Nursing - Associate of Applied Science (Day Program; Evening/Weekend Program)

Program Handbook

Overview

Associate degree nursing education prepares graduates with the values, knowledge, and skills required to practice as a professional nurse.

Associate degree nursing education, in conjunction with integration of knowledge from other disciplines, provides:

• a broad theoretical basis in nursing, the related sciences, and general education
• knowledge of the role of the associate degree nurse
• the ability to practice in multiple settings
• a foundation for further nursing study

An essential component of nursing education is the concurrent integration of theory into the clinical practice setting. Graduates are prepared to function as managers of care in acute and long-term settings where policies and procedures are specified, and guidance is available.

As members of the healthcare team, graduates collaborate with other nursing and healthcare team members and provide guidance in the delivery of nursing care.

Upon completion of the degree, students are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) to practice as registered nurses.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Derived from the mission, philosophy, and organizing framework, program student learning outcomes are:

1. Apply the nursing process in assisting the patient to meet self-care requisites.
2. Integrate health-illness concepts in the provision of care.
3. Synthesize concepts of the teaching/learning process in the delivery of care.
4. Demonstrate accountability and professional behavior in entry-level associate degree nursing practice.
5. Using the concepts of the Self-Care Deficit Theory of Nursing, formulate plans of care for patients across the life span.
6. Integrate knowledge of the humanities, sciences, and nursing research to provide rationale for nursing practice.
7. Demonstrate the consistent performance of safe, effective nursing skills in entry-level associate degree practice.
8. Demonstrate interpersonal skills throughout nursing practice.
9. Practice Christian values within the ethical, legal, and professional standards of nursing practice.

Admission Requirements

Candidates must be high school graduates with a GPA of at least 2.7 or GED recipients with a score of 570 (score of 57 prior to 2002).

Applicants must have completed and passed these high school courses, or their college equivalents:

• *Biology – one year
• *Chemistry with a lab – one year
• *Math – Algebra – one year

All courses should be completed with a grade of “C” or better; a grade of “B” or better is preferred.

*Courses must have been completed within the past seven (7) years with a grade of “C” or better.

Transfer Student Guidelines

Transfer students must be high school graduates or GED recipients and have earned a minimum of 15 credit hours of college coursework with a GPA of at least 2.7 and have completed all the necessary program prerequisite courses from an institution accredited by one of the following accrediting organizations recognized by the U.S. Department of Education:  Higher Learning Commission, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Middle States Commission on Higher Education, New England Commission of Higher Education, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.  For applicants who have attended more than one college, the cumulative GPA from all colleges must equal at least 2.7. The Nursing Division AAS Program Admission Scoring Rubric is used to objectively review candidate educational records.

The AAS Nursing Pre-licensure Program Admissions Committee will not consider applicants for admission into the program if applicants have failed two or more nursing courses at another college or university or have been dismissed from another nursing program in the past five (5) years.

Students who do not meet the requirements or who need to complete the necessary program prerequisite courses should review General College Admission Requirements in the Enrollment Management section of the College Catalog.

Candidacy Review Process

All candidate information is thoroughly evaluated by the AAS Pre-licensure Nursing Program Admissions Committee using the AAS Program Admission Scoring Rubric. The scored rubric provides an objective review of candidates’ educational records. Accepted students receive a letter from the Dean of Nursing.

Requirements for Clinicals

Criminal background checks, drug screens, health records, and titers/immunizations are required prior to the start of the clinical program. Program requirements and instructions are maintained on the College website at https://mercycollege.edu/background. The Policy can be found at https://mercycollege.edu/about/compliance-consumer-information.

Progression

To progress in the nursing program, a grade of “C” or better is required in all nursing theory, clinical, and laboratory courses, as well as required non-nursing support courses, and required elective hours. Once admitted into the nursing program, students must maintain an overall cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above. If the GPA falls below 2.0, students will be dismissed from the nursing program.