Mar 28, 2024  
2012-2013 Gaston College Catalog 
    
2012-2013 Gaston College Catalog [THIS CATALOG IS OUT-OF-DATE. USE THE CURRENT CATALOG TO FIND CURRENT PROGRAMS.]

Nursing - Registered Nursing, LPN to RN Alternate Schedule Option, A.A.S. (A45110)


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Evening/Weekend/Online Option

The Associate Degree Nursing curriculum provides knowledge, skills, and strategies to integrate safety and quality into nursing care, to practice in a dynamic environment, and to meet individual needs which impact health, quality of life, and achievement of potential. Course work includes and builds upon the domains of healthcare, nursing practice, and the holistic individual. Content emphasizes the nurse as a member of the interdisciplinary team providing safe, individualized care while employing evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and informatics.

The Gaston College Associate Degree Nursing Program is nationally accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Inc. (NLNAC). Graduates of this program are eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). Employment opportunities are vast within the global health care system and may include positions within acute, chronic, extended, industrial, and community health care facilities.

Program Learning Outcomes:

  1. Practice professional nursing behaviors incorporating personal responsibility and accountability for continued competence.
  2. Communicate professionally and effectively with individuals, significant support person(s), and members of the interdisciplinary healthcare team.
  3. Integrate knowledge of the holistic needs of the individual to provide an individual centered assessment.
  4. Incorporate informatics to formulate evidence-based clinical judgments and management decisions.
  5. Implement caring interventions incorporating documented best practices for individuals in diverse settings.
  6. Develop a teaching plan for individuals, and/or the nursing team, incorporating teaching and learning principles.
  7. Collaborate with the interdisciplinary healthcare team to advocate for positive individual and organizational outcomes.
  8. Manage health care for the individual using cost effective nursing strategies, quality improvement processes, and current technologies.
  9. Prioritize assessments and client-centered nursing interventions relevant to clinical decision making.

The LPN to RN alternate schedule Option is an accelerated, online, evening/weekend program that includes a few on-campus lab sessions, clinical labs at acute care facilities, with the majority of content presented in online classes. Students are required to attend campus to take all quizzes. Students must have a computer with email and internet capabilities to participate in this option. Students are strongly encouraged to take an online course prior to applying to the LPN-RN option.

Admission Information


For all programs, the following steps must be completed for admission into Gaston College:

  1. Complete and submit application online or pick up application at the Gaston College Office of Admissions on the main campus, Dallas Campus, 2nd floor Myers Center.
  2. Request that your high school mail an official high school transcript to Gaston College Office of Admissions. The documentation listed below can be submitted in the place of a traditional high school transcript: Official Adult High School transcript, official copy of GED scores, official transcript from an accredited correspondence school/institution, official transcript from Home School,  or an official transcript from a regionally accredited college or university reflecting an Associate Degree or higher.
  3. Request that all colleges/universities previously attended submit official transcripts to above address. Transcripts must be in the registrar’s office by the third Friday in January in order for courses to receive points for admission in the nursing program.
  4. Take the placement test as determined by the Gaston College Office of Admissions. If you have taken the Accuplacer (CPT), COMPASS Placement Test, and/or ASSET within the past five years at another college or university, please request that the scores be submitted to the Gaston College Office of Admissions.
  5. Complete New Student Orientation for Gaston College.
  6. Meet with a counselor or academic advisor for selection of courses, registration, and specific information about the nursing program.
  7. Provide proof of English proficiency. This may be established by making a minimum total score of 6 (internet-based), 207 (computer based), or 540 (paper-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
  8. Attend an LPN to RN information session. Session dates and times are posted online on the Associate Degree Nursing, LPN to RN, web page.
  9. Complete an application for the Associate Degree Nursing Program in addition to the general application to Gaston College. Application sessions are scheduled through the nursing department after a student has attended an information session. The Associate Degree Nursing Department will schedule appointments for application sessions the first Tuesday in September through the last Friday in November.

 

To be Eligible to Submit an Application to the Associate Degree Nursing Program


Applicants Must Have:

  1. Current licensure as a licensed practical nurse.
  2. Graduated from an approved Practical Nursing program within the last year
    OR
    Have 1 (one) year documented work experience as an LPN in the last 2 (two) years prior to admission to the program.
  3. A minimum composite score of 70 on the TEAS IV or 65 on the TEAS V examination. Admission test scores must be within five (5) years of the date of application to the nursing program.
    *The TEAS score requirement will be waived for students who hold a baccalaureate or higher degree from an accredited college or university.
    OR
    Completed BIO 168 , BIO 169  and BIO 275  with a cumulative 3.0 grade point average. Transfer credit for equivalent biology courses taken at an institution other that Gaston College will be considered to fulfill these criteria and will require departmental approval.
  4. An overall GPA of at least 2.0 in college level coursework taken.

Competitive Admission Criteria


The following are used by the nursing department admissions committee in the selection process of qualified applicants.

  1. TEAS score (1-4 points) OR Baccalaureate or higher degree (2 points) OR cumulative GPA of 3.0 in BIO 168 , BIO 169 , and BIO 275 (2 points).
  2. Number of required general education courses completed (with a minimum grade of C) by the end of the fall semester in which application is made (up to 9 points).
  3. Completion of an online course (3 points).
  4. Grade Point Average (GPA) in required general education courses (see program of study) (1-3 points).
  5. County of residency - Gaston or Lincoln County (1 point).
  6. County of employment - Gaston or Lincoln County (1 point).
  7. Work experience in intermediate, skilled or acute care (2 points).
  8. Graduation from Gaston College LPN Program (2 points).

Admission points are calculated based on the above criteria. The final selection of applicants into the program is made by the nursing department chair in consultation with the Coordinator of the LPN-RN Option and the Nursing Department Admissions Committee.

Students Admitted to the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) LPN-RN Option Program


In addition to maintaining a 2.0 GPA and earning a minimum grade of “C” in all nursing curriculum courses, applicants accepted into the ADN program must meet the following requirements in order to enroll and continue in nursing courses:

  • Orientation session for ADN nursing (LPN to RN option).
  • ACA 118 College Study Skills  course (no later than spring prior to summer admission).
  • Current adult and infant CPR certification submitted to nursing department secretary prior to first day of class.
  • Immunizations required by the N.C. Community College System and clinical agencies.
  • Satisfactory physical and emotional health examination documented on a N.C. Community College Student Medical Form provided by the nursing department
  • Criminal background check and fingerprinting
  • Drug screen

Clinical agencies reserve the right to deny a student access to the facility based on failure to meet the above requirements. If a student is denied access to any clinical agency, the student will be not allowed to continue in the nursing program. Detailed information regarding these agency requirements will be provided upon conditional acceptance into the nursing program.

Program Costs:


In addition to tuition and textbooks, costs of this program include the following: uniforms, lab coat, stethoscope, a physical examination, immunizations, maintaining current CPR certification and PPD, criminal background check, FBI fingerprinting, drug screening at a time designated by the nursing faculty, and fees for application for licensure for NC State Board of Nursing and National Council Licensure Examination.

Clinical Sites


Clinical sites for the Associate Degree Nursing Programs are:

  • Gaston Memorial Hospital, Gastonia, NC
  • CMC - Lincoln, Lincolnton, NC
  • Kings Mountain Hospital, Kings Mountain, NC
  • Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC
  • Cleveland Regional Medical Center, Shelby, NC
  • Frye Regional Medical Center, Hickory, NC
  • Catawba Valley Medical Center, Hickory, NC

Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from all clinical, laboratory, and class activities. Clinical experiences may be scheduled afternoons, evenings, or weekends at various clinical sites.

In addition to other published documented admission requirements, ACA 118  must be successfully completed no later than spring semester prior to summer admission to the LPN-RN curriculum option.

Total Credit Hours: 17


Total Credit Hours: 11


Second Semester (Fall)


Total Credit Hours: 15


Total Semester Hour Credits: 73


Note(s):


* Indicates non-nursing courses.

Total credit hours of non-nursing required courses = 30 hours
Total credit hours of nursing required courses = 22 hours
Total credit hours earned after successful completion of NUR 214  = 21 hours

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