Associate of Science in Nursing Degree Program

Kathleen K. Wankel, MN, RN Director 406-874-6188 / WankelK@milescc.edu
 

Miles Community College offers a two-year Associate of Science in Nursing Degree which prepares students for Registered Nursing licensure.

Accreditation
The Miles Community College Registered Nursing Program is accredited by:

National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission

61 Broadway

33rd Floor
New York, New York 10006
Phone: 1-800-669-1656

Web site:  www.nlnac.org

and fully approved by:
Montana State Board of Nursing
301 South Park
PO Box 200513
Helena, MT 59620-0513
Phone: (406) 444-2071

Website: http://mt.gov/dli/bsd/license/bsd_boards/nur_board/board_page.asp

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Mission
The Miles Community College Nursing Program reflects and supports the mission and objectives of the College.  Miles Community College promotes student success and lifelong learning through accessible, quality programs and community partnerships.  The College's strategic initiatives are to:  1) foster quality leadership; 2) provide a quality student experience; 3) provide quality academic programs; 4) cultivate quality community relationships; 5) recruit and retain students; 6) nurture a healthy College environment; and 7) actively seek sustainable funding.

Program Purposes
The purposes of the Nursing Program are to:

• Provide for fulfillment of the requirements for the Associate of Science in Nursing Degree.

• Establish the graduate’s educational preparation for application to write the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
• Facilitate the graduate’s acceptance of responsibility and accountability as a Provider of Care, Manager of Care and Member Within the Discipline of Nursing.
• Provide a learning environment that supports caring, collaboration, excellence, critical thinking and lifelong learning.

Program Philosophy
People are biopsychosocial beings who grow, develop, and adapt throughout the lifespan. The faculty of the Nursing Program believes that people, as members of the global society, are endowed with intellects and capacities which direct them toward uniqueness, autonomy and self-fulfillment with dignity. People have rights, privileges and responsibilities as members of the family, the community, and the global society. Individuals are further impacted by economics, urban or rural settings, and cultural, ethnic or religious orientation.

Health is a dynamic state which fluctuates within a wellness-illness continuum with optimal-level wellness as the goal. The Nursing Program curriculum addresses acute and chronic health needs and wellness throughout the lifespan.

Nursing Practice
Nursing is a caring profession. The goal of nursing is to facilitate, maintain or restore optimal-level wellness as perceived by the client or to provide support for the dying. Nursing care is delivered within the context of the family and the community.

Nursing as a discipline draws from a body of evidenced based behavioral and scientific disciplines as well as experiential knowledge.  The practice of nursing involves utilizing the Nursing Process, communication, caring, teaching, collaboration, managing care and upholding the American Nurse's Association nursing standards of practice and Code of Ethics all within the legal boundaries of nursing.

Nursing Education
Nursing education is a sequence of planned activities and dynamic experiences by which students learn and are socialized into the profession of nursing. The optimal learning environment supports caring, self-assurance, critical thinking, professionalism and striving for excellence.

The process of nursing education is based on professional interaction and mutual respect between the student and the teacher. Faculty members serve as role models and facilitators of learning.  Faculty strive to provide clinical experiences in which students can apply nursing concepts to a variety of clients in various settings.  Nursing concepts are presented and revisited in greater complexity throughout the curriculum.

Through knowledge and experience, students are expected to progressively apply concepts in order to reach a level to where they can critically analyze a situation, synthesize and implement a plan of care and evaluate outcomes.

Lifelong learning is valued and necessary owing to the rapid changes in the health care environment, including increased client acuity, increased demands for knowledge, and the explosion of technology.

The Associate of Science in Nursing Graduate
The Associate of Science in Nursing (A.S.N.) graduate is a valuable member of the health care team and the nursing profession. The roles of the Associate Degree Nurse are Provider of Care, Manager of Care, and Member Within the Discipline of Nursing. 

Within the three roles, the A.S.N. graduate’s practice includes professionalism, written and spoken communication, assessment, clinical decision making, caring interventions, teaching and learning, collaboration, managing care, concern for safety for both the client and the health care team, utilization of technology, client advocacy, nursing diagnoses, prioritization, planning, implementation, delegation, evaluation of outcomes, maintenance of ethical and legal standards, practicing in a cost effective manner, providing for continuity of care, and discharge planning.
 

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Program Objectives
The objectives of the College's Associate Degree Nursing Program are to graduate individuals who are prepared to:

•      Apply to take the NCLEX-RN licensure examination.

•      Fulfill the Associate of Science in Nursing graduate roles of Provider of Care,  Manager of Care and Member Within the Discipline of Nursing

•      Be successfully employed in beginning level staff positions upon licensure as      evidenced by employment as a Registered Nurse, employer satisfaction, graduate satisfaction

General Advising Information - Nursing

Program Completion: Full-time and Part-time Options
The Associate of Science in Nursing Degree may be completed as a two-year (four semester) full-time plan of study. However, students may choose a part-time option and complete the degree requirements over a longer period of time. The part-time option is accomplished by completing any or all of the required “non-nursing,” general education courses prior to applying for admission into the Nursing Program.  Once admitted to the Nursing Program, students must complete the A.S.N. requirements within three years of the initial admission date.

Students choosing the part-time option are initially designated Pre-Nursing students. Pre-Nursing students are assigned a nursing faculty advisor to develop a plan of study. The part-time option is highly recommended for students with job and/or family responsibilities.

Transfer Students
Students who wish to transfer into the Nursing Program from another school of nursing may apply by contacting the Nursing Program Director. Transfer of credits and placement in the program is determined on an individual basis through transcript and course evaluations.

For nursing course transfer, students may be required to demonstrate skills and/or knowledge through a combination of testing, verbalization and written work. All regular Miles Community College nursing requirements also apply to transfer students.

Once placement is determined, admission is granted on a space-available basis. In case there are more transfer students applying than spaces available, students with the highest overall grade-point average (GPA) will have priority.

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Nursing Program Admission
Because of the critical nature of patient care, accreditation standards established by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, and licensure standards established by the Montana State Board of Nursing, students seeking admission to the Associate Degree Registered Nursing Program are subject to requirements and review procedures beyond those associated with general admission to the College.

The special requirements are:

• Anatomy and Physiology I and II credits should be less than five years old.  Credit for Anatomy and Physiology coursework over five years old will be awarded only through an “escrow” mechanism.  Student’s credits will be held “in escrow” until successful completion (“C” or better) of NR 103 - Pathophysiology. 

• Lifespan Development (PY203) or equivalent must have been completed within five years prior to admission to the Nursing Program.

• All prerequisites to required general education courses and general education courses must be completed with a “C” or higher grade.

• A cumulative GPA of 2.5 is required for admission to the Nursing Program.  For students applying for admission with no prior completion of college work, a COMPASS score of 82 or above for Reading, 70 or above for English and 44 or above on the Algebra portion of the Mathematics or comparable ACT/SAT scores  are required.

• All required A.S.N. Degree courses including general education courses may be repeated only once.

• To progress successfully through the program, pass return skills demonstrations, and function as a nurse after graduation, applicants should have: 1) adequate visual acuity with or without corrective lenses to read calibrations on insulin syringes and fine print on drug inserts; 2) adequate hearing ability with or without auditory aids to be able to auscultate breath sounds and understand the normal speaking voice without viewing the speaker’s face; 3) adequate physical ability of upper and lower extremities to perform skills such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation and sterile technique correctly; 4) sufficient speaking ability of the English language to effectively communicate with patients and relay information verbally to others.

• Applicants who have been convicted of a felony or treated for substance abuse should discuss their eligibility status with the Montana Board of Nursing prior to admission. Acceptance to and graduation from the Nursing Program does not assure eligibility to sit for the RN licensing examination. The Montana Board of Nursing makes all final decisions on issuances of licenses.

Applying for Admission to the Nursing Program
Admission to the Nursing Program is based largely on the student’s All-Composite Score on the National League for Nursing (NLN) Pre-Admission Exam. The NLN Pre-Admission Exam is given twice per year in February and October.  Prospective students should contact the Nursing Office in January and September to apply to take the exam. The deadline for applying to take the exam is generally three weeks prior to the test date. The four-hour exam covers general knowledge in science, math, and reading comprehension. The minimum acceptable NLN All-Composite score is 70. Students may take the NLN exam a maximum of two times per academic year. Student’s highest All-Composite exam score will be utilized for admission purposes. NLN Pre-Admission test scores are considered valid for one year only. Therefore, if not accepted into the Nursing Program, students will need to retake the exam in order to be considered for the next year’s class.

The cost of the exam is approximately $45.00. A study guide for the NLN Pre-Admission Exam is available at the College Bookstore.

Admission to the Nursing Program is limited to 30 freshmen students each year at the Miles City site.  For Fall 2006, 8 slots will be available at the Glendive site.  Students will be asked to designate their preferred site location when applying for admission. 

Admission of freshmen students occurs only once per school year in April for the following Fall Semester. Therefore, all required documents must be submitted by April 1 for consideration for admission into the Nursing Program the following fall.

Initial Admission Requirements
In order to be eligible for consideration for admission to the Nursing Program students must complete:

• The regular Miles Community College application process.

• The additional Nursing Program admission requirements which include submission of the following to the College's Nursing Office by April 1st:

-  Official high school or GED transcripts.

-  Official college transcripts (if applicable) from all institutions attended.

-  NLN Pre-Admission exam All-Composite score of 70 or above (Score within last year of proposed admission date).

The College's Nursing Admissions Committee determines acceptance of students based on:

• Rank order of NLN Pre-Admission All-Composite Exam scores starting at 100 and placed in descending order down to the minimum score of 70. 

• A cumulative GPA of 2.5 or greater.  If students have no previous coursework, a COMPASS score of 82 or above for Reading, 70 or above for English and 44 or above on the Algebra portion of the Mathematics is required.  Comparable ACT or SAT scores may be utilized.

All students who have taken the NLN Pre-Admission Exam through Miles Community College within the past 12 months, have scored 70 or above, have completed the previously mentioned admission requirements and meet the GPA requirements will be considered for admission.

 Admission to Designated Sites

Starting with the highest score on the NLN Pre-Admission Exam and working downwards to 70, successful students will be admitted to each of the “sites” according to the students rank order scores on the NLN Pre-Admission Exam. Students will be placed according to their requested and previously designated site location.  In the case that all of the slots have been filled at a particular site, students will be given notice and will be allowed two (2) working days to choose an available alternative site.  If the alternative site placement is not agreeable, students will have no option but to withdraw from the admission process.  Students may apply for admission the following year.  In case of a tie score for the last available “slot,” the student shall be selected according to highest GPA.

Notification letters will be mailed mid to late April after final decisions have been made by the Nursing Admissions Committee.  All students who have taken the NLN Pre-Admission Exam within the past 12 months will be notified whether or not they are successful in achieving admission to the program. 

Completing the Admission Process
Students who are initially accepted into the College's Nursing Program must complete the nursing admission process to be eligible to enroll in the NR 101. Failure to submit any of the following may lead to revocation of the student’s initial admission into the Nursing Program. Students must submit the following to the Nursing Office:

By June 15:

• A non-refundable deposit of $200 to hold their “slot” (Applied toward fall tuition and fees).

By August 1:

• Evidence of satisfactory completion of the prerequisite for Anatomy & Physiology through coursework or challenge exam.

• Evidence of certification as a Certified Nurse Assistant, Long Term Care Aide, Home Health Aide or equivalent or evidence of completion of state-approved Certified Nurse Assistant training program

• A completed Nursing Program Basic Health Screening Form (includes immunizations, TB Screening, vital signs, vision, hearing, allergies including latex screening if indicated, current medications, health problems, demographic and insurance information).

• Evidence of current CPR (Health Care Provider or equivalent).

• Evidence of health insurance or signed waiver.

• Evidence of completion of  MA 102 Intermediate Algebra or higher.

By September 10:

• Payment of professional liability insurance (Fee is included in fall tuition and fee payment).

• Purchase of the required uniforms, name tags, books and lab supplies.

Note: Any discrepancies found in a student’s file, inaccurate or fraudulent information or other circumstances occurring or discovered subsequent to a student’s acceptance can lead to revocation of acceptance by a majority decision of the Nursing Admissions Committee.  

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Ongoing General Requirements
In order to maintain ongoing enrollment in the Nursing Program students must meet the following requirements:

• A final grade of “C” or better in each of the required general education and nursing courses.  Students receiving final grades lower than a "C" in any of the A.S.N. required courses will be dropped from the Nursing Program

• An overall GPA of 2.0 or greater on a 4.0 scale must be maintained each semester.

• All nursing classes must be taken in the appropriate sequence (see prerequisites and corequisites).

• A final grade of  “C” (75%) or better in both the clinical and theory portions of the nursing courses must be earned. Grading for nursing courses (designated by "NR") is as follows:
  A= 92-100%
  B= 84-91%
  C= 75-83%
  D= 67-74%                                                                                                                               F= 66% and below

• Basic Health Screening update, including current CPR and PPD must be submitted yearly.

• Negative test on any drug screening as required by agencies providing clinical experiences must be submitted.

• Professional liability insurance must be paid yearly (included in fall tuition and fee payment).

• Students' signed last page of the current Nursing Student Handbook stating that they understand and agrees to abide by the policies and procedures of the Miles Community College Nursing Program must be submitted yearly.

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Clinical Experience - Nursing
Nursing students are required to participate in a variety of clinical experiences in hospitals, clinics, extended care facilities, schools and multiple community health care service agencies. Clinical assignments are usually at a set time but may vary and involve early mornings, evenings, and occasional weekends. Students will be given a clinical schedule at the beginning of each semester. It is expected that students will arrange family and employment responsibilities in order to participate at assigned clinical times.

Principles of Universal Precautions are taught, observed, and reinforced throughout the nursing curriculum beginning with NR 101. Students who are or may be pregnant should inform the clinical instructor immediately so appropriate precautionary measures can be implemented. As professional practitioners, faculty members have an obligation to clients, clinical agencies, and members of the health care team to ensure that nursing students are prepared and competent to provide safe nursing care.   In order to participate in clinical experiences the student must consistently:

• Demonstrate emotional stability

• Demonstrate professional behaviors including respectful and appropriate communication with faculty, staff and peers

• Demonstrate good health and be free from any conditions that could jeopardize self or client health and/or safety. This includes the use of alcohol and mind-altering drugs.
• Demonstrate safe and competent student nurse practice regarding client safety and comfort
• Maintain confidentiality (HIPPA standards)
• Comply with all affiliating agency policies and procedures
• Practice within the legal boundaries of nursing and the student nurse

More specific information on student behaviors that may lead to a student being denied access to a clinical area and subsequent disciplinary actions can be found in the current Nursing Student Handbook.

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Admission to Licensed Practical Nurse to Registered Nurse (LPN to RN) Completion Program

Admission to the College's LPN to RN Completion Program is designed to give recognition for knowledge and skills attained by students who have graduated from approved practical or vocational nursing programs and who currently hold an unencumbered Montana LPN license.  Students who are currently enrolled in a Practical Nurse Program are eligible to apply for admission but must obtain LPN licensure prior to beginning of the fall semester for which they are applying.  Students who have been out of school for more than five years and/or lack IV theory and skills should consider applying for admission to the Nursing Program as a second semester freshman.

Admission to the LPN to RN Completion Program is based largely on the student’s score on the National League for Nursing (NLN) Nursing Acceleration Challenge Exam I PN-RN  (Foundations of Nursing) score of 75% or higher. The exam is given twice per year in February and October. Prospective students should contact the College's Nursing office in January and September to apply to take the exam. The deadline for applying to take the exam is generally three weeks prior to the test date. The three hour, 184 question, multiple-choice exam assesses fundamental knowledge needed to meet physiological and psychosocial needs of clients who are in stable condition. The minimum acceptable Accelerated Challenge Exam score is 75%.  Students may take the exam a maximum of two times per academic year. Student’s highest exam score will be utilized for admission purposes. Accelerated Challenge Exam test scores are considered valid for one year only. Therefore, if not accepted into the Nursing Program, students will need to retake the exam in order to be considered for the next year’s class. 

The cost of the exam is approximately $65.00. Students are encouraged to study a Fundamentals of Nursing textbook to prepare to take the exam.  LPNs are admitted on a space-available basis only and must submit a letter to the Nursing Admission Committee for consideration.  Please contact the Nursing Office for more specific information.

Initial Admission Requirements

In order to be eligible for consideration for admission to the LPN to RN Completion Program students must complete the following:

• The regular Miles Community College application process

• The additional Nursing Program admission requirements which include submission of the following to the College's Nursing Office by April 1st:
      - Official High School or GED transcripts
      - Official college transcripts (if applicable) from all institutions attended
      - NLN Nursing Accelerated Challenge Exam I PN-RN  (Foundations of          Nursing) score 75% or higher. Exam must be taken within last 12 months prior to requested admission date.

• Rank order of NLN Nursing Accelerated Challenge Exam I PN-RN Foundations of Nursing scores of 75% or higher.  Only test scores less than 12 months old will be considered.

All students who have taken the NLN Accelerated Challenge Exam through Miles Community College within the past 12 months, have scored 75% or above and have completed the previously mentioned admission requirements will be considered for admission.  

Completing the Admission Process
The Nursing Admissions Committee makes all final admission decisions.  Students who are initially successful in gaining admission to the LPN to RN Completion Program must successfully complete the application process prior to enrollment in the fall Nursing courses.  The requirements include, but are not limited to, the following: 

By June 1

• Evidence of completion of a skills demonstration and a case study care plan with a 75% or higher

By September 10:

• Documentation of successful (“C” or better) completion of all freshmen-level A.S.N. requirements

• Evidence of unencumbered Montana LPN licensure

• Evidence of successful completion of MA 102 - Intermediate Algebra or higher

• Evidence of successful completion of NR 200 LPN to RN Transition course or equivalent

• A completed Nursing Program Basic Health Screening Form (includes immunizations, TB Screening, vital signs, vision, hearing, allergies including latex screening if indicated, current medications, health problems, demographic and insurance information)

• Submission of a signed last page of current Nursing Student Handbook stating that they understand and agree to abide by the policies and procedures of the College's Nursing Program.

• Evidence of current CPR (Health Care Provider of equivalent)

• Evidence of health insurance or signed waiver

• Payment of professional liability insurance (Fee included in fall tuition and fee payment)

• Purchase of the required uniforms, name tags, books and lab supplies

It is highly recommended that students interested in the LPN to RN Completion Program contact the Nursing Program Director for individual advising by January 1 prior to the desired fall admission date. Students successfully meeting all of the requirements will be placed in fall Semester of the second year nursing courses. Credit for NR 101 - Fundamentals of Nursing I and NR 102 - Fundamentals of Nursing II will be held “in escrow” until the student successfully completes NR 204 - Pharmacology and NR201 - Adult Nursing or NR 202 - Maternal Child Nursing.

LPN to RN Completion students are subject to all of the general Nursing Program requirements. Please refer to the previously mentioned On-going general requirements.