yearly)
  • Verification of the initial Covid Vaccine series

Students must submit evidence of compliance within six weeks of receiving their admission to the PN program; otherwise, students will not be allowed to register for classes and continue in the program. It is necessary to maintain current immunizations, tuberculosis screening, CPR, HIPAA and OSHA for clinical placement. Additional compliance requirements may be required based on the requirements set forward by each clinical site. These requirements can include, but are not limited to: site orientations, additional background checks, additional vaccinations, medical screenings, computer or electronic health record trainings, other screenings such as drug screenings, etc. Information will be submitted to a credential & compliance management service students  will be alerted when items need to be renewed.