Associate Degree in Nursing

Virginia and South Carolina Program Requirements

North Carolina Program Requirements

*For allowable substitutions of arts and sciences courses, see the Arts and Sciences Department page

Medical Careers Institute’s (MCI) goal is to equip students with the most current knowledge and skills needed to meet the prevention, health maintenance, health promotion, and restorative needs of the patient.

MCI’s skills-based laboratory environment provides students with a realistic setting in which to learn both the art and science of nursing with a focus on the application of theory to clinical practice. Core areas of instruction include:

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Microbiology
• Nutrition
• Pharmacology
• Acute Care
• Medical/Surgical Nursing
• Maternal/Newborn Nursing

After earning their Associate Degree in Nursing, graduates are then qualified 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.

Nurses enjoy a variety of career options including charge nurse, floor nurse, and even some management positions in long-term care facilities. Upon completion of the Associate Degree in Nursing Program, graduates could possibly pursue employment in multiple settings including:

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

Associate Degree in Nursing is designed to provide the entry-level nurse with knowledge and experience which will enable the graduate to:

• Contribute to the interdisciplinary health care team by collaborating effectively in health care settings with individuals, families, and communities across the life span and continuum of healthcare environments.
• Execute the standards of professional nursing practice within legal, ethical, and regulatory frameworks.
• Utilize best practices from healthcare and related disciplines to provide clinically competent, safe and effective care within the framework of the nursing process.
• Provide holistic care to promote, protect, and improve quality and safety outcomes in multicultural, diverse settings.  
• Apply information regarding disease processes to determine appropriate prevention and health promotion strategies to provide quality care. 
• Integrate information management and technology in the delivery of quality client care.
• Demonstrate effective leadership that reflects sound clinical judgement and accountability for ongoing professional development.

All AAS nursing graduates must successfully pass the National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) before being able to practice as a registered nurse.

What are the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) pass rates for the past five years?

NCLEX Pass Rate

Completion Rate

The following is the completion rate as reported to the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) for the July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 period for the Associate Degree program at the Newport News campus: Students’ completion of the nursing program: 62.39%.

The following is the completion rate as reported to the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) for the July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 period for the Associate Degree program at the Manassas campus: Students’ completion of the nursing program: 73.75%.