Nursing

Associate in Technical Arts

Admission to the Nursing Program

Application to the Nursing Program is a separate procedure in addition to the application to Olympic College. Admission to Olympic College does not guarantee admission to the Nursing Program. Admission to the Nursing Program is based on a factoring system. Students are admitted to the Nursing Program during Fall Quarter.

To be considered for admission to the Nursing Program, all of the following must be submitted to the Office of Admissions and Outreach:

1.   Washington Community College Application Form;

2.   Official transcripts from all educational institutions attended beyond high school (this includes all colleges, universities, vocational-technical schools, and hospital nursing schools);

3.   Olympic College Nursing Program Application, submitted when currently enrolled in the final prerequisite course(s);

4.   Achievement of a 78 or above on the Accuplacer Reading Comprehension Test; and

5.   Completion of the prerequisite courses with a minimum grade of 2.0 in each course: CHEM 121 and 122; BIO 250 and 251; and ENGL 101.

It is the student's responsibility to request all transcript(s). Transcripts and/or credentials must be official and must be sent DIRECTLY to the Office of Admissions and Outreach by the issuing institution(s).

To be considered for Fall Quarter admission, all documentation must be received in Admissions and Outreach by March 31.

Students who have been offered acceptance into the Nursing Program will be required to attend an orientation session prior to the beginning of Fall Quarter.

Acceptances are granted for a particular quarter and year. Students not enrolling for the specific quarter and year as noted in their letter of acceptance must reapply for admission to the Nursing Program.

To meet graduation requirements, all specified Biology courses must be completed with the stipulated grade and within ten years prior to graduation. If the specified Biology courses exceed the time limit of ten years prior to graduation, the student may retake the course or challenge the course content through the Excelsior College Examinations.

Proof of personal health insurance carried by the student or the student's family and student liability insurance are required before beginning clinical course work.

Students must provide written verification of having met all state and federal immunization requirements prior to beginning clinical experiences.

All students will be required to request a Criminal History Information Background Inquiry Check after admission into the Nursing Program. A student who cannot participate in patient care delivery in clinical settings based on a positive Background Inquiry Check will not be able to meet program progression requirements.

Advanced Standing

Transferring Students

Students who have completed formal nursing education must complete prerequisite course work and meet grade requirements. After an evaluation of transcripts and course descriptions, advanced standing admission will be granted based on space availability. If there are more applicants than spaces available, the factoring system will be utilized to determine applicants admitted for a given quarter.

Reentering Olympic College Nursing Students

Reentering Olympic College Nursing students must complete an application for reentry by the specified date.

NOTE: All students are required to provide written verification of having met all state and federal immunization requirements prior to beginning clinical experiences.

The Olympic College Nursing Program is accredited by:

National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission

61 Broadway

New York, NY 10006

212-363-5555 ext 153 or 1-800-669-1656

www.accrediting-comm-nlnac.org

  and

Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission

P.O. Box 47864

Olympia, WA 98504-7864

(360) 236-4702


Nursing Program

Olympic College offers a two-year curriculum designed to prepare qualified men and women to become Registered Nurses. The two-year curriculum is approved by the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission, and is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission. The Program includes a balance of general education courses, nursing theory, and nursing practice. Following acceptance, the average student will complete the program in six academic quarters. NURSE 151 requires a minimum 3.7 grade point, and NURSE 152 requires a 2.0 grade point. All other nursing courses require a minimum 2.7 grade point or above to progress in the Nursing Program. Graduates are prepared for employment as Registered Nurses in home health care, hospitals, long-term care, and community-based care agencies. The graduate of the Nursing Program will receive the Associate in Technical Arts Degree which qualifies the candidate (for eligibility) to take the NCLEX examination for licensure as a Registered Nurse. The license permits the nurse to use the legal title of Registered Nurse in the State of Washington.

Additional costs:

1.   Uniforms, including regulation shoes, laboratory coat, name pin, Olympic College patch for uniform and laboratory coat, and Nursing Skills laboratory packets;

2.   Wristwatch with sweep second hand and stethoscope;

3.   Nursing student liability insurance;

4.   Proof of health insurance or signed waiver;

5.   Student Nurse Association dues (optional);

6.   State license application fee;

7.   NCLEX RN fee;

8.   Transportation to and from clinical facilities not located on campus.

Not all courses are offered every quarter. Please see the Nursing Program advisor for course sequence and schedule details. A faculty advisor must approve the program for degree/certificate completion.

Program Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, successful students will have demonstrated the ability to apply their skills and knowledge in the following ways:

1. Critical Thinking

The deliberative non-linear process of collecting, interpreting, analyzing, drawing conclusion about, presenting, and evaluating information that is both factually and belief based. In nursing this is demonstrated by clinical judgment which includes: ethnical, diagnostic, and therapeutic dimensions.

2. Communication

The interactive sharing of information. It requires a sender, message, and receiver. Communication is both verbal and nonverbal. Verbal communication is either written or spoken. Nonverbal communication includes body language, facial expressions, gestures, physical appearance, touch, vocal cues, and spacial territory. In Nursing, communication is demonstrated by continuity of quality care for the client.

3. Therapeutic Nursing Interventions

Actions taken to prevent illness/injury, resolve, restore and maintain optimum functioning of clients within their environment.

4. Job Placement Rates

Percentage of graduates employed as a RN within 6-9 months after graduation.

5. Licensure Pass Rates

Percentage of graduates who pass the NCLEX computerized, criterion referenced examination after graduation from the School of Nursing.

6. Graduate Program Satisfaction

Program graduates perceived level of approval of the Nursing Program, including the educational environment, the curriculum, policies, learning resources, professional preparation, and facilitation of personal development.

7. Employer Satisfaction of Graduates

Graduates' employers perceived level of approval of the Nursing Program, including the graduates functioning in the roles of provider of care, manager of care and member within the profession.

ADVISOR            OFFICE               PHONE

Thomas, Treva        OC Poulsbo 209          360-394-2742

REQUIRED COURSES                               CREDITS

PREREQUISITES

BIO     250   Anatomy and Physiology*______________________ 6 

BIO     251   Anatomy and Physiology*______________________ 6 

CHEM    121   Survey of Inorganic Chemistry*_______________ 6 

CHEM    122   Survey Organic and Biochemistry*_____________ 6 

ENGL    101   Composition*_________________________________ 5 

REQUIRED COURSES  

NURSE   110   Professional Role Development I*_____________ 1 

NURSE   112   Professional Role Development II*____________ 1 

NURSE   114   Nursing Communications*______________________ 2 

NURSE   116   Nursing Ethics I*____________________________ 1 

NURSE   118   Nutrition for Professional Nursing*__________ 2 

NURSE   140   Clinical Applications Lab I*_________________ 1 

NURSE   142   Clinical Applications Lab II*________________ 1 

NURSE   144   Physical Assessment in Nursing Lab*__________ 1 

NURSE   146   Nursing Care of the Older Adult*_____________ 1 

NURSE   151   Dosage Calculations*_________________________ 1 

NURSE   152   Introduction to Pharmacology*________________ 1 

NURSE   154   Nursing Foundations*_________________________ 3 

NURSE   156   Clinical Nursing Practice I*_________________ 3 

NURSE   158   Clinical Nursing Therapeutics*_______________ 4 

NURSE   160   Clinical Nursing Practice II*________________ 5 

NURSE   172   Mental Health Theory*________________________ 3 

NURSE   174   Mental Health Clinical*______________________ 3 

NURSE   176   Nursing Care of Pediatric Clients*___________ 3 

NURSE   177   Pediatric Clinical*__________________________ 3 

NURSE   178   Maternal-Newborn Nursing*____________________ 3 

NURSE   179   Maternal-Newborn Clinical*___________________ 3 

NURSE   180   Medical Surgical Nursing I*__________________ 3 

NURSE   181   Medical-Surgical Clinical*___________________ 3 

NURSE   182   Chronic Health Problems in Elderly*__________ 1 

NURSE   200   Professional Role Development III*___________ 1 

NURSE   202   Clinical Applications Lab III*_______________ 1 

NURSE   204   Nursing Ethics II*___________________________ 1 

NURSE   208   Medical Surgical Nursing II*_________________ 3 

NURSE   210   Clinical Nursing Practice III*_______________ 5 

NURSE   212   Professional Role Development/Mentor*________ 8 

REQUIRED SUPPORT COURSES   

BIO     260   Microbiology*________________________________ 5 

MATH    107   College Math/Liberal Arts Students*____ 5 

or   

MATH    119   Precalculus I: Algebra*________________ 5 

or   

MATH    281   Introductory Statistics*_______________ 5____ 5

PSYCH   101   General Psychology_____________________ 5 

or   

PSYCH   102   Psychology of Adjustment_______________ 5____ 5

Choose any one 5 credit course from any of the disciplines: Anthropology, History, Humanities, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, Speech _________________________________________ 5

TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED ___________________________ 121 

* See course description for prerequisite.

Source: 2007-2008 Olympic College Catalog, 1/14/08 Instructional Policies Council meeting