The students in the Orleans/Niagara BOCES Practical Nursing program had a little fun while they were learning their skills and testing their knowledge recently at the Continuing Education building at 50 Main Street in Lockport. Students, who are currently in the Practical Nursing II part of the program, practiced assessments on a mannequin in the lab and had a lot of laughs competing against one another by testing their knowledge of anatomy, physiology, medication, pathology, practical nursing duties and documentation with clinical instructor Dr. Linda Kerwin’s “Jeopardy” style game. To round out the merriment, Lead Practical Nursing instructor Jennifer Peters had the students apply their knowledge to conduct a formal assessment on characters in the “Wizard of Oz”. Students concluded that the Tin Man has arthritis and is a fall risk. They also saw that the Scarecrow had some self-care deficits and needs assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs).
The Practical Nursing program is designed to prepare students to work as entry-level practical nurses in today's health care system. This program is comprised of 726 hours of theory and 450 hours of clinical, totaling 1,176 hours of instruction. Emphasis is placed on developing the skills, knowledge and behaviors necessary for effective use of the nursing process to perform basic client care. Ultimately, the student needs to understand, integrate, and then apply theory to real practical nursing situations with clients of any age. Students also practice for the required NCLEX-PN licensure examination throughout their PN program.
This past spring, the Practical Nursing graduation class had a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX-PN (National Council Licensure Examination-Practical Nursing) exam. Orleans/Niagara BOCES is currently taking applications and offering TEAS (Test of Essential Academic) testing for the next class which starts in February 2026. The current Practical Nursing class, who will graduate in January 2026, and the 2026-2027 class will have access to the Career Pathways Training (CPT) program through New York State, through which they can apply for complete tuition coverage in exchange for working in a Medicaid-eligible hospital for three years.
For information about the ON BOCES Practical Nursing program, go to https://www.onboces.org/page/practical-nursing-pn
For information on the NYS Career Pathways Training program, go to https://healthcareersnow.org/