The Connecticut Department of Public Health is providing a refresher course to Stone Academy students after a state review of the practical nurse program resulted in educational concerns.
DPH officials said the review revealed "several educational concerns that call into question whether recent graduates from Stone Academy received the learning and training experiences required to practice successfully as a Licensed Practical Nurse [LPN]."
The Dept. of Public Health issues a professional license that serves as proof to employers and the public that the person holding the license has met all the standards required by law to practice competently and safely.
In order to receive this sponsorship, students who graduated on or after Nov. 1, 2021, will now have to complete a free refresher course.
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Students who passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) and subsequently qualify to receive their LPN license will have to complete the course. The DPH said students will have to sign a stipulated agreement which will limit the use of their license until the course is completed.
Once the course is completed, the restriction DPH placed on your license will be removed.
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The refresher course consists of two components: an eight-hour in-person skills review and five days, or 40 hours, of clinical experience.
The review will focus on topics including airway management, bowel elimination, comprehensive head to toe evaluation of an adult, enteral tube feeding, surgical asepsis, medical administration, and more. DPH officials said the course will require students to perform hands-on care with patients in clinical facilities across the state.
Anyone who doesn't complete the course will be subject to an investigation and DPH says they could take disciplinary action against your license if their investigation reveals that you didn't receive the required preparation. This could result in the loss of your license and would be reported to the National Practitioner Databank, a spokesperson said.
According to the DPH, "the issues with Stone Academy's program appear to have developed after [Nov. 1, 2021] so the state is seeking to ensure that students who graduated after the program was last approved have an opportunity to receive additional clinical training."
About 100 people are expected to enroll in the class, and the DPH says they will be "very flexible with the students' schedules in enrolling them with these classes."
Anyone who would like to learn more about the refresher course can contact the DPH by emailing StoneAcademyGrads.DPH@ct.gov.
