School of Practical Nursing

The Practical Nursing Program offers full-time day and part-time day programs. (The Part-time program starts in the fall of odd years; ie. 2019, 2021, etc.)

The full-time day program is a forty (40) week program. This program begins yearly on the Wednesday before Labor Day and finishes in mid-late June. Classes meet Monday through Friday with hours generally between 7:45AM – 2:45PM. Clinical hours vary, starting as early as 6:30AM until as late as 3:00PM. Some evening rotations may be required to meet course objectives.

The part-time day program is an 80-week program over a two (2) year period and meets three (3) days per week. Classes meet Monday through Wednesday (subject to change) with class hours generally 7:45AM – 12:00 PM (subject to change). Clinical hours vary, starting as early as 6:30AM until as late as 3:00PM. Some evening rotations may be required to meet course objectives.

The Practical Nursing Program has Full Approval Status from the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing.

 The Practical Nurse Program is accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education (COE) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

The curriculum combines theory, laboratory, and clinical experiences. Classroom content includes biological and social sciences, humanities, nursing theory, and laboratory practice.

The faculty supervises care to multicultural and diverse human beings across their life span from birth to death. While the curriculum concentrates on caring for the older adult, new technologies, healthcare issues and community nursing needs are also addressed.

The Program curriculum is designed to prepare program graduates to pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurse (NCLEX-PN).

Upon completion of the Program, graduates receive a certificate of completion and are eligible to take the NCLEX-PN (application cost incurred by student). Graduates anticipating licensure in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts must comply with the Good Moral Character for Licensure requirement. See  https://www.mass.gov/service-details/good-moral-character-requirements-for-nursing-licensure for more details. Program graduates who pass the NCLEX-PN are prepared to begin entry-level Licensed Practical Nurse careers in a variety of settings or have the opportunity to continue their nursing education.

All applicants for the Program are evaluated using the selection criteria outlined in this policy. All completed applications for the nursing program are reviewed and receive a response.

It is the policy if the Greater Fall River Vocational School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or homelessness in its educational policies. Enforcement of this law advances efforts to ensure that all students can attend school in a safe, supportive environment that is conducive to serious learning.

Students with disabilities may voluntarily self-identify for the purpose of requesting reasonable accommodations during the application/admission process. Information on disability submitted voluntarily by the applicant for the purpose of receiving assistance and accommodations during the entire application/admission process will not affect the applicant's admission to the Program.

Section III. Eligibility

Applicants from in-district, out-of-district towns or out-of-state are eligible to apply to the Program on a rolling admissions process. Early admission acceptance (February 1) may be offered to those who complete the application process, meet the TEAS required scores, complete the interview process, submit references and whose total INTERVIEW score is 55 or above.

Contact Diman Regional Technical Institute School of Practical Nursing for current enrollment dates. This information is also available on the Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School website 

A.) Candidates for admission to the Practical Nurse Program are required to submit the following:

1.  A completed application form and essay along with a non-refundable $25.00 application

2. Official High School transcript with evidence of graduation (or GED/HISET passing scores). Foreign country diplomas must be translated into English, and a certified equivalency to a U.S. education must be provided by the Center for Educational Documentation or American Education and Translation Corp. An average of a C or better in high school is preferred with consideration for trends demonstrating improvement and motivation or an Undergraduate degree from a United States accredited college.

3. Candidates must also schedule and take the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS VII) entrance examination offered by the Assessment Technology Institute, LLC (ATI), and they must meet a minimum adjusted score in each of the four sections shown below or an overall score of Proficient to be further considered for the Program.

Reading: 65.0% or higher

Math: 63.0% or higher

Science: 42.0% or higher

English: 55.0% or higher

                        OR an overall score in the Proficient range (58.7 – 79.3%)

The TEAS test will be administered at Diman Regional Technical Institute School of Practical Nursing, and candidates will be given instructions for obtaining study materials.

Upon completing the above listed documentation, an interview with the Program Director and/or Department Head is required. The applicant will then be requested to submit three (3) professional references after the interview (reference forms will be given at that time).

B.) Upon notification of meeting eligibility requirements for the Practical Nursing Program, the following documentation must be provided to be accepted into the program:

Required Documents

1. Seat/orientation fee payment within thirty (30) calendar days of receiving a letter of acceptance.

2. Satisfactory completion of the CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) and SORI (Sexual Offender Record Information) process. All clinical facilities reserve the right to conduct additional CORI and SORI verification, Nurse Aide registry check or Federal government background check (Federal facilities only). 

3. Proof of in-district residency.

4. Proof of current health insurance for duration of Program (which must be maintained for the entire duration of the Program).

5. Payment of student nurse liability insurance.

6. Health requirements: a. Proof of Immunizations according to the Department of Public Health (DPH) and Common Clinical requirements:

   1. COVID-19 Vaccine - Either fully vaccinated (2 original vaccines with Pfizer or Moderna or 1 original J&J and 1 original Booster with Pfizer or Moderna) OR 1 Bivalent Booster (subject to change with DPH/CDC requirements for long term care facilities)
   2. Flu vaccine for current year (completed in fall of year of admission to program)
   3. Hepatitis B vaccine (3 doses mandatory) and positive titer
   4. Negative TB testing or negative CXR for positive converters, or negative Quantiferon blood test
   5. MMR vaccine or positive titers
   6. Varicella vaccine, medical confirmation of the disease, or positive titer
   7. TDAP or Tetanus booster within 10 years
   8. Urine drug test
   9. Proof of physical exam within the past year
   10. Proof of current CPR (BLS Healthcare Provider with AED) certification (American Heart Association) which must be in good standing for the duration of the Program*

7. Common Clinical requirements include:

   1.  CORI/SORI checks

   2. Drug tests

   3. Liability Insurance 

   4. COVID boosters

   5. Flu vaccines

   6. COVID testing

 *Students not able to submit proof of certification will be required to sign up for classes and submit certification prior to the start of the program.

The Program Director and Program faculty are responsible for establishing admission policy and procedures. Responsibilities of this committee include:

1. Determine the standards for admission

2. Develop and implement admission procedures

3. Processing of applications

4. Ranking students

5. Acceptance of students according to the procedure and criteria contained in the admission policy

6. Establishment and maintenance of a waitlist for acceptable candidates

 Diman Regional Technical Institute School of Practical Nursing disseminates information about the Program using a variety of methods:

1. Informational sessions are offered monthly from September to April to assist interested applicants in gathering information about the Program and application process.

2. Students and faculty participate in the School Open House annually in

3. The Practical Nurse Program open house brochure is distributed to local high school guidance offices, career centers and health care agencies in the Fall River

4. The Program Director attends local college career days and is available to speak to area agencies that may have employees or interested candidates.

5. The Program Director or designee meets with juniors and seniors from the school’s Health Assisting Program to provide information about the program and application process.

6. The school website (dimanregional.org) has an LPN tab that contains frequently asked questions about the Program, application, test dates, and informational session dates being offered.

Section VI. Application Procedure

Applicants interested in applying for admissions must:

1. Obtain an application by downloading it here https://www.dimanregional.org/application or by picking up an application at the Practical Nurse Program office (appointments necessary). 

2. Submit a completed application form; typed essay and the $25.00 application fee by mail or in person to the Practical Nurse Program office.

3. Select an entrance exam test date for the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS VII) Examination. Pre-registration and payment are required prior to the testing date. The testing schedule may be found on the LPN website under TEAS Test. The test is given at Diman Regional Technical Institute School of Practical Nursing at 1082 Davol Street - 2nd Floor, Fall River, MA 02720

   1. Applicants are required to bring a valid government issued photo ID or passport when registering for the test. TEAS VII covers reading,math, science, and English. The test takes approximately four (4) hours. Students are requested to arrive at school at least one (1) hour before the scheduled start time. Students are advised to prepare in advance for the exam.

   2. TEAS VII study manuals may be purchased online from ATI (www.atitesting.com) and are also available on Amazon (Amazon.com), and Barnes and Noble (www.barnesandnoble.com) websites.

   3. Only official TEAS VII scores from Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) will be considered for review. Students who have tested at a site other than Diman may have their scores forwarded through ATI for an additional fee. As of November 1, 2022, Diman Regional Technical Institute School of Practical Nursing will only accept TEAS testing in-person at our facility. Student supplied copies are not considered official and TEAS results can NOT be more than one year old. Applicants must wait thirty (30) days between retakes in order for scores to be accepted by the program and are only allowed three (3) attempts in one year.

4. It is highly recommended that applicants attend an informational session prior to applying/testing. Informational sessions begin in September. Information regarding these sessions may be found on the school website or by clicking https://www.dimanregional.org/Informational Sessions. Pre-registration is required by emailing: csantos@dimanregional.org 

5. Completed applications must include:

   1. The application to Diman Regional Technical Institute School of Practical Nursing

   2. $25.00 Application Fee

   3. Official high school transcript with evidence of graduation or GED/HISET pass scores

   4. Application Essay addressing "Why I want to be a Practical Nurse" and "Why am I choosing Diman Regional School of Practical Nursing?" The essay will be reviewed for content, sentence structure, spelling and grammar.

   5. Three (3) professional references: immediate supervisor (past or present), an employer (past or present), teachers or counselors, or a person with whom you have collaborated on a completed project or community service are suggested. Immediate family, friends or coworkers will not be considered. Reference forms will be given at the time of interview. Do not send generic references with the application.

   6. At the time of interview, a spontaneous 100 word maximum handwritten essay will be required. The essay is scored for content and format.

Completed applications will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee and/or Program Director.

Download the Application

Applications are reviewed and evaluated using the following criteria:

TEAS VII Score Rubric..................................... 25 points

Three (3) reference forms….............................. 5 points

Interview Rubric............................................ 30 points

Essay Rubric................................................. 10 points

Note: Scores listed are the maximum score for each category. Final admission is also contingent upon satisfactory results of the Criminal Offender Record Information Release (CORI) and Sexual Offender Record Information (SORI), if 18 years or older, health requirements, and CPR requirements.

Applicants will be ranked and accepted by the Admissions Committee and/or Program Director according to the procedure and criteria contained in this policy. A wait list will be established by the Committee. The wait list is valid for the current academic year. In-district applicants will be given priority when scores are equal. All applicants will be notified of their status.

     Accepted      __Placed on wait list      __Not Accepted

The applicant, upon receipt of a letter from the Program indicating that the applicant was not accepted or was placed on a wait list for admission, may request a review of this decision by requesting an appointment with the Program Director.

The Program Director will respond in writing to the findings within 30 days. If further review is necessary, the applicant may send a letter requesting a review to the Superintendent-Director. The Superintendent-Director will respond in writing to the letter with findings of the review within 30 days.

Revised 2/14, 4/17, 6/17, 1/2020, 10/2022