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Nursing Award: Associate in Applied Science Degree in Health Technology Length of Clinical Component:
The Associate of Applied Science degree in Health Technology with a major in nursing is designed to prepare selected students to qualify as contributing members of the health team, rendering direct patient care as beginning practitioners of nursing in a variety of health service facilities. Classroom and clinical experiences will include lifespan from birth to death. Graduates will be eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination leading to licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN). Licensure is required in order to be employed as a registered nurse. The nursing program is approved by the State Board of Nursing and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (61 Broadway, New York, NY 10006; telephone 212-363-5555). The nursing law of Virginia addresses criteria for application for licensure. The Virginia State Board of Nursing has the power to deny opportunity to procure a license through testing if the applicant has willfully committed a felony/misdemeanor under laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia or of the United States. Upon acceptance to the clinical component of the nursing program, students will be required to pay for a criminal background check and drug screening. Students may be eligible to receive credit for some courses in these curricula through the College’s advanced standing process. Examples include credit by examination or by articulation agreement. Application and Admission to the Clinical ComponentAcceptance to the college does not guarantee admission to the clinical component of the nursing program. Nursing faculty serve as academic advisors to those students who have taken the College Preparedness Test, whose transcripts are on file in the Admissions and Records Office, and who have been placed in the nursing curriculum by a BRCC counselor. Students must apply for admission to the clinical portion of the nursing program. Applications for the clinical portion of the nursing program must be completed in the calendar year in which students expect to begin the clinical phase. Clinical work begins in May for the LPN to RN group and consists of a total of three semesters. Clinical work for Commonwealth Nursing Program online students begins in January and August and includes a total of five semesters of clinical experience. Clinical work for traditional students begins in August and includes a total of five semesters of clinical experience. Students must satisfy the graduation requirements listed in the BRCC Catalog and Student Handbook in effect at the time they begin the clinical component of the program. Since the number of applicants generally exceeds the space available in the clinical program, some applicants may not be accepted even if the minimum requirements for admission are met. First priority is given to residents in the BRCC service area—Harrisonburg, Staunton, Waynesboro, Augusta County, Rockingham County, and Highland County. Students under the age of 24 are presumed to have the same domicile as their parents or legal guardians unless they can show clear and convincing evidences that they are financially self-dependent and moved to our service area for purposes other than education. Service area criteria will be scrutinized very carefully. Documentation may be required, listed below are documents that may be requested:
Information for out-of-state residents interested in pursuing a nursing degree: The nursing program is very popular within the BRCC service region and the state of Virginia, thus, admission into the clinical component is highly competitive. When enrollments must be limited for any curriculum, such as nursing, priority shall be given to all qualified applicants who are residents of the political subdivisions supporting the College and then to Virginia residents not having access to a given program at their local Virginia community college. In order to be considered a resident of the BRCC service region, applicants must have resided continuously in the service region for the 12 months prior to the clinical application deadline and must not be residents of the service region for the primary purpose of education. Please be aware that the qualified Virginia resident applicant pool may more than fill our limit of enrollment for the nursing clinical component; therefore the College may not be able to honor your request for admission in to the nursing clinical component. To receive consideration for admission to the clinical portion of the nursing program, applicants must have earned a high school diploma or the equivalent, completed the general college admissions process, attended a nursing information session, and attained a 50% score on the math and reading comprehension portions of the NET test. LPNs who have a valid, unrestricted Virginia LPN license, Paramedics who hold a state or national paramedic certification, and individuals who hold a baccalaureate or higher degree are exempt from the NET test. In lieu of the NET test, scores from NLN, HESI, and ATI will be evaluated by the Nursing Program Head. Registration for the NET test is arranged through the Nursing Department at ext. 2326. The NET test must be taken within 3 years of application to the clinical component of the program. In addition, the following high school-level courses or college equivalents are required:
Deficiencies may be corrected through appropriate courses at BRCC. A “C” average in academic work is considered minimum for selection to the clinical portion of the nursing curriculum. When appropriate, the academic courses may be taken out of sequence. It is strongly recommended that students complete as many academic courses as possible prior to beginning clinical nursing courses. Admission preference will be given to applicants who have met all program prerequisites and have completed BIO 141-142. For students who have not met the biology and math prerequisites prior to enrolling at BRCC, the nursing faculty strongly recommend that students successfully complete those requirements before enrolling in the BIO 141-142 sequence. BIO 141-142 must be completed within 10 years of acceptance into the nursing curriculum. In addition, students should not enroll in two science courses during the same semester. To be eligible for the clinical portion of the Commonwealth Nursing online program, students must attend a Commonwealth Nursing Program Information session, be 18 years of age or older or have program head approval, hold a high school diploma or GED, take all required developmental English and mathematics courses, have completed HS or college algebra, biology and chemistry with a grade of C or better, take all required prerequisite courses, have a minimum GPA of 2.5, and attain a 60% score on the math and reading comprehension portions of the NET Test. In lieu of the NET Test, scores from NLN, HESI and ATI will be evaluated by the Commonwealth Nursing Program Head. The following individuals are exempt from the NET (NLN, HESI, ATI) exam: LPNs who have a valid, unrestricted Virginia LPN license, Paramedics who hold a state or national paramedic certification, and individuals who hold a baccalaureate or higher degree. The application process includes receipt of a Nursing program application form, official transcripts of all secondary and post-secondary courses attempted or completed (including LPN transcripts for students who completed LPN training), personal/professional recommendations, appropriate scores on tests, and a written plan of action for completion of the non-nursing course requirements. Any student who receives a final grade lower than 80% in any of the courses in the clinical nursing sequence may not continue the major. The student must reapply to the program and, if accepted, repeat the course and earn a final grade of 80% or higher before taking the next course in the sequence. Students will only be readmitted once to the clinical component of the nursing program. In order to graduate, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0. Program OptionsThe Nursing Program at BRCC offers four options for the potential student: Option 1The Nursing Department offers an opportunity for recent high school graduates to complete the Nursing degree program in two years of full-time attendance (five semesters including summer). This is a rigorous and academically challenging program for a limited number of students each year. The following prerequisites must be completed for application consideration:
Curriculum for Option 1Fall Semester (1st semester)
Spring Semester (2nd semester)
Summer Semester (3rd semester)
Fall Semester (4th semester)
Spring Semester (5th semester)
a LPNs who qualify for this option do not take NUR 108 and NUR 109 but take NUR 115 and NUR 136 in the summer. Curriculum for Option 2Option 2 is for those students who need some prerequisites, and/or must work and wish to attend part-time. This option can take three years or longer because students may wish to take only one pre-clinical class per semester. Pre-clinical studies for Traditional Students
Clinical Component: 5 semesters
Curriculum for Option 3Option 3 is for those students who are LPNs, need some prerequisites, and/or work and wish to attend part-time. This option can take two years or longer. Pre-clinical studies for LPN Students
Clinical Component: 3 semesters
All of these options are fully explained in regularly scheduled Nursing Information Sessions conducted by BRCC Counseling Center staff and the nursing faculty. Dates and times for upcoming Nursing Information Session may be obtained by calling the Nursing Department at ext. 2326. a LPNs who have graduated from nursing school within the last five years and have received a score of 50% or greater on the NLN medication administration test or received a score of 60% or greater on the ERI medication administration test are exempt from NUR 136. b LPNs who have graduated from nursing school within the last five years and have received a score of 50% or greater on the NLN maternity nursing test or received a score of 60% or greater on the ERI maternity nursing test are exempt from NUR 245. Curriculum for Option 4Option 4 is an asynchronous Commonwealth Nursing Program online AAS degree with “hands-on” clinical and laboratory experiences in the BRCC service area. This option takes two years or longer. Pre-clinical studies for online students
Clinical Component: 5 semesters
Health SciencesAward: Certificate Purpose: to prepare students who wish to enter allied health and veterinary technology programs with competitive admissions procedures at Blue Ridge Community College or at other colleges. Students should consult the catalogs of the transfer institution they wish to attend for admission requirements for competitive health programs such as dental assisting, dental hygiene, physical therapy assisting, respiratory therapy, or other allied health programs. Successful completion of the Health Sciences Certificate will strengthen the academic record of students applying for admission to Blue Ridge Community College’s Registered Nursing and Veterinary Technology Programs. Please note, however, that not all courses listed will be required in every allied health program. Some allied health programs may require more prerequisite courses prior to admission. Students should carefully follow the admission procedures published for the particular health program of interest.
a refer to table below Academic Advising Table for Specific Allied Health Programs
Related information: Nursing Department Site |
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