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 and Attendance Policy, 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 Bucks Associate Degree Nursing Program is provisionally approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing and is accredited by: The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc., (ACEN) 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850 · Atlanta, Georgia 30326 P. 404.975.5000 · F. 404.975.5020
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 Admissions and must be enrolled in the College.
- 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 advising period fall/spring.
- 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; 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 five College- approved transcript evaluating agencies (information available in the Office of Admissions).
- Earn a "C" or better in all of the above College courses to meet high school requirements.
- Students who do not meet the high school requirements must take the following courses:
Conditional Acceptance into the Clinical Component of Nursing
- Currently enrolled in the College, and have taken the three placement tests
- Met high school requirements
- Curriculum Code of 2035P (Nursing)
- Have a grade of B in BIOL 181, Anatomy & Physiology I, BIOL 182 Anatomy & Physiology II, and BIOL 228 Microbiology and a C or better in ALL 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 acceptance into the clinical component.
- BIOL 181, Anatomy & Physiology I, BIOL 182, Anatomy & Physiology II BIOL 228, HLTH120N, and PSYC 110 must be taken within the 7 years to be considered current and valid for admission.
- Have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 at BCCC
- NLN-RN Pre RN entrance exam of 50th percentile or above (55th percentile preferred), OR ACT of 20 or above OR, SAT exam score of 900 (critical reading and math) if taken prior to March 2016 or above 980 total score if taken after March 2016. NLN Examination must be completed by the Fall or Spring testing deadline. All applicants must have an official score (in order to be deemed official, document must be sent directly from issuing institution, The College Board, to admissions postmarked by the application deadline and posted in the student planning module.
- After meeting all of the following 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 in BIOL 181, Anatomy & Physiology I, BIOL182, Anatomy & Physiology II , and BIOL 228 Microbiology and a C or better in other courses in the Program of Study will be considered first.
- Fill out the Clinical Application form. The application opens each year between October 15th and December 15th.
After notification of conditional acceptance to the Clinical Component of the Nursing Program the student is required to submit the following documents 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 CPR certification (BCLS course)
- Current Health examination
- Current Immunizations 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 not 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.
Prior to starting the 2nd year, students must re-submit the following to the Director. 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
- 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 B in BIOL 181 ,Anatomy & Physiology I, BIOL182 , Anatomy & Physiology II and BIOL228 Microbiology
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75.
- 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 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 for Licensed Practical Nurses or applicants who have attended other accredited associate or baccalaureate nursing degree programs
Eligibility:
- LPN's are eligible for advanced placement if space is available.
- Transfer students who have attended an ACEN accredited nursing program are also eligible for advanced placement on a space available basis.
Admission to the College and to the Nursing Program of Study:
See Admission Requirements to the College and to the Nursing Program of Study Above
Additional Admission Criteria:
- LPN's must provide proof of Pennsylvania licensure
- Because LPN's have completed the licensure exam, the SAT, ACT or NLN will not be required
- Transfer students are required to meet all criteria for acceptance as above.
Placement in the Nursing Program
- LPN's may challenge out of NURS 101 and NURS 102 and enter into NURS 201, after completing all of the NURS 101 and NURS 102 co-requisite courses, NURS 120 Drug Calculations and NURS 220 Health Assessment.
- Transfer students will achieve placement based on review of individual nursing course syllabi.
- Criteria for Challenge of Nursing I/Nursing 101 is completion of:
- CHEM 101 - Chemistry A
- BIOL 181 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I with a Grade of B or better within the last 7 years
- COMP 110 - English Composition I
- Criteria for Challenge of Nursing II/Nursing 102
- Satisfactory completion of above required courses, AND satisfactory completion of Nursing 101 Challenge exam
- Completion of:
- BIOL 182 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II with a grade of B or better within the last 7 years
- BIOL 228 - Microbiology with a grade of B or better within the last 7 years
- HLTH 120N - Nutrition taken within the last 7 years
- NURS 120 - Drug Calculations
- NURS 220 - Nursing Health Assessment
- Courses to be taken with or before Nursing III/ Nursing 201
- PSYCH 110 - Introduction to Psychology
- SOCI 110 - Introduction to Sociology
- COMP 111 - English Composition II
- Courses to be taken with or before Nursing IV/ Nursing 202
- COMM 110 - Effective Speaking
- Arts and Humanities
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.