NURSING
Associate of Applied Science Degree
Mary Vines • (901)
333-5425
Southwest
Tennessee
Community
College
offers course work leading to an
Associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing. The Nursing Program is
designed to prepare graduates for immediate licensure and employment.
Graduates of this program are eligible to take the National Council Licensure
Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Persons who have been convicted
of a crime other than a minor traffic violation could be ineligible for
Registered Nurse Licensure in the State of
Tennessee
, even though they successfully
complete the program.
The Department of Nursing is accredited by the National League for Nursing
Accrediting Commission.
Website: www.nlnac.org
Address:
61 Broadway - 33rd Floor
New York, New York 10006
1-800-669-1656 ext. 153
(212) 363-5555 ext.153
Fax (212) 812-0390
The Southwest Nursing Program is approved by the
Tennessee
Board of Nursing:
Department of Health
First Floor, Cordell Hull Building
425 Fifth Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37247-1010
(615) 532-3202
1-800-778-4123
website: http://www2.state.tn.us/health/Boards/nursing/
Admission
The number of students admitted to the Nursing Program at any one time is
limited; therefore, admission is very competitive, and preference is given to
those who exceed the minimum qualifications. These individuals must meet the
following general criteria for consideration:
1.
Be accepted to Southwest as a Regular
Admission student.
2.
Submit a special application for the Nursing
Program with required credentials by the deadlines published in the Bulletin.
3.
Applicants who have
been enrolled in a nursing program at another NLNAC accredited institution, even if they are
not requesting transfer credit, must provide a good standing letter as
described in the section headed "Students transferring from another
NLNAC accredited program."
Students who have been academically dismissed from other nursing programs can apply to be admitted as a generic student in Southwest's nursing program if they have been separated from the previous program for over 5 years.
Any student who has been dismissed from any nursing program for administrative or disciplinary reasons is not eligible for admission to Southwest's nursing program.
4.
Have a minimum high school grade point average
(GPA) of 3.00 or a minimum 2.5 GPA on all college work completed.
5.
Be eligible to enroll in English I and Statistics.
6.
Have achieved a score of at least 100 on the Nursing Pre-admission Examination. The pre-admission test score is accepted for five (5) years. In the event an applicant takes the pre-admission examination more than one time, the most recent exam score will be evaluated for admission consideration. Applicants for the RODP AASN Nursing Program may substtute the required score on the preadmission exam required by that program.
7.
A letter describing the candidate’s
desire to enter the Nursing program must accompany the application.
8.
The Nursing Admissions Committee shall
consider the highest ranking scores to the maximum number of qualified
applicants as conditionally admitted to the next official class. Alternates
are chosen by the Nursing Admissions Committee in rank order, based upon
available space in the class.
9.
Each applicant and each alternate shall be
notified, in writing, of their admission status.
10.
Each conditionally admitted applicant must
formally accept admission, in writing, by the specified date. The
applicant’s medical record, along with documentation of measles and
Hepatitis B vaccinations, negative drug screen and a negative TB skin test
must be submitted to the Department of Nursing prior to nursing orientation.
A criminal background check is required upon admission to the nursing program. Detailed instructions will
be given in the acceptance letter.
11.
All admissions to the nursing program are
conditional pending receipt of the above documentation. Failure to provide
documentation as requested will result in forfeiture of admission status.
12.
All conditionally admitted applicants must attend a mandatory new nursing student orientation.
Specific instructions will be given in the admissions letter. Failure to attend the orientation will result in forfeiture of admission status.
13. If a conditionally admitted applicant declines
admission or fails to notify the Nursing Admissions Committee of acceptance
by the designated date, the applicant’s position in the class will be
offered to the next highest ranking alternate.
14.
Eligible applicants who fail to gain admission
to a given class may reapply for admission to the next official class. Those
who do so will be evaluated and ranked in accordance with the above
procedures and without consideration to previous evaluation and ranking. Rank
in one admission process does not establish any right to the same rank or
similar rank within another admission process.
15.
It is the student's responsibility to see that all application materials for admission to the college and the nursing program are on file and the qualifying pre-admission test scores are on file in the admissions office prior to the application deadline date.
Selection Criteria
To be eligible for consideration for admission, the applicant must:
1.
Have earned a minimum high school Grade Point
Average (GPA) of 3.0 or a minimum GPA of 2.5 on any college courses
attempted. (High school GPA will be used for applicants without prior
college course work).
2.
Have earned a grade of "C" or higher
in any college level nutrition and science courses required for the program
that the student may have already completed. Science courses must have been
taken within the past five (5) years.
3.
Be eligible to enroll in English Composition I and Statistics.
4.
Have taken the National League for Nursing
Pre-admission Examination and received a minimum composite score of 100. (Applicants for the RODP AASN Nursing Program may substitute the required score on the preadmission exam required by that program. See #6 above.)
5.
Students must have a negative Drug Screen and negative criminal background check.
6.
Criminal background checks are required by clinical sites for training. Based on the results of these checks, an affiliated
clinical site may determine to not allow a student’s presence at their
facility. This will result in the student’s inability to successfully
complete the requirements of this program. Additionally, a criminal background may preclude licensure or employment.
Since applicants are ranked according to the Admission Index, it is
recommended, but not required, that Anatomy & Physiology I, Anatomy and
Physiology II, and Microbiology, be completed with a grade of C or better
prior to entry into the Nursing Program.
Nursing Index Component |
Variable |
Weight |
1 College GPA |
x |
1 |
2 A & P I QPA |
x |
4 |
2 A & P II QPA |
x |
4 |
2 Microbiology QPA |
x |
4 |
Pre-Admission NLN Exam Score |
x |
10% |
Total Points |
|
|
1 High School GPA maybe substituted if no college courses
have been taken.
2 Quality Point Average Equivalency:
Course Letter Grade |
QPA Equivalency |
A |
4 |
B |
3 |
C |
2 |
NOTE: Science courses must have been completed within 5 years prior to the
admission date and prior to the qualifying application deadline date to be
included in the index score. In the event an applicant has taken these
courses more than once, the most recent grade will be calculated into the
index.
Explanation of Admissions Index and Ranking
If an applicant would like an explanation of the applicant’s
calculated Admission Index or assigned rank, the applicant may contact the Nursing
Department Chair. Such requests must be made in writing within 15 working
days of the date on which the notice of the applicant’s admission
status was mailed.
Applicants admitted into the LPN Mobility Track must:
1.
Have satisfied all the admission requirements
listed previously in Admissions Requirements, items 1 through 15 and in Selection Criteria, items 1 through 6.
2.
Have completed within the previous 5 years,
and prior to the qualifying application deadline date, Anatomy and Physiology
I and II and Microbiology, with at least a C grade in each course.
3.
Have a current, valid, unencumbered Tennessee or compact state LPN license.
4.
Submit evidence of current CPR certification.
5.
Applicants for the LPN Mobility Track do not
need a pre-admission examination score.
6.
Applicants can be admitted to the LPN mobility
track only once.
Applicants admitted into the Paramedic-RN Mobility Track must:
1.
Have satisfied all the admission requirements
listed previously in Admissions Requirements, items 1 through 15 and in Selection Criteria, items 1 through 6.
2.
Have completed within the previous 5 years, and prior to qualifying application deadline date, Anatomy and Physiology I and II and Microbiology, with at least a C grade in each course.
3.
Be a graduate of Southwest's Paramedic Program, with a letter of recommendation from a former instructor .
4.
Have a current, unencumbered Tennessee Paramedic License.
5.
Submit evidence of current CPR certification.
6.
Applicants can be admitted to the Paramedit-RN mobility track only once.
Students transferring from another NLNAC accredited program must:
1.
Satisfy all the requirements for admission and
transfer to Southwest.
2.
Be in good academic standing and eligible to
continue in the program from which they wish to transfer.
3.
Have earned a grade of "C" or higher
in each previously completed nursing course. Nursing courses accepted for
transfer must have been completed within the past one year.
4.
Satisfy all the requirements for continuance
in good standing as required for Southwest Nursing students.
5.
Submit a course syllabus for each completed
nursing course to the Chair of the Nursing Department Admission/Progression
Committee.
6.
Submit a letter from the director of the
transferring program attesting to the fact that the transferring student is
in good academic standing and eligible to remain in that program.
7.
Advanced standing applicants do not need a pre-admission examination, but may be required to take departmental
placement exams.
Note: Advanced standing admissions are accepted on a space available
basis.
Acceptance Procedures for the Nursing Program:
Accepted applicants will be notified in writing. The applicant must accept or
decline the admission, in writing, by the deadline specified. Applicants
denied admission will be notified in writing and the reason for the denial
will be stated in the letter.
Progression Requirements
1.
Students must receive a satisfactory performance
rating in the clinical nursing courses and at least a C grade in each theory
nursing course.
2.
A 2.0 cumulative GPA is required in all nursing courses attempted.
3.
Students must earn a grade of “C”
or higher in Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Microbiology, and Principles of
Nutrition.
4.
Any student failing the same nursing course
twice, or two separate nursing courses, will be academically dismissed from
the Nursing Program.
5.
Any student withdrawing from a nursing course
in good standing must re-enter the nursing program within 1 year. Students
absent from the program for longer than one year will be required to reapply
for admission to the program and may be required to repeat all previously
taken nursing courses.
6.
Students must maintain current certification
in Adult and Infant and Child CPR, and be covered by malpractice insurance
every semester while in the Nursing Program.
7.
Any student withdrawing from a nursing course
with an average of less than a “C” grade will be considered as
having failed that course. If the student withdraws twice with an average of
less than a “C”, the student will be dismissed from the Nursing
Program.
8.
Requirements for completing the Nursing
Comprehensive Exit exam: Students must pass a nursing comprehensive exit exam
with a score of at least 950 prior to receiving a grade in the last nursing
course. An incomplete (I) will be assigned to that course until the student
achieves a score of at least 950. A student who is failing the course is not
eligible to take the exit exam. A student who does not achieve a score of at
least 950 on the exit exam must show evidence of completing a prescribed
remediation plan before retaking the exam. Students achieving a 950 on the
exit exam must file application for the NCLEX-RN within 30 days of the exit
exam. Students not filing the application within 30 days will be required to
repeat the exit exam and again attain the required score of 950. The
Department of Nursing reserves the right to change the percentage required
based on recommendations or requirements from the national exam scoring
center. It is the student’s responsibility to pay all fees related to
taking the examination(s). All fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable.
9.
An approved NCLEX-RN review course is required
of all graduating nursing students prior to filing the application for the
NCLEX-RN.
10.
Students unsuccessful in NURS 1914
Professional Nursing Transitions and/or NURS 1926 Professional Nursing
Transitions Clinical can not progress to the next nursing course and must
apply for admission as a generic student meeting all criteria as listed for
the generic track, including a qualifying score on the NLN pre-admission
Examination.
Dismissal from the Nursing Program
1.
Violation of classroom procedures, clinical
procedures or personal misconduct will result in disciplinary actions and can
result in immediate dismissal from the program and the College. Disciplinary
actions are warranted by behaviors that include, but are not limited to,
conduct dangerous to others, falsification of, or discrepancies in, forms or
records; disorderly conduct; threatening or verbally abusive behavior toward
faculty, staff, or other students, misuse of or damage to property; misuse of
documents or identification cards; violations of state or federal law; unsafe
clinical conduct; a "finding" on a criminal background check, or a positive drug screen.
Procedures for disciplinary action and/or dismissal from the nursing program
and appeal procedures are listed in the Student Handbook under the section
entitled Student Conduct and Disciplinary Policies.
2.
Any student failing the same course twice or
two separate nursing courses will be academically dismissed from the nursing
program.
3.
Students dismissed from the nursing program
as a result of disciplinary actions, as outlined above and in the Southwest
Nursing Student Handbook, will be ineligible for readmission into the Nursing
program.
Readmission to the Nursing Program for Southwest Nursing Students
Southwest Nursing students desiring readmission to the nursing program after an academic dismissal must, at the time of request for readmission:
1.
Have been separated from the nursing program for two (2) complete semesters from the date of dismissal. The complete summer sememster is one semester.
2. Apply for admission to the nursing program, meeting all the current criteria from admission as a generic student, including a cumulative GPA of 2.5, and required science courses and NLN scores within 5 years.
3.
During separation from the program, the students must complete prescribed learning enhancement activities in the nursing learning enhancement center.
4.
Provide a letter stating the reasons for previous academic failure and what adjustments have been made to help assure success on this attempt.
5.
If selected for admission, the student will take a series of placement tests to determine placement within the nursing program. All students will start placement testing with the Foundations of Nursing theory and clinical courses. Students will progress in course sequence until the point of previous academic dismissal or until the student fails to attain the required score on a particular placement exam. To successfully complete a placement test for a particular nursing course the student must attain a score of at least 850 (or its equivalent) on each test attempted.
6.
Students will be placed within the nursing program according to the last successful placement test scores. All expenses incurred during the testing process are the responsibility of the students. All fees are non-refundable and nontransferable.
7.
Students not attaining a score of 850 (or its equivalent) on the Foundations of Nursing placement exam must apply for admission as a generic student and be ranked according to the current published admissions index.
8.
Former Southwest Nursing Students who have been out of the nursing program for more than 2 complete semesters are not eligible for the placement test option and must apply for admission as a regularly admitted generic student according to the current published criteria.
9.
Once readmitted to the nursing program, students must abide by the published progression and retention policies in effect at the time of the student’s readmission. These policies govern all admitted nursing students.
10. A student who is again academically dismissed from the program is ineligible for further admissions to any track of the nursing program.
11. Any student who has been dismissed from any nursing program for administrative or disciplinary reasons is not eligible for admission to Southwest’s nursing program.
Students Academically Dismissed From Other Nursing Programs
Students who have been academically dismissed from other nursing programs are not eligible to apply to Southwest’s Nursing program until five (5) years from the date of dismissal from the previous nursing program and must meet the following criteria:
1. Have satisfied all the admission requirements listed previously in items 1 through 15 of the General Admissions Criteria, and in Selection Criteria, items 1-6.
2. Applicants dismissed from other nursing programs are not eligible for the placement test option.
3. Once admitted under this option, a student who is again academically dismissed is ineligible for further admissions to any track of Southwest’s Nursing Program.
4. Any student who has been dismissed from any nursing program for administrative or disciplinary reasons is not eligible for admission to Southwest’s nursing program.
The Southwest Department of Nursing reserves the right to make changes as
required in course offerings, curricula, academic policies, progression
requirements and other rules and regulations affecting students. These
changes will govern current and formerly enrolled students. Enrollment of all
students is subject to these conditions.
