Nursing, AAS

Purpose: The two-year Associate in Applied Science degree curriculum in Nursing is designed to prepare selected students to qualify as contributing members of the healthcare team, rendering direct patient care as beginning practitioners of nursing in a variety of health service facilities. Upon successful completion of the curriculum, students will be eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination leading to licensure as a registered nurse (RN).

It is also designed to provide a base of general education from which the individual student will grow and develop as a person, worker, and citizen of the community. Students who successfully complete the curriculum are awarded the Associate in Applied Science degree with a major in Nursing.

End of Program Student Learning Outcomes: Student outcomes for the Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree are guided by the Mission, Vision and Values of the Nursing Department and are expanded on in the supporting key courses. Students completing the AAS degree are expected to be able to incorporate competencies that accomplish outcomes:

1. Provide patient-centered care promoting therapeutic relationships, caring behaviors, and self-determination across the lifespan for diverse populations.
2. Practice safe nursing care that minimizes risk of harm across systems and client populations.
3. Demonstrate nursing judgement through the use of clinical reasoning, the nursing process, and evidence-based practice in the provision of safe, quality care.
4. Practice professional behaviors that encompass the legal/ethical framework while incorporating self-reflection, leadership and a commitment to recognize the value of life-long learning.
5. Manage client care through quality improvement processes, information technology, and fiscal responsibility to meet clients needs and support organizational outcomes.
6. Demonstrate principles of collaborative practice within the nursing and interdisciplinary teams fostering mutual respect and shared decision-making to achieve stated outcomes of care.

To ensure graduates are successful in achieving these program outcomes, the faculty incorporate the *National Council of State Boards of Nursing’s current NCLEX-RN Test Plan.

*www.NCSBN.org for NCLEX-RN Test Plan and Licensure.

Accreditation: The Nursing Program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, Georgia 30326 and approved by the Virginia State Board of Nursing, Perimeter Center, 9960 Maryland Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA 23233-1463, (804) 367-4515.

Nursing Performance Standards: Students admitted to the Germanna Community College nursing program can be expected to complete course requirements that prepare students to perform essential job functions as a registered professional nurse. Those functions or skills that are deemed essential to the profession must be performed with or without accommodations. Any student who thinks he/she does not possess one or more of these functions should contact the Special Needs Counselor in the Office of Student Development Services. Provisions for accommodations will be made in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Occupational Objectives: Employment opportunities for the Registered Nurse include staff positions in hospitals, home health care, extended care facilities, health departments, physicians’ offices, clinics, day care centers, as well as civil service, military service, and community health services.

Admission Requirements for All Nursing Applicants:

• Applicants must have official high school transcripts validating completion of high school, home school, or official documentation of GED on file in the Office of Admissions and Records. Applicants must have official college transcripts, to include joint services transcripts, on file in the Office of Admissions and Records if applicable.
• Demonstrated proficiency in Science by a score of 45% or greater on the designated pre-admission test. Demonstrated proficiency in Math - MTE 1-5 and 45% or greater on nursing preadmission test; Equivalents include college BIO 101 , CHM 101 , and MTE 1 , MTE 2 , MTE 3 , MTE 4 and MTE 5 completed prior to applying to the nursing program.
• All students will be required to demonstrate college readiness through assessment and/or transcript review and may be required to take placement tests in math, writing, and reading to aid in placing students in the appropriate courses. Students who do not meet required placement levels must enroll in developmental studies courses.
• Pre-admission nursing tests of essential academic skills taken at Germanna are required. Scores on the preadmission nursing tests are expected to be a minimum score of 45% or greater in all four areas (Math, Science, English and Reading) for admission to the nursing program. Preadmission nursing test scores are accepted if completed within three years prior to applying to the nursing program.
• In order to be considered for the nursing program, 2.5 curricular average in the following academic work is required: BIO 141 , ENG 111 , PSY 230 , SDV 100 and Humanities elective.
• The Application will be disqualified if submission does not include all of these. The application process includes receipt of a completed College application, official transcripts of all secondary and postsecondary courses attempted or completed, and a completed request for transcript evaluation form by the Office of Admissions and Records. Applicants are to submit the completed Nursing Program application, transcripts, and a copy of their preadmission nursing test scores to any Germanna Welcome Center. Applicants must subscribe to a Division of Nursing and Health Technologies approved online criminal history report. Evidence of a criminal history report must be submitted for review with the nursing application. Applicants are responsible for fees associated with this report. Applicants who have committed a felony/misdemeanor may not be offered admission. The Board of Nursing may deny any application for licensure if the applicant has committed a felony/misdemeanor under laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia or of the United States.
• Applicants must have signed student/advisor worksheets on file in the Nursing Office prior to applying to the nursing program. Copies of the worksheet may be downloaded from http://www.germanna.edu/academics/nursingandhealthtechnologies/
• Requirements for admission into the nursing program are specific and admission is selective and competitive.
• Residents of Germanna’s service region (Caroline, Culpeper, King George, Madison, Orange, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and the City of Fredericksburg) will be offered priority consideration for offers of admission..
• Applicants are expected to have earned a “C” or better in all courses attempted in the Allied Health Care Preparation Career Study Certificate or equivalent courses. Nursing students must earn at least a “C” in the NUR/NSG major courses to remain in the program. The minimum passing grade is 80 (C) in the nursing program.

Applications for the AAS Nursing Program are due by March 1 and October 1. Applicants’ transcripts and nursing pre-admission test scores will be evaluated and ranked according to the requirements and priorities noted above. Final decisions regarding admission are made by a Nursing Admissions Committee. Nursing Faculty, Nursing Department Chairs, the Dean of Nursing and Health Technologies, the Registrar, a Counselor, a Disabilities Counselor and a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Council comprise this committee. The Registrar is a non-voting member of the committee.

The number of qualified applicants offered admission to the nursing program is contingent upon the space available in the classrooms and nursing laboratories, the program’s access to sufficient clinical spaces in the region’s healthcare settings in order to meet the program’s learning outcomes, and the number of qualified nursing faculty to teach the students in classrooms, labs, and clinical settings.

An applicant seeking readmission into the nursing program after having left the NUR/NSG major courses for either academic or personal reasons may apply for readmission at the March 1 or October 1 due dates.

A readmission applicant who has been admitted to the nursing program a total of two times and fails to complete the program following the second offer of admission will not be readmitted to the program unless extenuating circumstances can be demonstrated by the applicant and which are deemed valid by the Nursing Program Admission Committee. The offer of admission to a qualified readmission applicant will be contingent upon space available in the classrooms and nursing laboratories, the program’s access to sufficient clinical spaces to meet the program’s learning outcomes in the region’s healthcare settings, and the number of qualified nursing faculty to teach the students in classrooms, labs, and clinical settings.

A transferring nursing student applicant must be currently enrolled in an approved associate degree nursing program or equivalent whose graduates are candidates for licensure. A transferring nursing student must have already successfully completed laboratory and clinical nursing major course(s) and meet the GCC requirements for admission to the nursing program. Transferring nursing students must present copies of the completed nurse major courses’ unit outlines to the Dean of Nursing and Health Technologies or designee prior to applying for transfer. Decisions on admission offers to transferring applicants will be determined by the Nursing Program Admissions Committee following official transcript analysis, review of completed nursing course outlines, and space and faculty availability. A transferring student must demonstrate expected level proficiencies by testing. The transferring applicant may have to repeat courses.

A transferring nursing student must present a letter of recommendation from the administrator of the program indicating that they are in good standing from which the student wishes to transfer. Application deadlines for transferring applicants are March 1 or October 1.

The offer of admission to a qualified transferring applicant will be contingent upon space available in the classrooms and nursing laboratories, the program’s access to sufficient clinical spaces to meet the program’s learning outcomes in the region’s healthcare settings, and the number of qualified nursing faculty to teach the students in classrooms, labs, and clinical settings.

If the number of applicants exceeds the number of available qualified faculty and the amount of enrollment space available in the program, some applicants may not be accepted even if the minimum requirements for admission are met.

Program Information: Prospective applicants without previous college courses completed should contact the Welcome Center/ Counseling Office to begin taking pre-nursing courses. Prospective applicants who have already met with a counselor and registered for the first semester of classes at Germanna may then contact the nursing office to meet with a nursing advisor for subsequent semesters.

A current working knowledge of the principles of biology, math, and chemistry is expected for success in human anatomy, physiology, microbiology, pharmacology, and in all nursing courses. Math and science prerequisite courses must have been successfully completed within the previous five years. Deficiencies may be corrected through appropriate courses at Germanna prior to admission to the program.

Students will be responsible for transportation to and from the College and health agencies utilized for clinical experiences. Information on scholarships and financial assistance is available in the Financial Aid Office.

Prior to the onset of the first clinical nursing course, the nursing student must provide documentation of:

• Certification of American Heart Association cardiopulmonary resuscitation for healthcare professionals.
• Tetanus Vaccine
• Rubella/mumps/measles/varicella vaccines or titer/Seasonal flu vaccine
• Hepatitis B vaccines or waiver.
• PPD or Chest X-ray.
• Current professional liability insurance as nursing student
• Urine drug screen
• Other mandatory clinical facility requirements including professional responsibilities and patient confidentiality.
• Personal Health insurance is recommended.
• Physical and Dental Examinations - Students must submit a Physical exam.

When a student progresses from one semester of nursing major courses into another semester of nursing major courses, the student is accountable for providing documentation of completed Hepatitis B series vaccination, current CPR certification, liability insurance, health insurance and PPD skin test result.

A transferring or readmitted student must submit current copies of all credentials using a Division of Nursing and Health Technologies approved background check. In addition, a transferring or readmitted student must complete a new drug screen within 6 months of application submission.