Nursing
Award: Associate of Applied Science Degree
Major: Nursing
Additional Program Information: https://www.brcc.edu/academics/programs/nursing/
Additional Potential Funding Information: https://www.brcc.edu/g3/
The Associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing is designed to prepare selected students to qualify as contributing members of a healthcare team, rendering direct patient care as beginning practitioners of nursing in a variety of health service organizations. Classroom and clinical experiences will include lifespan from birth to death. Graduates will be eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) leading to licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN). Licensure is required in order to be employed as a registered nurse. The nursing program is approved by the State Board of Nursing and accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
The associate degree nursing program at Blue Ridge Community College, located in Weyers Cave, Virginia is accredited by the:
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, Georgia 30326
Telephone 404-975-5000
The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the associate degree nursing program is continuing accreditation.
The nursing law of Virginia addresses criteria for application for licensure. The Virginia State Board of Nursing has the authority to deny opportunity to procure a license through testing if the applicant has willfully committed a felony/misdemeanor under laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia or of the United States. Students will be required to pay for a criminal background check and drug test when they receive conditional admission to the clinical component of the program. Full admission to the program is contingent upon the results of both the criminal background check and the drug test.
General Education Courses
Students who have not been accepted into the clinical component of the program will be enrolled in the Pre-Nursing curriculum. Pre-nursing students are encouraged to complete clinical component prerequisites (required in order to be eligible for admission) and as many of the general education classes as possible before beginning the clinical portion of the program.
Clinical prerequisite courses include:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 141 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| BIO 142 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours | 8 | |
These two courses must have been completed with a grade of “C” or better and within 7 years of enrollment in the clinical component of the program. Students who are enrolled in BIO 142 during the spring semester of their application to the program may also apply. These candidates may receive provisional admission to the program based on successful completion of BIO 142 with a “C” or better.
The general education courses required for graduation are:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 150 | Microbiology for Health Sciences | 4 |
| or BIO 205 | General Microbiology | |
| ENG 111 | College Composition I | 3 |
| ENG 112 | College Composition II | 3 |
| PHI 220 | Ethics and Society | 3 |
| PSY 230 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| SDV | Student Development | 1 |
| SOC 215 | Sociology of the Family | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 20 | |
Students who did not complete high school biology and chemistry with a grade of “C” or higher are also strongly encouraged to complete BIO 101 and CHM 101 (or CHM 111) before enrolling in the BIO 141-BIO 142 sequence.
Program candidates must be eligible for MTH 154.
Application and Admission to the Clinical Component
General Information
Admission to the clinical component of the nursing program is highly competitive. Students apply to the clinical component of the program through a separate admissions process. This process starts in the fall prior to the anticipated start date of clinical courses. Clinical applications are available online on the Nursing Program website after the application cycle opens. Acceptance to BRCC does not guarantee admission to the clinical component of the Nursing Program. Students must satisfy the graduation requirements listed in the BRCC Catalog and Nursing Student Handbook in effect at the time they begin the clinical component of the program. For students with questionable criminal records, you are encouraged to complete a background check on your own to determine eligibility for the program. Please see information regarding this on the Nursing Program website.
Students who are admitted to the clinical component of the program must complete each nursing course with a theory grade of 80% or greater (and a weighted total also at or above 80%) in order to continue in the clinical nursing sequence. Students who fail to achieve a minimum grade of 80% may not continue in the program, but are eligible to reapply.
Residence in Service Region
Since the number of applicants generally exceeds the space available in the clinical program, some applicants may not be accepted even if the minimum requirements for admission are met. When enrollments must be limited for any curriculum, such as nursing, priority shall be given to all qualified applicants who are the most competitive. Residents of the political subdivisions supporting the College will receive 2 additional points on the selection scale. These include residents in the BRCC service area: Harrisonburg, Staunton, Waynesboro, Augusta County, Rockingham County, and Highland County.
Please be aware that the qualified applicant pool may more than fill the enrollment capacity for the nursing clinical component; therefore the College may not be able to honor all requests for admission into the nursing clinical component.
In order to be considered a resident of the BRCC service region, applicants must have been domiciled continuously in the service region for the 12 months prior to the clinical application deadline and must not be residents of the service region for the primary purpose of education. Service area criteria will be scrutinized very carefully. A student with out-of-state tuition status is not a resident of the BRCC service region.
Documentation may be required to establish residency in the BRCC service region. Determination of residency is affirmed by the student at the time of application. Questions regarding residency may be directed towards the nursing department.
Clinical Component Prerequisites
In order to be considered for admission to the clinical portion of the nursing program, applicants must have:
- earned a high school diploma or the equivalent
- applied to the College
- attained a 45% score on the math, science, reading comprehension, writing, and critical thinking portions of the Kaplan nursing entrance examination required by the program. The nursing entrance examination must be taken within two years of the start of the clinical component's first semester, if accepted.
- Eligible for MTH 154
- a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher in program required general education and pre-requisite courses.
- successfully completed BIO 141 and BIO 142 with a grade of “C” or higher. BIO 141 and BIO 142 must have been successfully completed within 7 years of enrollment in the clinical component of the program.
- submitted a Nursing Clinical Component Application form by the stated deadline date
- submitted official transcripts from high school and all post-secondary schools attended (excluding VCCS colleges), including LPN transcripts and current LPN license for students who completed LPN training)
Admission Preference
Preference for admission to the clinical component of the program is given to applicants who have:
- documented residence in the BRCC service region for 12 months continuously prior to the clinical application deadline
- completed more of the general education courses required for graduation, compared to other applicants
- a higher grade point average in the general education courses required for graduation, compared to other applicants
- a higher grade point average for BIO 141 and BIO 142, compared to other applicants
- previous paid human healthcare experience in a certified facility within the past year
- EMT & Rescue Squad Volunteer with at least 50 hours with the past year
- Paid experience as a medic
- Served in the military
Progression
In accordance with the policy of the Virginia Community College System (VCCS Policy 3.6.3) students may not normally enroll in the same course more than twice. Enrollment is defined as staying in the course beyond the drop/add period.
- A student with two enrollments in NSG courses resulting in any combination of W, D, or F grades will not continue to progress in the nursing program course series. Two NSG course failures, in two separate academic semesters, make the student ineligible for readmission and the student must start over with an initial application to the program.
- A student who receives a failing grade for the clinical component of a nursing course will receive a grade of "f" for the course and will not continue in the nursing program. (see Appeal Process)
- A student who fails clinical, based on any aspect of professional behavior will not be able to continue in the nursing program and must seek readmission into the program
- A student must achieve both a theory average and a weighted total, separately, of 80% in order to progress to the next courses of the program. Failure of any NSG course prevents the student from progressing through the program. If a student has a theory average below 80% and a course average above 80%, the theory average will be assigned as the course grade. If the student has a theory average above 80% and a course average below 80%, the course grade will be assigned as the final course grade.
- A student who withdraws, fails, or takes a leave of absence and does not enroll and complete a nursing course within twelve (12) months will need to re-apply to the program and start in the first semester. A student in this category must meet the current admission criteria.
- A student who withdraws with a theory average less than 80%, or earns a final course grade of less than a "C" in any NSG course will not be able to progress through the program.
- Nursing students must complete all nursing courses within each level with a grade of "C" or better before progressing to the next level.
Readmission into the Program
- Students who receive a final course grade or theory grade lower than 80% (C) in any of the courses will not be allowed to progress in the program. Students may 1) be eligible to be readmitted into the program and repeat the course and earn a final grade of 80% or higher before taking the next course in the sequence or 2) reapply to the nursing program to start at the first semester, if accepted.
- The student must reapply in writing and submit an appropriate success plan to the program head and nursing dean by the identified deadline, determined by the program head, and meet current admission requirements. This success plan should outline how the student's circumstances have changed to allow them to be successful in the program if they were to be admitted again.
- Readmission to the clinical component is NOT guaranteed and will be determined on an individual basis.
- There must be clinical space available to readmit the student back to the program
- Students being considered for readmission will need to pass a readmission written test, as determined by nursing faculty, with a grade of 80% or higher. The student will also need to pass a skills test with success defined by the faculty. These tests will determine that the student has retained the necessary knowledge previously learned in the program, to start back where they left off. If the student does not obtain a minimum of 80% on the readmission written test or successfully pass the skills test, they must reapply to the program to start back in the first semester.
- Any first-semester NSG course failure results in reapplication to the nursing program. The student must complete all program admission/application requirements. Readmission testing (#5) will apply to any courses the student successfully passed, but chooses not to repeat.
- A student must have successfully completed an NSG course within the last 1 months to be eligible for readmission into the program.
Graduation
In order to graduate, a student must have earned a grade of C or better in each NSG course and pre-requisite. All College requirements need to be met. In January of the last semester, the student must "Apply for Graduation." Students are notified by the admissions department as to the status of graduation requirements. Any outstanding courses must be completed before the degree is conferred.
The Dean of Academic Affairs sends a letter of attestation to the State Board of Nursing validating the student's graduation status and thereby making him/her eligible to sit for NCLEX.
Credit for Prior Learning for LPN Students
LPN students must apply for admission to the clinical component of the program and document completion of all regular admission criteria (including submission of an official transcript from their LPN program and a copy of their current Virginia unrestricted LPN license). Once accepted, LPN students complete three semesters of the clinical program, starting the spring semester after acceptance. Students that have been accepted into BRCC's Nursing Program with a current Virginia unrestricted licensure as a practical nurse (LPN) are required to take NSG 115 and NSG 200, but will receive credit for NSG 100, NSG 106, NSG 130, NSG 152, and NSG 170.
Full-time Curriculum
| First Semester | Credit Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 111 | College Composition I | 3 |
| BIO 141 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| NSG 100 or NSG 115 | Introduction to Nursing Concepts 1 or Healthcare Concepts for Transition | 4-5 |
| NSG 106 | Competencies for Nursing Practice | 2 |
| NSG 130 | Professional Nursing Concepts | 1 |
| NSG 200 | Health Promotion and Assessment | 3 |
| SDV | Student Development | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 18-19 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| ENG 112 | College Composition II | 3 |
| BIO 142 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| NSG 152 | Health Care Participant | 3 |
| NSG 170 | Health/ Illness Concepts | 6 |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Third Semester | ||
| BIO 150 or BIO 205 | Microbiology for Health Sciences or General Microbiology | 4 |
| PHI 220 | Ethics and Society | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 7 | |
| Fourth Semester | ||
| NSG 210 | Health Care Concepts I | 5 |
| NSG 211 | Health Care Concepts II | 5 |
| PSY 230 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 13 | |
| Fifth Semester | ||
| NSG 230 | Advanced Professional Nursing Concepts | 2 |
| NSG 252 | Complex Health Care Concepts | 4 |
| NSG 270 | Nursing Capstone | 4 |
| SOC 215 | Sociology of the Family | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 13 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 67-68 | |
