Southeastern Community College

Purpose

The Associate Degree in Nursing and the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Nursing curriculums provide students with the essential knowledge, skills, and strategies necessary to integrate safety and quality into nursing care, to practice in a dynamic environment, and to meet individual needs which impact health, quality of life, and achievement of potential.

The (PN) Practical Nursing curriculum prepares individuals with the knowledge and skills to provide nursing care to children and adults.

Course Requirements

The Pre-Nursing (Associate in Arts) curriculum prepares students to transfer to a university with the intention of earning a bachelor's degree in nursing. The (A.A.) program requires 44 hours of general education core coursework as well as 21 hours of additional studies to prepare students to continue their education at a four-year institution and/or enter the workplace immediately upon graduation. Students should contact the four-year institution to which they intend to transfer for assistance in deciding which courses at Southeastern are most appropriate for their major.

Students who complete the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree program may choose to transfer some credits to selected colleges and universities for further study and/or pursue employment opportunities.

Vocational diploma programs are designed specifically for those who wish to enter a trade prior to completing an associate degree and may be completed in as little as three semesters by non-developmental students on a full-time basis.

Course work for these programs includes and builds upon the domains of nursing practice, and holistic individual healthcare. Content emphasizes the nurse as a member of the interdisciplinary team providing safe, individualized care while employing evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and informatics. The Practical Nursing students will participate in assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating nursing care.

What can graduates expect to achieve with a Diploma or Degree in Nursing?

Graduates of the Pre-Nursing, Associate of Applied Science Nursing, and Practical Nursing programs are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). Employment opportunities are vast within the global health care system and may include positions within acute, chronic, extended, industrial, and community health care facilities.

Admission to the Programs

Students are encouraged to begin the admissions process early so that there will be time for them to complete pre-admission courses before the Nursing Program application due date, which is available in Counseling/Admissions. Two or more semesters may be required to complete these pre-admission courses.

SCC Requirements

Completion and return of the SCC Application for Admission.
Submission of a copy of high school diploma or GED certificate.
Completion of reading, writing, and math placement assessment.
Reassessment may be done only once, but no earlier than three months after the first assessment.
Meeting with an SCC counselor.

Associate Degree Nursing Program Requirements

Current program requirements are listed on the Admission/Applications Process Student Worksheet which can be found in Counseling/Admissions.
Once current SCC and program requirements are met, qualified students must meet with a member of the admissions office staff to complete a formal application before the application due date. Applicants will be chosen for admission based on a comparison of grades in specified college courses and proof of any required certification/licensure as a health care provider. (A list of specified college courses and required health certification/licensure can be found in the Admissions Office.)
Individuals selected for admission who may be enrolled in pre-requisite courses at the time of application will be accepted provisionally until the course are satisfactorily completed at which time they will be granted full admission. If a student fails to complete any pre-requisite course satisfactorily, the admission will be revoked and the available slot will be offered to the next qualified individual.

Practical Nursing Program Requirements

Completion of ENG 090, Composition Strategies, and ENG 090A Composition Strategies Lab, with a grade of C or better or test out of the course through the placement assessment.
Completion of MAT 060, Essential Mathematics, with a grade of C or better or test out of the course through the placement assessment. MAT 060 must be current within the past three years of the application deadline.
Completion of MAT 070, Introductory Algebra, with a grade of C or better or a higher level course, SAT score, or test out through the placement assessment. MAT 070 must be current within the past three years of the application deadline.
Completion of RED 090, Improved College Reading, with a grade of C or better or test out of the course through the placement assessment.
Completion of, or current enrollment, in ACA 115, Success & Study Skills.
Completion of, with a grade of C or better, or current enrollment in BIO 163, Basic Anatomy & Physiology.
Completion of, or current enrollment, in CIS 110, Introduction to Computers.
Completion of, or current enrollment, in NUR 117, Pharmacology.
Once the above program requirements are met, meeting with the Dean of Students to complete an Application for the Practical Nursing Program. Applicants for the Practical Nursing Program must complete application procedures by the application due date in order to be considered in the initial selection of students.

After the application due date, qualified applicants are selected for admission to the Practical Nursing Program in order of qualifications using the following criteria: placement assessment scores, grades in specified college courses, and proof of certification for selected previous health professional training. (A list of specified college courses and selected health professional training programs is located in Counseling/Admissions.) Individuals selected that are currently enrolled in pre-requisite courses will be accepted provisionally until said courses are satisfactorily completed at which time they will be granted full admission. If the currently enrolled courses are not satisfactorily completed, the admission will be revoked and the spot offered to an alternate.

If the list of qualified applicants who applied by the application due date is exhausted, like-qualified students who apply after the application due date will be accepted until the beginning of the semester classes. The total number of students enrolled in the Practical Nursing Program shall not exceed the maximum number approved by the North Carolina Board of Nursing.

Continuation in Program

Submission of Required Documentation
Enrollment and continuation in the Nursing Programs is contingent upon the submission of the required documentation on or before the specified date communicated by the college. SCC follows the recommendations of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services regarding the recommended adult immunization schedule. Admission requirements include but are not limited to:

Completed health form
TB test within last three months
Immunizations (required)

Three tetanus vaccines (one within last 10 years, may substitute Td/Tdap)
Two MMRs or two rubeola, one rubella and one mumps or positive titers

Immunizations (strongly recommended and waiver required)

Hepatitis A & B series
Varicella or positive titer

Certification of ability to perform essential functions
Malpractice insurance
OSHA training
Certification from students that provides evidence that they meet the conditions of physical health and/or physical capability at a level that is acceptable to and in keeping with safe nursing care to the public
Certification from students that provides evidence that they meet the conditions of emotional health at a level that is acceptable to and in keeping with safe nursing care to the public.

A copy of the SCC Allied Health Division Medical Records and Health Certification Form with detailed admission requirements, along with a description of the essential functions of the program which students must be able to perform is available in the office of the Dean of Nursing and Allied Health Programs.

Students accepted into the Practical Nursing Program with previous physical, emotional, or behavioral problems which conflict with the safety essential to practical nursing practice must provide professional certification that appropriate treatment and/or counseling has taken place adequately addressing and developing strategies for accommodating the problem.

The nursing faculty reserves the right to deny admission to a student who has demonstrated past behaviors which conflict with safety essential to nursing practice.

Course Work
Students in the Nursing Programs must take courses in the sequence of the curriculum master plan. In addition, all courses in the curriculum master plan must be completed satisfactorily, and a grade of C or better is required in all science and nursing courses used in the program. Basic Anatomy and Physiology must have been completed not more than five years before starting classes in the nursing program, or the course(s) must be retaken.

In the Associate of Arts and Associate of Applied Science, they must complete satisfactorily all courses in this plan and achieve a grade of C or better in Anatomy and Physiology courses (BIO 168 and BIO 169), Developmental Psychology (PSY 241), and in all nursing courses. Students must have completed Anatomy and Physiology and Developmental Psychology not more than five years before starting classes in the nursing program or they will be required to complete these courses as part of the program.

Students should consult with their advisors to help plan a program of study to complete program coursework and fulfill the minimum general education competency requirements that must be met prior to graduation.

Relationship with Clinical Agency
From a safety perspective, the users of alcohol and drugs may impair the well-being of themselves and the persons they serve in the clinical setting. In addition, the contract between SCC and a clinical agency requires that the college abide by the existing rules and regulations of the agency. Clinical agencies may require acceptable criminal background checks and drug screens prior to allowing students in the clinical area. The college follows agency protocol regarding drug screening and criminal background checks, and agrees not to assign, or to withdraw any students from the clinical agency who does not meet the agency’s standard for employment. Students who are unacceptable to the agency, at any time, because of health, performance, a positive criminal background check, or other reasonable causes may be refused admission to the clinical site. Without access to the clinical facilities, students will be unable to satisfactorily complete the practical nursing courses.

Students may be required, at their own expense, to be tested for consumption of alcohol/drugs for cause at any time while in this program. Clinical sites control and can refuse to allow individuals to work in their facility.

Dismissal of Students
Nursing faculty follow published college and Nursing Department policies and practices that provide for identification and dismissal of students who do the following:

Demonstrate physical or emotional problems which conflict with the safety essential to nursing practice and do not respond to appropriate treatment and/or counseling within a reasonable period of time.
Demonstrate a pattern of unsafe clinical practices or behavior which conflicts with safety essential to practical nursing practice.

Students who demonstrate behavior that conflicts with safety essential to practical nursing practice can be dismissed from the Practical Nursing Program regardless of whether treatment or counseling has occurred.

Transfer

Students desiring to transfer into the Practical Nursing Program at SCC must meet the following criteria:

Meet with the Dean of Students to verify that all current program admission criteria have been met.
Have been enrolled in a state Board-of-Nursing approved practical nursing program at a former institution within the past twelve months.
Have written verification of good academic standing and clinical performance from the former institution's nursing director.

All transfer nursing courses will be evaluated by SCC's Director of Nursing. To be eligible to transfer, courses must be equivalent to courses offered at SCC in both theory and clinical experience. The Dean of Arts & Sciences will determine the transferability of general education courses (Credit for Courses Not Completed at SCC, p. 65).

Readmission

Time Guidelines
Readmission students must meet current admission requirements.

In a five-year period, a student may only have two entry-level (1st semester) admissions into the PN program or one entry-level admission in the ADN program followed by one advanced-standing admission into the PN program.

Students enrolled in the program who experience a crisis or illness of self or family that results in the necessity to withdraw from the program who have a passing grade in theory and are safe in the clinical/lab area may be allowed readmission into the same program/course as long as readmission occurs the next time the course is offered within the academic year that begins immediately following the semester in which the student left the nursing program.

There can be no more than one admission into the ADN programs in a five-year period. The definition of “five years” is based on the last date the student was enrolled in the program.
In an effort to assist individuals in accomplishing their educational and career goals and
prepare them for employment in nursing, the following exceptions to the “one-admission” rule are noted:

A student who graduates from the PN program and chooses to be admitted into the ADN program.
Students enrolled in the program who are passing theory and are demonstrating safe practice in the clinical and lab area but experience a crisis or an illness of self or immediate family that results in their having to withdraw from the program.

Any Southeastern Community College student who drops, withdraws, fails, or is dismissed from any allied health course with unresolved safety issues is not eligible for readmission to any other allied health program at Southeastern Community College. Unsafe clinical practice is defined as any clinical practice or act that threatens the safety and well being of the public (See Dismissal Policy).

Criteria
Criteria for readmission selection are based on best-qualified status. “Best qualified” is determined by grades in specified college courses and selected previous health professional training. A list of specified college courses and selected health professional training programs is located in Counseling/Admissions.

Readmission of students who were dismissed from the program for physical, emotional, or behavioral problems which conflicted with the safety essential to practical nursing practice is contingent on professional documentation that appropriate treatment and/or counseling has taken place and that the problem has been adequately accommodated.

Readmission students who are not considered exceptions under the above criteria area considered new applicants and must apply to enter the program as first semester students.

Due to the changing nature of the subject matter, readmission students may be required to retake some or all of the program courses to make sure current competencies are covered and the student is prepared to be successful on boards and in the workplace.

Upon acceptance to the allied health program the readmission students may request permission to repeat for credit previously taken allied health courses for which they earned a grade of C or greater. (This occurs where the student took two or more allied health courses in one semester and achieved a passing grade of C or greater in one or more of the courses and did not pass one or more of the other courses.)

When a student is allowed to repeat an allied health course for which they had previously earned a grade of C or greater, the grade earned for the repeated allied health course will be the only grade used in program progression consideration or program grade point average computations. The most recent grade earned is most reflective of the student’s current knowledge and its application to safe healthcare practice.

Sample Courses in Nursing

Lead Instructor: Arthur West