Nursing Department

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The nursing program functions within the general policies, purposes, and standards of Motlow State Community College and is especially concerned with meeting the educational and health needs of the community. The four semester curriculum includes planned learning experiences which emphasize application of the nursing process to clients’ reactions to physiological, psychosocial, and environmental changes. Clinical activities are provided in campus classrooms, area hospitals, extended care facilities, and various other health and community agencies in the college’s eleven county service area. Students completing this program will be awarded an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree. Articulation with a baccalaureate program of study is supported.

ADMISSION TO THE NURSING PROGRAM

Application Procedure

• Apply and be accepted for admission to Motlow State Community College.
  • All students pursuing an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing who have not been accepted into the nursing program will be coded as General Studies by the Admissions Department.  Once a student is accepted to the nursing program, Admissions will update the student code to AAS Nursing.
• Submit a nursing program application electronically to the Office of Nursing Education by January 31 of the year the applicant is applying to enter the program. It is also the responsibility of the student  applying to ensure that official transcripts (collegiate + high school) have been received by the MSCC Admissions department from all previously attended institutions and be postmarked by January 31. (The electronic application is available August 1st - January 31st on the Nursing Department’s webpage on the Motlow College Website at www.mscc.edu/nursing.) 
  • The nursing application process is totally electronic.  Applications will be received beginning August 1-January 31 of each year.  Notification of students acceptance and/or denial  to the nursing program  will be done by electronic mail to the student’s MSCC email account beginning  in Summer/Fall 2010.
• Take the entrance examination. The entrance examination will be administered in the Testing Center on the Moore County Campus and possible distance site campus during the spring semester each year. Information on the entrance exam may be obtained by visiting the Nursing Department’s webpage on the Motlow College Website at www.mscc.edu/nursing.
  • Applicants will register for the selected HESI testing date and time electronically from the LINK on the nursing webpage.
  • Payment must be received by Testing Center by identified deadline on this link.
• If the applicant is a Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse, he/she must submit  proof of current licensure.

Selection Criteria (Generic Student)

• A minimum cumulative collegiate grade point average (GPA) of 2.3 for all college work attempted.
• Completion of all required developmental courses (an applicant may be tentatively accepted if he/she is in the process of taking developmental coursework which will be completed by the end of the summer semester prior to entry in the subsequent fall semester).
• Completion of BIOL 2010 and BIOL 2020 (Anatomy and Physiology I and II) with a grade of “C” or better within 5 years prior to entering the nursing program. (an applicant may be conditionally accepted if he/she is in the process of completing BIOL 2010/2020 coursework which will be completed by the end of the summer semester prior to entry into the program.) NOTE: If a student’s science background is insufficient or the last biology course taken was over 5 years ago, it is recommended that the student take BIOL 1110, General Biology I.
• A current nursing entrance exam score of 75% or higher. (Current is defined as the test currently being used for entrance exam scores taken within the last 5 years.)

Students are selected for the fall class based on total points accumulated from GPA and entrance exam score. The system for points accumulation is as follows:

800 Total Points Possible

1. 500 total points if Entrance Exam score = 100% cumulative A percentage of points will be awarded for Entrance Exam Scores less than 100. (Example: Entrance Exam Score – 78% (500 points x .78 = 390 points)
2. 300 points if cumulative GPA is 4.0 A percentage of points will be awarded for GPA’s less than 4.0; divide current GPA by 4.0. Calculation of GPA does not include developmental courses. GPA at the end of fall semester in the year prior to admission is included in this calculation.(Example: GPA = 3.0 divided by 4.0 is .75; .75 x 300 = 225 points)
3. The student would have earned 615 total points. (390 + 225 + 615)

Based on the points awarded, candidates will be placed on a selection list in numerical order. Those candidates with the highest summed scores will be selected to fill the class. After the class has been filled, the selection list automatically converts to an alternate list. As the need arises, candidates will be selected from the alternate list in numerical sequence until the fall class is filled.

Students with an entrance exam score below the minimum requirement or with a cumulative GPA below the minimum requirement at the time of selection will be classified as ineligible for the current class.

Applicants Not Selected for the Program

All candidates not selected from the initial or alternate list will be required to reapply if they wish to be considered for the next class. An application must be submitted to the Office of Nursing Education by January 31 of the next year, or the year he/she wishes to be reconsidered for admission. If an applicant has taken the entrance examination within the past 5 years, he/she can use their existing score or choose to retake the examination. To use an existing score, an official copy of the score must be submitted with the application to the nursing program. If the entrance examination used for admission changes, the candidate must take the examination being used for the current year rather than using an existing score from another examination.

Clinical Agency Requirements

A criminal background check, drug screen, fingerprinting, proof of vaccinations or immunity, liability insurance, CPR certification, yearly TB skin test, and a physical exam are required for all students accepted into the Motlow Nursing Program. The purpose of the background check is to provide clinical agencies a method by which to assure client safety. For more information, students should refer to the Nursing Student Handbook.

NURSING EDUCATION PROGRAM COSTS

In addition to the fees of the college, students admitted to the nursing program may anticipate the following nursing costs:

* Indicates a one-time fee. All others recur each semester.

All fees listed above represent approximate costs and are subject to change without prior notice.

RETENTION STANDARDS

Students must meet the following academic criteria for retention in the nursing program:

• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0
• Make a grade of “C” or better in all biology and nursing courses
• Achieve satisfactory performance in both theory and clinical (campus nursing lab and clinical field experience) portions of nursing courses with a clinical/lab component
• Complete the prerequisite nursing courses and general education courses for NET 1410, NET 1420, NET 2410, and NET 2420 as outlined in the Nursing Student Handbook. Exceptions to this require permission from the Director of Nursing Education

Students must meet performance criteria for retention in the nursing program. The Core Performance Standards of Admission and Progression developed by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Council on Collegiate Education for Nursing and adopted by nursing programs in the Tennessee Board of Regents system include:

• Critical thinking ability sufficient for clinical judgment
• Interpersonal abilities sufficient to interact with individuals, families, and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds
• Communicative abilities sufficient for interaction with others in verbal and written form
• Physical abilities sufficient to move from room to room and maneuver in small spaces
• Gross or fine motor abilities sufficient to provide safe and effective nursing care
• Auditory ability sufficient to monitor and assess health needs
• Visual ability sufficient for observation and assessment necessary in nursing care
• Tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment
• Emotional Fitness-demonstrates good judgment in decision making, in order to maintain safety and security of clients, and to behave appropriately with clients, staff, and supervisors

Because the college seeks to provide a reasonably safe environment for nursing students, nursing faculty, and for the patients entrusted to their care, a student may be required, during the course of the program, to demonstrate his/her physical and/or emotional fitness to meet the requirements of the course. Such essential requirements may include freedom from communicable diseases, the ability to perform certain physical tasks, and suitable emotional fitness.

The nursing faculty reserves the right to ask a nursing student to submit to physical and/or psychological testing or counseling if deemed necessary. The cost of this testing/counseling will be the responsibility of the student. Any appraisal measure used to determine such physical and/or emotional fitness will be in compliance with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, students must be, with reasonable accommodation, physically and mentally capable of performing the essential functions of the program. Students seeking accommodations(s) for a physical or learning disability should follow the policy and procedures set forth in the Motlow College Catalog/Student Handbook.

READMISSION STANDARDS

Students who withdraw from the nursing program after successfully completing at least one semester of the program may apply for readmission within 2 years of their withdrawal date. If a student withdraws from the program in the first semester or fails NET 1400, NET 1410 and/or NET 1070 and desires to re-enter, the student must submit a new application and undergo the selection process for acceptance into the nursing program. Students who withdraw from or fail NET 1420, NET 2410, NET 2420, or NET 2130 may be eligible for readmission and may re-enter the course in which they were enrolled at the time of withdrawal or failure. Readmission occurs on a space available basis.

To be considered for readmission, a student must:

• Complete an exit interview form by the end of the semester in which the failure, termination, or withdrawal occurred. If the student exited the program at the completion of a semester, the interview and form must be completed no later than 6 weeks following the end of the semester.
• Submit a written request to the Director of Nursing Education three months prior to the term of desired admission. Included in the request should be an explanation of factors that contributed to the unsuccessful initial attempt and actions taken to enhance chances for success if the opportunity for readmission were to be granted.
• Have a GPA of 2.0 or higher for all college level courses at time of readmission.
• Observe the 2 year currency on last nursing course completed and 5 year currency on all science courses completed.

Students will be notified of their readmission status by letter from the Office of Nursing Education in a timely manner. Students not readmitted may apply again by resubmitting a request to enter the program following the aforementioned entry requirements/criteria.

TRANSFER STUDENTS

Students who wish to transfer to the Motlow Nursing Program from other collegiate-level nursing programs must:

• submit a letter to the Director of Nursing Education requesting entry into the MSCC Nursing Program.
• meet the transfer and admissions requirements of the College.
• meet the same standards as MSCC students desiring readmission into the nursing program with the exception of the exit interview.
• submit a letter from the nursing Dean/Director of the school from which they are transferring giving information relative to the student’s readmission status in that particular program.

Once all requirements have been satisfied, transfer students will be placed on a list along with students requesting readmission to the program. Transfer students will be placed on the readmission list in the order that their letters requesting entry into the program are received by the Office of Nursing Education.

Transfer students accepted into the nursing program will be required to successfully demonstrate campus nursing lab skills covered in the MSCC curriculum prior to the semester of nursing in which they plan to enter. Successful demonstration of the designated skills will be required before placement in a particular course can be guaranteed. The student will be provided a copy of critical elements required for successful performance of the skill, scheduled practice time and supplies in the lab prior to the skill demonstrations. A nursing faculty member will evaluate the skill demonstration. If a transfer student cannot successfully demonstrate the skills in three attempts with a remediation session between the second and third attempts, the course entered will be changed based upon the skills successfully demonstrated.

SELECTION OF READMISSION AND TRANSFER STUDENTS

Students will be selected as classroom and clinical laboratory space allows. Students not selected for admission/readmission will be so notified by letter from the Office of Nursing Education and may apply again by resubmitting a request to enter the program and following the aforementioned readmission or transfer procedure.

The order of selection into the program for both readmission and transfer students will be:

1. MSCC students who withdrew with documented extenuating circumstances. Extenuating circumstances must be clearly stated on an exit interview form in the student’s folder in the nursing director’s office.
2. Transfer students who meet the college’s admission and nursing programs criteria.
3. MSCC students who failed their last NET course or withdrew from the program because of low grades or disciplinary actions. The grade average in the NET course at the time the student exited the program will be used to rank this group of students on the readmission list.
4. Transfer students with a history of academic failure, clinical failure or misconduct in the program from which they are transferring.

LIMITATIONS ON READMISSION

Students with documented unsatisfactory classroom  (Campus) nursing lab (CNL) and/or clinical field experience (CFE) performance who withdraw from any required nursing (NET) course prior to the last day to drop with a “W” may be readmitted only once. A student with a second withdrawal due to documented unsatisfactory performance in CFE and/or CNL will not be readmitted to the nursing program.

Students who receive grades of “D” or “F” may retake those courses only one time to replace those grades. Students who receive grades of “D” or “F” in any two required nursing courses are ineligible for transfer/readmission to the Motlow Nursing Program.

COMPETENCY EXAMINATIONS

Students are required to take achievement tests at selected points in the nursing sequence. These nationally norm-referenced exams provide information on the student’s level of knowledge acquisition and provide practice taking a test with the format that the National Council Licensing Examination uses for the registered nurse licensing exam. The cost of these exams is covered by a special fee paid by the student.

 LICENSING EXAMINATION 

Upon completion of the nursing program, graduates who are eligible, per criteria of the Tennessee Board of Nursing, may complete the National Council Licensing Examination (NCLEX-RN) for licensure as a registered nurse. Eligibility is based upon graduation from an approved nursing school, payment of required fees, satisfactory completion of required application forms, and no evidence of reason for the Board of Nursing to refuse to allow writing of the exam. Students selected for the program who have criminal records may, upon graduation from the nursing program, be ineligible for licensure as a registered nurse, as determined by the Tennessee Board of Nursing.

LPN to RN NURSING TRANSITION

Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) with a current Tennessee license may apply to the nursing program and upon acceptance enroll in the Nursing Transition course. The Nursing Transition course curriculum is an adaptation of the nursing program’s first year curriculum that recognizes the knowledge and skills of the LPN and is offered during the ten week summer term. Upon completion of the Career Mobility Transition course with a grade of “C” or better, students will progress to NET 2410.

Application Procedure

LPNs seeking admission to the nursing program must:

• Apply and be accepted for admission to Motlow State Community College
• Be a graduate of an accredited practical nurse program
• Have a current Tennessee LPN license (May be conditionally admitted if awaiting verification of licensure)
• Submit a nursing program application electronically by January 31st of the year the applicant is seeking to enter the program
• A current nursing entrance exam (HESI) score of 75% or higher (Current is defined as the test currently being used for entrance exam scores taken within the last 5 years)

Selection Criteria for LPN Admission to the Nursing Program

• Completion of prerequisite science courses and general education courses required in the first year of the regular nursing program or be able to complete the courses before beginning Career Mobility Transition Course:

BIOL 2010, Anatomy and Physiology I
BIOL 2020, Anatomy and Physiology II
BIOL 2230, Microbiology 
ENGL 1010, English Composition I
PSY 1410, General Psychology 
 

• Have a grade point average of 2.3 for all college work attempted.
• Completion of Anatomy /Physiology and Microbiology courses within the past 5 years with a grade of “C” or better.
• Entrance Exam Score of 75% or greater.

LPN applicants are selected to enter the nursing program using a points system based on their cumulative college grade point average (GPA) at the end of the fall semester in the year prior to admission and the entrance exam score. LPN selection will be made from the total points accumulated and the GPA and the entrance exam score. The system for points accumulation is as follows: 800 Total Points Possible

1. 500 total points if Entrance Exam score = 100% cumulative  A percentage of points will be awarded for Entrance Exam Scores less than 100. (Example: Entrance Exam Score – 78% (500 points x .78 = 390 points)
2. 300 points if cumulative GPA is 4.0 A percentage of points will be awarded for GPA’s less than 4.0; divide current GPA by 4.0. Calculation does not include developmental courses. GPA at end of fall semester in the year prior to admission is included in this calculation. (Example: GPA = 3.0 divided by 4.0 is .75; .75 x 300 = 225 points)
3. A student would have 615 points.

Based on the points awarded, candidates will be placed on the selection list in numerical order. Those candidates with the highest summed scores will be selected to fill the class. After the class has been filled, the selection list automatically converts to an alternate list. As the need arise, candidates will be selected from the alternate list in numerical sequence until the class is filled. Students with an entrance exam score below the minimum requirement or with a cumulative GPA below the minimum requirement at the time of selection will be classified as ineligible for the current class.

Upon completion of the LPN to RN Nursing Transition course, the student will receive credit for seven (7) credit hours for NET 1350 and is granted an additional 13 semester credit hours for NET 1410, Nursing Care I; NET 1420, Nursing Care II; NET 1400, Role of the Associate Degree Nurse; and NET 1070, Dosage Calculations.

Applicants not accepted must reapply if they want to be considered for the next year’s class.

NURSING PROGRAM ENRICHMENT COURSES

Students who have not been selected for acceptance into the nursing program or students in the program who may need additional courses to complete a full load may enroll in the following enrichment courses . While these courses are not in the nursing program of study and will not count toward the requirements of the nursing program, the material contained in these courses complements the material presented in the nursing courses. Students enrolled as associate degree nursing majors who are receiving financial aid may not be able to take courses outside the program of study. Students receiving financial aid who want to take courses outside of the AAS nursing curriculum, should declare to be University Parallel majors in either the General Studies (AS degree) or Pre-Nursing areas of emphasis until being fully accepted into the nursing program.

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