WILBURTON – Practical Nursing graduates can now transfer credit earned at Kiamichi Tech toward Registered Nursing (RN) programs at Carl Albert State College, Eastern Oklahoma State College, Murray State College and 11 other higher education institutions in the state.
A new articulation agreement between CareerTech and the State Regents, which is effective July 1 of this year, establishes guidelines for public two-year colleges to award students with credit for prior learning in practical nursing programs at technology centers. Kiamichi Tech students who pass the LPN NCLEX exam can be awarded up to 18 college credit hours.
“If our LPNs have their prerequisites complete for the RN major, then they may enter their second year at the partner college without having to take the challenge exams to prove competency in their LPN education,” said Shelly Swalley, Practical Nursing Director at Kiamichi Tech. “The LPN would then have one year to complete the associate RN program and be able to take the NCLEX-RN.”
In 2023, Kiamichi Tech Practical Nursing graduates had a 95 percent first-time pass rate on the NCLEX-PN exam, which exceeded the national average of 87 percent and the state average of 91 percent.
“This agreement is a huge win for nursing students who want to continue their education and for filling the pipeline of healthcare workers desperately needed in southeast Oklahoma,” said Swalley.
Kiamichi Tech is now accepting applications for their full-time Practical Nursing programs that will begin this summer. Learn more about the program at ktc.edu/practicalnursing.
Kiamichi Technology Centers (Kiamichi Tech) has played a significant role in the growth of southeast Oklahoma communities since 1968, serving nine full and four partial counties. With a mission to ‘Prepare People for Success,” Kiamichi Tech meets local workforce needs through full-time career training programs, short-term courses and customized training for businesses. The district is led by the vision and guidance of Superintendent Shelley Free and a seven-member Board of Education.
Kiamichi Tech is part of the OklahomaCareerTechsystem, which offers programs and services in 29 technology center districts and operates on 60 campuses across the state. CareerTech plays a vital role in developing a world-class workforce for Oklahoma employers and prepares Oklahomans to succeed in the workplace, in education and in life.