Associate Degree Nursing Program

The Associate Degree Nursing Program is a cooperative program between York Technical College and the University of South Carolina Lancaster and is fully approved by the Board of Nursing for South Carolina and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission. The Associate Degree Nursing Program prepares men and women for the practice of registered nursing to provide direct client care across the life span. The practice of the associate degree nurse is primarily directed toward clients who have health needs and require assistance to maintain or restore their optimum state of health or support to die with dignity. The associate degree nurse is prepared to address acute and chronic health care needs and common well-defined health care problems in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and certain community health agencies.

The student of an associate degree nursing program functions in three basic roles within the health care delivery system: provider of care, manager of care, and member within the discipline of nursing. Graduates of the program are eligible to take the Computer Adaptive Testing of the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses. Graduates who successfully pass the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses are eligible to apply for licensure to practice as a registered nurse in any of the 50 states or U.S. territories.

There are legal limitations for state licensure in South Carolina for graduates with prior convictions and/or disciplinary action. The policy from the Board of Nursing for South Carolina will be distributed to all applicants by Student Services/Office of Admissions. The policy is also in the Nursing Student Handbook, which is distributed the first day of class. Clinical facilities may require drug screens and/or SLED background checks before allowing students to participate in clinical rotations. Students participating in clinicals may be required to have a drug screen at any time during their rotation.

Admissions Criteria

Applicants for admission to the Associate Degree Nursing Program must meet the entrance requirements of the parent institution.* Admission to the Associate Degree Nursing Program requires the student to be a high-school graduate or equivalent. Students must complete one course of high-school, college-preparatory general chemistry with a minimum grade of C or complete one college chemistry course with a minimum grade of C prior to acceptance into the nursing program.

And one of the following:

1. SAT score of 920 (480 verbal, 440 math) if taken after April 1, 1995, or 800 (400 verbal, 400 math) if taken before April 1, 1995, or ACT score of 20 (21 verbal, 19 math)

OR

2. Completion of all approved general education courses (below) with a GPA of 2.50 or higher.

BIOL 243 Human Anatomy and Physiology I
BIOL 243L Human Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory
BIOL 244 Human Anatomy and Physiology II
BIOL 244L Human Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory
PSYC 101 General Psychology
BIOL 330 Microbiology
BIOL 330L Microbiology Laboratory
MATH 111 College Algebra
ENGL 101 Composition
ENGL 102 Composition and Literature
Minimum of 3 approved electives (one elective must be chosen from humanities)

All biophysical science courses must have been completed within seven years prior to admission to this nursing program.

*Students are expected to graduate from the school where the initial nursing course is taken.

To enhance potential for success in the program, the faculty recommends completion of a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Program and work experience as a CNA.

Admission by Transfer

Transfer credit may be granted for courses taken in another associate or baccalaureate degree nursing program to a student meeting the following criteria:

1. The student must meet present admission criteria to the Associate Degree Nursing Program.

2. The student must submit a letter from the previous school attended stating that he/she left in good standing and is eligible for readmission.

3. The student must provide the nursing department manager with a detailed course syllabus showing course and unit objectives and a clinical evaluation tool indicating criteria met in the clinical component of the courses. Courses for which transfer credit is given must meet the objectives of the comparable York Technical College/University of South Carolina Lancaster courses.

4. The student must demonstrate competencies in the course to be transferred either by exam, by previous grade and documentation, or both.

5. The Nursing Evaluation Committee will review requests for transfer credit and will make a recommendation for official action to the registrar/admissions officer.

6. The York Technical College/University of South Carolina Lancaster Cooperative Nursing Program is considered by the state Board of Nursing for South Carolina to be one nursing program administered jointly by York Technical College and the University of South Carolina Lancaster. Only those students in good standing who are eligible for readmission will be considered for transfer.

7. Admission by transfer is on a space-available basis.

LPN Advanced Placement

Students will be admitted based on the South Carolina Statewide Articulation Model.

Direct Transfer:
A minimum of 15 semester hours of nursing credit will be awarded without educational mobility testing or validation if the applicant meets the following criteria:

· graduate from an NLNAC-accredited school of nursing
· has a current, active LPN license
· meets admission and progression requirements of York Technical College and the University of South Carolina Lancaster.

Individual Validation:
Individual validation of credit awarded will be determined by the receiving institution through exemption testing if the applicant is a:

· graduate from a non-NLNAC-accredited program
· graduate from a noncredit-bearing program.

A minimum of 15 semester hours of nursing credit will be awarded upon completion of validation if the applicant meets the following criteria:

· has a current, active license
· meets admission requirements of York Technical College and the University of South Carolina Lancaster.

Exemption Credit:
Candidates may exempt by examination through York Technical College. The cost for each written exam is $50, and the cost of the clinical exemption is $100. The student must earn an 80 on the written component and a "Satisfactory" on the clinical component. Candidates must schedule the exemption examination(s) with the program manager. Candidates may take the exemption exam for any course one time only.

In order to receive York Technical College exemption credit for courses, the student must enroll in the program within 12 months following the administration of the test.

Each candidate receiving exemption credit is required to enroll in NUR 201 Transition Nursing. Candidates may take NUR 201 before the first nursing course or simultaneously with the first nursing course taken.

Students who successfully exempt will be placed in the next appropriate nursing course pending space available.

Students who do not successfully exempt a nursing course must meet admission requirements for entry into the program. Students will be placed on the list for entry on the day they meet all requirements.

Other requirements:

1. must have completed health form
2. current healthcare provider CPR certification
3. proof of health insurance
4. proof of liability insurance (through York Technical College)

Program of Study

In order to receive an Associate in Science degree in technical nursing, students must complete 68 semester hours of study. (Nursing Course Descriptions)

Retention and Promotion Policy

For retention and promotion in the nursing program, the student must, in the judgment of the faculty, satisfy the requirements of health, conduct, and scholastic achievement. In addition to meeting the established criteria of the parent institutions, the student:

1. must schedule all courses to meet the requirements for this course of study in a course sequence as outlined in the curriculum display in the University of South Carolina Lancaster catalog;

2. must achieve a cumulative 2.00 grade point average on all courses that count toward graduation in the program;

3. must make a grade of C or better in theory in each nursing course attempted and receive a clinical evaluation of "Satisfactory";

4. who receives a D, F, or W in any required nursing course may repeat that course one time only. A maximum of two nursing courses may be repeated. If a student fails the same course twice, that student may not progress in the program. In order to repeat a nursing course, the student must follow the readmission policy for the nursing program, found in the current Nursing Student Handbook. Readmission will depend on space available in the course to be repeated.

5. must achieve a grade of C or above in ENGL 101, 102, and all science courses.

6. will be eligible for academic forgiveness five years after the last nursing course attempted and may apply for readmission to the first nursing course. Required science courses that are more than seven years old must be repeated.