Mar 28, 2024  
2019-2020 Catalog 
    
2019-2020 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Nursing/RN, Associate of Applied Science


The Associate of Applied Science Degree program in Nursing prepares students for entry-level positions in nursing and to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The program is accredited by the New Jersey Board of Nursing and by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). The course of study is designed as a career program, although graduates may wish to continue studies for a baccalaureate degree in nursing at a four-year institution. Credits earned are applied in whole or in part to the upper-division program depending on the policies of the institution to which application is made. Articulation agreements which enhance this process are in effect with numerous colleges and universities.

The nursing program includes nursing courses, general education courses and clinical experiences. These experiences are in a variety of health care settings in acute, sub-acute, and long term care with community-based experiences under the supervision of nursing faculty. In addition, students practice nursing intervention skills in the fully-equipped college laboratory. Evening and day sections are available.

All prerequisites must be completed before submitting an application into the clinical program. Eligible applicants will be evaluated based on selective criteria and ranked according to performance. Admission to clinical nursing courses is granted to the highest ranked applicants. All nursing clinical courses must be taken in an unbroken sequence. If there is a break in sequence, the student must request re-admission into the program with re-entry on a space-available basis.

Since this is a rigorous program, students with weak basic skills or no previous college-level experience may require a longer period of time to complete the program. In order to progress through the program, a grade of 78 percent or better in all nursing courses, a grade of “C” or better in all science courses, and satisfactory clinical evaluations are required. Nursing policy states that two grades of D, F, W or AU in any required science courses or Nursing courses will make a student ineligible to continue in the Nursing program. All required science courses must have been completed within the past 5 years for students applying to the college as pre-nursing majors as of 9/1/17.  Students who became pre-nursing majors before 9/1/2017 may follow previous nursing requirements and will have no time limit of required science courses. An exit exam to identify readiness for licensure is required in the final semester. All students enrolled in clinical nursing courses must have a yearly health maintenance survey by their health care practitioner and maintain current liability insurance and BLS-C CPR certification while in the program. In addition, a yearly criminal history background check must be completed.

Licensure for the practice of professional nursing is regulated by the New Jersey Board of Nursing. Limitations to NCLEX-RN testing, licensure and professional practice may occur for actions or pending actions against any licenses currently held or surrendering of any license, arrest, indictment or conviction for violation of any law or regulation within the last ten years, including motor vehicle offenses, such as driving while impaired or intoxicated.

Graduates are able to:

  • provide client-centered holistic nursing care across the lifespan by responding to evidenced wellness states
  • manage and coordinate care for individuals, groups and families experiencing disruptions in wellness states
  • practice as a member within the profession of nursing

 

PLEASE NOTE: Students interested in pursuing the nursing program will initially be enrolled into the AS in Health Science degree as pre-nursing majors. Students must complete the pre-requisites in order to become eligible to apply for selective admission for entrance into the nursing program.
Admission requirement(s): Complete RVCC application including proof of high school completion or GED, transcripts from all colleges attended, and signed Acknowledgement Form from the Nursing packet. Applicants must have completed all prerequisites and the required nursing entrance test (ATI-TEAS), and submits proof of residency for Somerset or Hunterdon County before applying to the clinical courses. All applicants will be evaluated and given a ranking score based on their overall GPA, A&P grades, and ATI-TEAS scores. The highest-scoring students will be offered admission first. Students who submit proof of residency for Somerset and Hunterdon county are given priority placement. 

 

 

 

Curriculum – Generic Program


Prerequisite Courses


Second Year - Spring Semester


Total Credits 68


1 A grade of “C” or better is required in all Science and Clinical Nursing courses.

2 Students who pass the Pharmacology Calculations Lab Placement Test are exempt from this course.

3 Select a course from the appropriate category of the General Education  list. Current Moral and Social Issues (PHIL-106) is the preferred Humanities course.

4 Any college-level course.

5 FITN 142 Elements of Physical Fitness  or FITN 204 Exercise Physiology & Body Mechanics  - (pre-req BIOL 120 Human Biology  ) may be substituted.

6 Enrollment in these courses is restricted to students formally admitted to the Nursing Clinical Courses. All other courses are open and should be taken by students waiting for admission to the Nursing Clinical Courses.

7 Mathematics Proficiency - This degree requires a minimum math proficiency through MATH 020 Elementary Algebra .

8 Select a course from the appropriate category of the General Education  list. Technological Competency may also be met by passing the Technological Competency test (no credit).*

9 The ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) is required of all applicants. Scores will be used to determine admission. (www.atitesting.com) 

10 Complete any developmental courses required in reading and writing, including ESL (English as a Second Language) courses.

 

*NOTE:  Technological Competency must have been demonstrated within the last seven years.