Nursing
Associate of Arts
Occupational Major
Students interested in Nursing at Bucks need to contact their assigned advisor for advising. The nursing program requires additional fees.
Department of Health Sciences
Founders Hall 112 • Phone (215) 968-8327
Curriculum Code No. 2035
The Program in Nursing offered at Bucks County Community College can be completed in two years if the student chooses to be a full-time student, or it can be completed on a part-time basis and leads to an Associate of Arts Degree. Graduates of the Program are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Further, the Nursing Program prepares graduates to function as beginning graduate nurses, and to assume entry-level positions as Registered Nurses in acute care, long-term care, homes, clinics, physicians' offices, or other agencies established to meet health care needs. Program learning experiences prepare graduates for associate degree nursing practice, as defined and delineated by the nursing profession. Nursing functions require advanced technical skills, in addition to substantial scientific knowledge.
Nursing students must comply with the rules and policies as presented in the AD Nursing Student Handbook, found on the AD Nursing Program page on the college website, in addition to those listed in the catalog. Students, who meet criteria for readmission into the program, must comply with the Nursing Student Handbook that is in place for the class to which they have been readmitted.
The Associate Degree Nursing Program is approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.
The Associate Degree Nursing Program at Bucks County Community College located in Newtown, PA is accredited by the: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 · Atlanta, Georgia 30326 P. 404.975.5000. The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the Associate Degree nursing program is Continuing Accreditation.
Program Outcomes
The graduate of the BCCC Nursing Program will use critical thinking to apply the theoretical knowledge from the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains to:
- communicate in a manner that is professional, that acknowledges and preserves the individual’s dignity and worth, and that recognizes and respects cultural differences between patients and care providers, and among patients;
- apply the nursing process to diagnose and treat individual and family responses to alterations in their functional health patterns;
- collaborate with the health care team to manage groups of patients with predictable outcomes while appropriately delegating duties to other healthcare providers;
- demonstrate awareness of today’s health care delivery system and its impact on future health, act according to and within the legal and the ethical standards set forth by the Pennsylvania Nurse Practice Act, the College, the Nursing Program, the legal system at large, affiliating agencies and their accreditation bodies, and the nursing profession.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the Program of Study
- All applicants must fulfill the College's admission requirements and the specific requirements for admission to the Nursing Program of Study.
- Meeting High School Requirements
- All students must have completed work equal to a standard high school program with a minimum of 16 units (a unit is the equivalent of a year's worth of study). These requirements are:
- 4 Units of English
- 3 Units of Social Studies
- 2 Units of Science: 1 year of High School Chemistry with a grade of C or better or 70% and 1 year of High School Biology with a grade of C or better or 70%.
- 2 Units of Mathematics with a grade of C or better or 70% (one unit must be algebra)
- All students must have a final official high school transcript on file in Registrar’s Office and must have a BCCC Student Number.
- All students must have completed work equal to a standard high school program with a minimum of 16 units (a unit is the equivalent of a year's worth of study). These requirements are:
- All enrolled nursing students must be seen by their assigned Academic Advisor during fall/spring advising periods.
- GED students must meet the same requirements.
- Students who do not meet the high school requirements must take the following courses:
- To satisfy the English requirement, a student must take the Writing Placement Test and score a six (6) or complete COMP107 Introduction to Rhetorical Skills with a grade of "C" or better. (NOTE: Prerequisite courses, as determined by the College Placement Tests, need to be taken prior to enrollment in this course.)
- To satisfy the Social Studies requirements a student must complete Introduction to Psychology OR Introduction to Sociology OR a course listed under Arts/Humanities (as listed in the College Catalog).
- To satisfy the Science Requirement, a student must complete BIOL181, Human Anatomy & Physiology I, with a B or better for a deficiency in Biology and CHEM101, Chemistry A for a chemistry deficiency. It is recommended that the student enrolls in Biological Science 101 or 102 if seven years have lapsed since their last high school science course.
- To satisfy the Mathematics requirements, a student must take the placement test in order to determine the appropriate placement. The student needs to complete MATH095 OR receive a score on the Math Placement Test of 5.
- Students who completed high school work in a foreign country must either:
- Have a course-to-course evaluation performed by one of the College-approved transcript evaluating agencies (information available in the Registrar’s Office.)
- Earn a C or better in all of the above College courses to meet high school requirements.
Conditional Acceptance into the Clinical Component of Nursing
- Fill out the Clinical Application form. The application will be open between November 15th and February 15th.
- Currently enrolled in the College with a BCCC Student Number, and have taken the three placement tests
- Meet high school requirements
- Curriculum Code of 1108, 2035P (Health Science, Nurse Potential) or 2035P (Nurse Potential)
- Have a grade of B or better in BIOL181 Anatomy & Physiology I, BIOL182 Anatomy & Physiology II, and BIOL228 Microbiology and a C or better in ALL other courses required in the Nursing Program of Study, if taken before applying for admission into the Clinical component of Nursing. All required courses, with a grade of less than required taken prior to entry into the clinical component of the Nursing Program MUST be repeated before application to the clinical component.
- BIOL181 Anatomy & Physiology I, BIOL182 Anatomy & Physiology II, BIOL228 Microbiology, HLTH120N Nutrition, and PSYC110 Introduction to Psychology must be taken within 7 years of the first planned clinical nursing course to be considered current and valid for admission.
- Have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 at BCCC, transcripted by the application deadline.
- Have a standardized test score that meets the minimum criteria as outlined below:
- ATI TEAS- must have a minimum Academic Preparedness Level of PROFICIENT on a test taken within one year prior to the application deadline of February 15th , OR
- SAT- must have a minimum total score of 980 on test taken within five years prior to the application deadline of February 15th, OR
- ACT- must have a minimum score of 20 on test taken within five years prior to the application deadline of February 15th, OR
- NLN RN PreRN Entrance Exam of 50th percentile above (55th percentile) taken within three years of application deadline of February 15th. NLN RN PreRN Entrance Exam Scores will be accepted only through the 11/15/21-2/15/22 Application Cycle for our program;
- All applicants must have an official acceptable standardized test score sent directly from the issuing institution (ATI, The College Board, ACT, or NLN), to our Admissions Office by the application deadline and posted in the student planning module. If taken at BCCC, the applicant’s TEAS test score may be uploaded directly to the student planning module. It is each applicant’s responsibility to be sure the standardized test score has been received by our Registrar’s Office before the application deadline.
- After meeting all of the admission criteria, students who are Bucks County residents and have completed the highest number of credits in the Nursing Program of Study at BCCC with a final grade of B or better in BIOL181 Anatomy & Physiology I, BIOL182 Anatomy & Physiology II, and BIOL228 Microbiology and a C or better in other courses in the Program of Study will be considered first.
After notification of conditional acceptance to the Clinical Component of the Nursing Program the student is required to submit the following documents (dated after June 1st) to the Director for full acceptance into the clinical component of the Nursing Program (Necessary paperwork will be handed out and discussed at Orientation)
- Current Driver’s License
- Current CPR certification (BCLS course)
- Current Health examination
- Current up to date Immunization Record
- Current State Police criminal check and FBI check that shows the applicant is felony free for ten (10) years. This requirement is related to the Nurse Practice Act (Act No. 185-109) of Pennsylvania which states "… The Board of Nursing shall not issue a license or certificate to an applicant who has been convicted of a felonious act prohibited by the Act of April 14, 1972 (P.L. 233, No. 64), known as "The Controlled substance, Drug Device and Cosmetic Act", or convicted of a felony related to a controlled substance in a court of law of the United States or any other state, territory or country, unless: at least ten years have elapsed from the date of conviction…" In addition, applicants must be free of Prohibitive Offenses (which includes certain drug and substance abuse violations) as found in the Pennsylvania Older Adult Protective Services Act 169 of 1996 and as amended by Act 13 of 1997, within their lifetime. The student must not have been convicted of a driving under the influence of intoxicating liquors and/or drugs within five (5) years of participation in the program. In the event a student is permitted to participate in the program and then it is learned that he/she does not meet the criteria as set forth herein, they will be immediately removed from the program. The student must self-disclose any arrest after their acceptance in the Clinical Component.
- Current FBI fingerprint clearance.
- Current Child Abuse Clearance that demonstrates child abuse free in lifetime.
- Current negative drug and alcohol screen.
- Student Profile Packet and Permission Forms.
- Other requirements that may be dictated by current clinical affiliations.
Prior to starting the second year, students must resubmit the following, dated after June 1st, to the Director of Associate Degree Nursing
- Current CPR certification
- Current State Police criminal check and FBI check demonstrating the above.
- Current PPD test results
- Current Negative Drug and alcohol screening
- Student Profile Packet and Permission Forms
- Other requirements that may be dictated by current clinical affiliations.
Progression through and completion of the nursing program requirements
- A grade of C defined as 73% (on available testing) or better in all required nursing courses, which also includes a grade of satisfactory laboratory and clinical performance and attendance. Be able to demonstrate increasing proficiency on all drug calculations exams included in the nursing courses that start at a minimum grade of 80%.
- A grade of C or better in all required non-nursing courses and a grade of B or better in BIOL181 Anatomy & Physiology I, BIOL182 Anatomy & Physiology II, and BIOL228 Microbiology.
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 at BCCC.
- Students failing to meet the above criteria will be dismissed from the Program.
- Nursing students must comply with the rules and policies as presented in the Nursing Student Handbook, in addition to those listed in the BCCC catalog.
- A student may only repeat one nursing course. Any attempt in a nursing course is considered unsuccessful if not completed with a 73%, including any withdrawal. The student must reapply for admission and conditional acceptance is on a space available basis. Students who meet criteria for readmission into the program must comply with the Nursing Student Handbook that is in place for the class to which they have been readmitted.
Advanced Placement
Advanced Placement is for Licensed Practical Nurses or applicants who have attended other nationally accredited associate or baccalaureate nursing degree programs
Eligibility:
- LPNs are eligible for advanced placement if space is available.
- Transfer students who have attended an accredited nursing program are also eligible for advanced placement if space is available.
Admission to the College and to the Nursing Program of Study:
See Admission Requirements to the College and to the Nursing Program of Study, as well as the respective Advanced Placement Policy in the AD Nursing Student Handbook in effect during admission application timeframe.
Additional Admission Criteria:
- LPNs must provide proof of current Pennsylvania licensure, at time of application.
- Beginning with the 2022 Admission Cycle starting in November 2021, LPNs will be required to have a standardized test score that meets the minimum criteria as outlined below:
- ATI TEAS- must have a minimum Academic Preparedness Level of PROFICIENT on a test taken within one year prior to the application deadline of February 15th, OR
- SAT- must have a minimum total score of 980 on test taken within five years prior to the application deadline of February 15th, OR
- ACT- must have a minimum score of 20 on test taken within five years prior to the application deadline of February 15th, OR
- NLN RN PreRN Entrance Exam of 50th percentile above (55th percentile preferred) on test taken within three years of application deadline of February 15th. NLN RN PreRN Entrance Exam Scores will be accepted only through the 11/15/21-2/15/22 Application Cycle for our program.
- All applicants must have an official standardized test score sent directly from issuing institution (ATI, The College Board, ACT, or NLN), to our Registrar’s Office by the application deadline and posted in the student planning module. If taken at BCCC, the applicant’s TEAS test score may be uploaded directly to the student planning module.
- It is each applicant’s responsibility to verify the standardized test score has been received by our Registar’s Office before the application deadline.
- Transfer students are required to meet all criteria for acceptance.
Placement in the Nursing Program
- LPNs may apply to challenge out of NURS101 Nursing I and NURS102 Nursing II and enter into NURS201 Nursing III, after completing all of the NURS101 Nursing I and NURS102 Nursing II co-requisite courses, NURS120 Drug Calculations and NURS220 Health Assessment, and having all grades transcripted by the application deadline. If challenges are successful, conditional acceptance will be on a space available basis and in accordance with the program’s Conditional Acceptance Criteria.
- Transfer students may achieve placement based on review of individual prior nursing course syllabi and passing admission examination, on a space available basis, and in accordance with the program’s Conditional Acceptance Criteria.
- Criteria for Challenge of NURS101/Nursing I includes completion of:
- CHEM101 - Chemistry A
- BIOL181 -Anatomy and Physiology I with a Grade of B or better within the last 7 years
- COMP110 - English Composition I
- NURS 120 - Drug Calculations with a grade of B or better
- Criteria for Challenge of NURS102/Nursing II
- Satisfactory completion of above required courses, AND satisfactory completion of Nursing 101 Challenge exam
- Includes completion of:
- BIOL182 - Anatomy and Physiology II with a grade of B or better within the last 7 years
- BIOL228 - Microbiology with a grade of B or better within the last 7 years
- HLTH120N - Nutrition taken within the last 7 years; taught by a Registered Dietician
- NURS220 - Nursing Health Assessment
- Courses to be taken with or before NURS201/ Nursing III
- PSYC110 - Introduction to Psychology
- SOCI110 - Introduction to Sociology
- COMP111 - English Composition II
- Courses to be taken with or before NURS202/ Nursing IV
- COMM110 - Effective Speaking
- Arts and Humanities Elective
Degree Course Requirements*
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIOL181 Human Anatomy and Physiology I A,F,7 | 4 |
| BIOL182 Human Anatomy and Physiology II B,F | 4 |
| BIOL228 Microbiology B,F | 4 |
| CHEM101 Chemistry A A,C,F,2,6,7 | 4 |
| COMM110 Effective Speaking E,4,5 | 3 |
| COMP110 English Composition I A,C,2,10 | 3 |
| COMP111 English Composition II D,F,2,4,10 | 3 |
| HLTH120N Nutrition B,I | 3 |
| NURS101 Nursing I G | 6 |
| NURS102 Nursing II F,G | 6 |
| NURS201 Nursing III F,G | 9 |
| NURS202 Nursing IV F,G,9 | 9 |
| PSYC110 Introduction to Psychology D,F,2,3,8 | 3 |
| SOCI110 Introduction to Sociology D,2,3,8 | 3 |
| Arts/Humanities E,H,1 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 67 |
Recommended Semester Sequence
The recommended course sequence is designed for only full-time students who average 17 credit hours per semester. Students may need more time to complete Program requirements based on placement testing. This additional time will entail some adjustments to the sequence recommended. Most students complete many of the support courses first.
First Semester
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIOL181 Human Anatomy and Physiology I A,F,7 | 4 |
| CHEM101 Chemistry A A,C,F,2,6,7 | 4 |
| COMP110 English Composition I A,C,2,4,10 | 3 |
| NURS101 Nursing I G | 6 |
| Total Credit Hours | 17 |
Second Semester
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIOL182 Human Anatomy and Physiology II B,F | 4 |
| BIOL228 Microbiology B,F | 4 |
| HLTH120N Nutrition B,I | 3 |
| NURS102 Nursing II F,G | 6 |
| Total Credit Hours | 17 |
Third Semester
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| COMP111 English Composition II D,F,2,10 | 3 |
| NURS201 Nursing III F,G | 9 |
| PSYC110 Introduction to Psychology D,F,2,3,8 | 3 |
| SOCI110 Introduction to Sociology D,2,3,8 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 18 |
Fourth Semester
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| COMM110 Effective Speaking E,4,5 | 3 |
| NURS202 Nursing IV F,G,9 | 9 |
| Arts/Humanities E,H,1 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 15 |
A Must be taken before or with NURS101.
B Must be taken before or with NURS102.
C Placement testing required.
D Must be taken before or with NURS201.
E Must be taken before or with NURS202.
F Course requires prerequisite.
G Must be CPR certified prior to enrollment.
H Consult the list of courses approved
for this subcategory . Any course may be chosen.
I HLTH120N sections are taught by a registered dieticians as required by the PA State Board of Nursing.
1 Satisfies Arts/Humanities.
2 Satisfies Critical Thinking.
3 Satisfies Diversity.
4 Satisfies Information Literacy.
5 Satisfies Oral Communication.
6 Satisfies Quantitative Literacy.
7 Satisfies Scientific Literacy.
8 Satisfies Social Sciences.
9 Satisfies Technological Competence.
10 Satisfies Writing.
The Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing has provisionally approved the Program as stated. An I, D, or F, grade in NURS, prerequisite or corequisite courses will prevent progression.