Nursing, A.A.S.

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Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.)
Contact Information: Program Site: nursing@nscc.edu - Mary Poston, MSN, RN, 615-353-3691 - Office: W-35

The Nursing Program prepares students for a career as a registered nurse. Nursing courses include didactic and clinical training over a two-year period that includes but is not limited to fundamentals of nursing, pathophysiology, pharmacology, nursing care of the adult in a medical-surgical setting and an intensive care unit, family nursing including care of children and expectant mothers, mental health nursing, and community health nursing. In addition to classroom education, students will participate in clinical settings in hospitals and agencies located in middle Tennessee. The program includes a course to help with the transition from student into independent clinical decision-maker. This degree program trains students to work with persons from various cultures across the life span and the wellness-to-illness continuum. At the conclusion of the program, students are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

Admission Requirements:

Admission to this program is limited. Prospective students are required to attend an information session prior to applying to the program. Applications for the nursing program are accepted during the semester immediately preceding the semester admission date.

Students accepted into the nursing program must complete any/all remedial and/or developmental coursework before they begin the program, and are encouraged to complete all required General Education courses as well as math and science courses before beginning the nursing curriculum. Prior to being accepted/admitted into the nursing program, applicants will be required to take a standardized nursing entrance examination. A student must perform at the “Proficient” level in reading, math, science, and English to be considered and subsequently admitted into the nursing program.

Note: Once accepted into the program, it is mandatory that a criminal background check as well as a drug screen be completed prior to participation in a clinical area.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite Courses for admission to the Nursing program:

Natural Sciences

BIOL 2010 - Anatomy and Physiology I 4 Credits * **
BIOL 2020 - Anatomy and Physiology II 4 Credits * **
BIOL 2230 - Microbiology 4 Credits
** Must have been completed with grade of “C” or better. It is recommended that these courses be completed within five years of admission date and before beginning the nursing program

Math

MATH 1530 - Introductory Statistics 3 Credits *

Additional Course Requirements

LPN to RN Career Transition (Bridge) Program

The LPN to RN Career Transition (Bridge) Program is a curriculum designed for the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) that is interested in becoming a Registered Nurse (RN). Individuals seeking admission to the LPN to RN Bridge program must meet the same admission and course requirements as the traditional A.A.S. nursing student. Those admission and course requirements are outlined above. In addition, the LPN applicant must:

Be a graduate of a state-board of nursing approved practical nursing program.
Hold a current unencumbered LPN license.
Have a total of one or more year’s work experience as a LPN within the last three years.

Fundamentals of Nursing (NURS 1710 ) is a seven (7) credit hour core course with 135 clinical/lab hours in Semester One. Nashville State Community College will award the LPN to RN student seven Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) credits for NURS 1710 if the following additional criteria are met:

Evidence of licensure by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) NCLEX-PN exam. This meets the credit by certification exam PLA requirement.
Successfully demonstrate NURS 1710 competencies/student learning outcomes which include: Letter of reference from employer describing participation of LPN as a member of the healthcare team.

A) Letter of reference from employer describing participation of LPN as a member of the healthcare team.
B) Completion of a head-to-toe assessment as outlined in the NURS 1710 syllabus.
C) Demonstrate the ability to plan and revise nursing care using the nursing process and critical thinking skills as outlined in the NURS 1710 syllabus.
D) Pass a dosage calculation test.
E) Complete Kaplan PN exam.

Upon successful demonstration of the NURS 1710 competencies outlined above, and evidence of an unencumbered LPN license from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, the student will be awarded 7 PLA credits for NURS 1710 (Fundamentals of Nursing) and will be admitted into the second semester of the NSCC A.A.S. nursing program. The nursing courses for the LPN to RN student will then coincide with the traditional A.A.S. NSCC nursing curriculum.

Those courses include:
NURS 1120 - Pharmacology I 1 Credit
NURS 1320 - Women Hlth/Childbearing Family 3 Credits
NURS 1330 - Care of the Child 3 Credits
NURS 1340 - Mental Health Nursing 3 Credits
NURS 1620 - Medical-Surgical Nursing I 6 Credits
NURS 2130 - Pharmacology II 1 Credit
NURS 2140 - Pharmacology III 1 Credit
NURS 2240 - Leadership 2 Credits
NURS 2630 - Medical-Surgical Nursing II 6 Credits
NURS 2640 - Medical-Surgical Nursing III 6 Credits

Total Required – Associate Degree: 66 Credits

The LPN to RN student who is not awarded 7 PLA credits for NURS 1710 will not progress to semester two and will be given an opportunity to seek admission as a traditional A.A.S. NSCC nursing student.

NOTE

Additional course requirements: The Tennessee Board of Regents requires that students either demonstrate the appropriate skill levels in math, reading, and/or writing before enrolling in college-level courses or enroll in appropriate co-requisite experiences with college-level courses to develop competency in those skills while performing college-level work. ACT/SAT scores, classic ACCUPLACER test scores, next-generation ACCUPLACER test scores, or other relevant information determine whether a student needs to enroll in co-requisite courses in math, reading, and/or writing (English).

* This course is part of the general education core.

Accreditation:
The Nashville State Community College nursing program has full approval status by the Tennessee Board of Nursing. The Board of Commissioners of the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN, formerly the NLNAC) has granted the Nashville State Community College Nursing Program initial accreditation. The next schedule evaluation visit will be in Spring 2026.