Registered Nursing

Registered Nursing Overview

This program prepares graduates to be providers of quality patient care and coordinators of professional nursing duties provided by other healthcare workers.

What You Can Learn in Registered Nursing

The program’s main objective is to equip our students with the most current knowledge and skills needed to meet the prevention, health maintenance, health promotion and restorative needs of the client. Students are taught the art and science of nursing with a focus on the application of theory to clinical practice.

In as little as 17 months a student can earn an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Health Science with a major in Registered Nursing. This qualifies the student to take the RN-NCLEX exam through the State Board of Nursing. A student who passes the exam is then licensed to practice as a registered nurse.

Where You Can Go in Registered Nursing

Registered nurses are in demand across multiple settings including:

• Hospitals
• Intermediate- and Long-Term Care and Rehabilitation
• Public Health
• Primary Care Clinics
• Home Healthcare
• Outpatient Care Centers
• HMO/Insurance/Managed Care Facilities
• Schools
• Mental Health Agencies
• Hospices
• Military and Industry
• Nursing Education
• Research
• Private Practice

Degree Objectives

Program Purpose

Graduates of the Registered Nursing program are able to care for individuals, families, and communities in a variety of healthcare settings. Nurses promote, maintain and restore clients' health as well as provide compassionate care to the dying. Nurses must have current knowledge in nursing concepts, principles, processes, and skills. They have an excellent understanding of health, acute and chronic health deviations, nutrition, pharmacology, communication, human development, teaching-learning principles, current technology, humanities, and biological, social, and behavioral sciences.

Program objectives include:

Registered nursing students will learn to function as part of the interdisciplinary health care team and will adhere to the standards of professional nursing practice. Students learn to provide competent, contemporary, and holistic care to patients. They become able to use oral and written communication effectively in their interactions with colleagues and patients, and they learn to provide health education to patients and their families.

About the Profession

Registered nurses have many different career options. They can hold various positions including charge nurse, floor nurse, and even some management positions in long term care facilities. Registered nurses are also prepared to continue their formal education and prepare for more advanced nursing degrees and certifications.

Requirements for Typical Employment Opportunities (i.e., background checks, drug screening, security clearances.)

Background check, drug screen, drug calculation test, American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification

Entry Level Employment Opportunities By Job Title and/or Industry

Registered Nurse, Charge Nurse, Floor Nurse

Physical Requirements

The individual needs to have the ability to perform the following: execute a full range of motion, utilize fine and gross motor skills, demonstrate physical stamina, and lift 25 pounds.

Certifications Recommended for Entry Level Career.

ECPI University provides vouchers allowing students to take certification exams at a greatly reduced cost. American Heart Association BLS Certification and Licensed Registered Nurse credentials are recommended. (All registered nurse graduates must successfully pass the National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses, or NCLEX-RN, before being able to practice as a registered nurse.)

Student Evaluation

The student's grades are determined by a combination of written examinations, laboratory competence, and clinical performance. These grades include assessment of nursing ability, attitude, and relationship with others in clinical and laboratory settings. Students must complete all courses sequentially as outlined in the syllabi. The numerical grade of 80 (C) is the minimum passing grade for a nursing course. Students who fail a course while in the RN program will be allowed to repeat that course contingent upon class availability. Due to class size there is no guarantee that a student will automatically be able to cycle back into the RN curriculum if the subsequent class is full. If a student fails two RN classes he or she will meet with the Director of Nursing (DON) to determine if he or she will be allowed to continue in the program. Due to the fast-paced nature of this program, it is highly recommended that students seek tutoring early in the term. Tutoring is mandatory for students who score below 80% at mid-point. Students' performances throughout the curriculum will constantly be monitored by the primary instructor and the DON. If a student fails to meet the objectives of any portion of a course, he or she must repeat the entire course. A course may not be repeated more than once without approval from the DON.

Students who are absent more than 15 percent of their scheduled course hours may have their records reviewed for purposes of potential probation, suspension, or termination. A student may be dropped from a course if absent for more than 20 percent of their scheduled course hours.

Students must attend a minimum of 80 percent of class time each term to successfully meet course requirements. Students are required to notify the instructor of any absence or tardiness from all educational experiences by notifying the instructor on each day of absence one hour before the student is due to report. NO CALL, NO SHOW may result in failure of the course. Student must contact instructor; messages sent with another student are not appropriate. Students are expected to attend ALL clinical/clinical simulation hours. Students who are absent or tardy during their scheduled clinical/simulation hours must contact the Director of Nursing or designee, prior to attending their next scheduled class/clinical time. Any absence from clinical/simulation hours will result in the student receiving a written warning. Any additional absence or tardiness in the term may result in failure of the course and may jeopardize ability to remain in the program.

The instructor maintains a detailed record of attendance. A late arrival of 10 minutes or more to any class during the first hour of the day will constitute a one hour absence. After that, absences are calculated in minutes, including leaving early. Students are responsible for all course information that is provided by the instructor during their absence. Students tardy on test or quiz days may enter class and take exam during the remaining allotted time determined by the instructor.

When taking NUR163, students have two attempts during the term to achieve a passing score of 85% on the Dosage Competency Exam. Students will take the competency exam during the first week of the term. If a student fails the exam, he or she will be required to attend remediation to prepare to take a second exam during the last week of the term. Any student refusing the dosage remediation tutoring can no longer remain in the Registered Nursing Program. If a student fails the assessment on the second attempt he or she cannot progress to the next term, regardless of whether or not the student is passing the course.

Enter program specific clinical experience requirements: Clinical experiences are opportunities for students to gain mentored, practical experience in a "real-world" job setting. Students must complete required physical examinations and have all titers/immunizations listed on the required form. Cleared background check, clean drug screen and additional facility specific screenings are required. Students must qualify for a preceptorship with a combination of their clinical expertise and NCLEX preparation test scores. Faculty must recommend those students who qualify for a preceptorship based on their prior clinical performance.

Clinical experiences are scheduled in various local healthcare agencies and hospitals and are subject to change.

Program Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED
• Admissions test with passing score

Other Requirements

1. GPA equal to or greater than 2.5
2. A personal interview and recommendation from the Director of the Registered Nursing Program or designee is required.
3. Prerequisite Courses (College transfer credits reviewed and determined for acceptance this Catalog).

• College Chemistry 100 level or higher
• College Algebra 100 level or higher level MTH course
• Computer Applications 100 level or higher

Recommendations: TEAS Test Results: Reading > 80, Math >60, Science >60, English >60

Core Curriculum

¹The certifications listed in the "Potential Certifications" column are the actual certification exams that students may be prepared to take following achievement of student learning outcomes from a course or a set of courses. Some certifications may require additional outside preparation prior to taking the exams; and receipt of one or more certifications is not guaranteed. Students are strongly encouraged to take all appropriate certification examinations for their program of study. To facilitate student access to the certifications, ECPI offers its students access to the certification exams at a significant discount. Some programs may require the student to obtain one or more certifications as part of the curriculum.

Future Possible Careers for This Program

Success

Q

How long will it take to complete this program?

A

The program is designed to take 16 months to complete. 51% of graduates from this program finish in this time.

The median time for graduates to complete this program was 18 months.

Cost

Q

How much will tuition and fees be?

A

The cost of tuition and fees is: $48,115

Q

What about the cost of books and supplies?

A

The cost of books and supplies is: $1,250. Foundation course requirements can result in additional costs and increase the time to graduation.

Financing

Q

What are my financing options to pay for the program?

A

In addition to any grant and scholarship aid for which they are eligible, graduates used loans to finance their education. The median debt for program graduates is: