Associate Degree in Nursing (RN) Program Overview

Office of Admissions

ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN NURSING (ADN) PROGRAM

Application Instructions

(Do not include with your application)

Revised May 12, 2025

Olympic College provides equal educational and employment opportunities without regard to race or ethnicity, creed, color, sex, pregnancy or family status, national origin, age, marital status, religion, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, reliance on public assistance, sexual orientation, gender identity, or status as a disabled or Vietnam-era veteran in its educational programs, admissions, activities, and employment policies, in keeping with the letter and spirit of all equal opportunity and civil rights laws.

The ADN (RN) program at Olympic College located in Bremerton, Washington is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and approved by the Washington State Board of Nursing (WABON). 

3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, GA 30326
404-975-5000

Washington State Board of Nursing (WABON)
P.O. Box 47864
Olympia, WA 98504-7877
(360) 236-4703

The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program is continuing accreditation.

View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding this program on the ACEN website .

Application to the ADN Program is a separate procedure in addition to the application to Olympic College. If you have not applied to Olympic College, you will find admission steps and instructions to apply online on the Admissions webpage before proceeding with this application. The Welcome Center's Virtual Office may be helpful in speeding the application process.

After admission to Olympic College, activate your student accounts (ctclink, email, and Canvas accounts) before proceeding with the OC ADN Program Application. For this application, you will need to gather your OC student ctclink ID#, OC student email account, and password. For help, visit the Student Accounts webpage.  

Important Note About Retaking Classes

Students can take a prerequisite or support course up to three times. If an applicant has retaken a required course multiple times, the grade for the most recent attempt will be considered. If the grade for the final attempt for a required class is below the minimum GPA required, the student will be considered ineligible for application to the Olympic College Associate Degree in Nursing program. 

Students with Previous Nursing Education

Students who have completed formal nursing education at Olympic College or any higher education institution must complete prerequisite coursework, meet grade requirements, and enter the applicant pool. If a student started a nursing program outside of Olympic College but did not complete the program for any reason, the student must provide a letter from the previous nursing school’s chief nurse administrator (e.g., Dean or Director) stating they left in good standing. If accepted to the Associate Degree in Nursing Program, previous coursework may be reviewed to determine advanced standing. 

Past Disciplinary Action Petition Letter

Students with official disciplinary action or warning or deemed “not in good standing” at Olympic College or any previous higher education institution must include an admission petition letter as part of their application materials. The petition letter must address the disciplinary action, contributing factors, and a mitigation plan to promote future success. Nursing Program entry is NOT an option if the student was disciplined due to a critical safety element. 

Background Inquiry

Students who have any previous legal charge or conviction must include a letter indicating the nature of the charge and final disposition with their application. For all students accepted to the Associate Degree in Nursing program, a national background inquiry completed by Certified Background is required to disclose any history of criminal record or abusive behavior (Child/Adult Abuse Information Act, RCW; 43.43.830 through 43.43.840). If the results of this information cause any clinical agency to deny you privileges to rotate through that agency, withdrawal from the Associate Degree in Nursing Program will be required.

Re-entering Olympic College Associate Degree in Nursing Students

Reentering Olympic College Associate Degree in Nursing students must submit an ADN Admissions Application and credential requirements to be eligible to re-enroll. The deadline is two weeks after the final re-entry petition decision. 

Who Needs to Complete a Course Review?

1. Dosage Calculation

2. Pharmacology

To complete the course review process, please provide copies of the required documents to the Healthcare Student Success Coach via email to @email. Please keep all original documents.

Required documents for a course review:

1. Syllabus (not course description) with lab component clearly listed and

2. Unofficial transcript showing the listed courses and grade received.

3. ALL course review documents must be submitted before the March 31st deadline.

ACADEMIC METRICS: PREREQUISITE & SUPPORT COURSES (weighted at 60%)

*Applicants must complete NURSE 151 and NURSE 152 by summer quarter before starting the program. Students who have successfully completed NURSE 151 & NURSE 152 at the time of the application deadline will be awarded points toward ranking.  

NON-ACADEMIC METRICS: APPLICATION MATERIALS (weighted at 30%)

CULTURAL WEALTH & BONUS POINTS (weighted at 10%)

Office of Admissions Timelines

1. Associate Degree in Nursing Admissions Application and all supporting documents must be submitted to the Office of Admissions by Mar. 31.

   1. Associate Degree in Nursing Admissions Applications received after Mar. 31 may not be considered for the upcoming cohort.

   2. All students whose application materials (prerequisites and required documentation) are not complete may need to apply for the following year's cohort.

2. Applicant files will be reviewed by the Office of Admissions. A letter will be sent to applicants advising them of any missing documents. Incomplete applications turned in within three weeks before the application deadline are not guaranteed to receive notification from the Admissions Office prior to the application deadline. Therefore, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit application materials as soon as they are eligible to apply. Any required documents missing from the application packet will make your application ineligible for the current year and ineligible to receive a rollover point. 

3. The Associate Degree in Nursing Admissions Committee will meet after the deadline to determine admission to the fall cohort.

4. The admission letters for the ADN program will be sent via email (listed on the application) by the Admissions Department (not the Nursing Program). Students will be notified of their status before July 1st.

   a. Please do not contact Admissions or Nursing before July 1st about acceptance letters.

   b. After July 1st if you have not received notification of your status, you may contact Selective Admissions at 360-475-7206.

Admissions are granted for a specific cohort year, as noted in the acceptance letter. Students who have been offered admission but do not enter the program for the specific cohort year must submit a new application to be considered for a future cohort year in the ADN Program by the established deadline.

Eligible applicants not admitted must submit a new application by the Mar. 31 deadline for the next cohort year to be considered a rollover applicant. It is not necessary to resubmit official transcripts unless additional classes have been taken at institutions outside of Olympic College.

Students who have been offered admission will be required to attend mandatory ADN Program orientation sessions prior to the beginning of fall quarter. 

The Olympic College Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) Program includes clinical experiences in patient care at cooperating health care facilities. The clinical agencies require students to provide evidence of the following prior to beginning clinical experiences:

1. Current immunizations, uploaded to and confirmed by Nursing Program staff;

2. National Background Check, Washington State Patrol Background Check, and Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) background check within acceptable parameters of clinical agencies;

3. Annual criminal history disclosure;

4. Current Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers Certification (American Heart Association for the Healthcare Provider) that is valid through expected date of graduation;

5. Non-refundable liability and malpractice insurance (purchased through Olympic College fees);

6. Proof of personal health insurance; and

7. Learning modules and trainings as required by clinical facilities.

For more information, please see the Clinical Documentation Requirements link. 

Please do not turn in documents pertaining to items 1-7 above with your application. Applicants accepted into the ADN Program must attend a mandatory Clinical Documentation Orientation. We recommend that all applicants wait to start the documentation process until after attending the Clinical Documentation Orientation.

Applicants who have chronic health conditions or disabilities which require alterations to the program of study as approved by the Washington State Board of Nursing, or which prevent the practice of Practical Nursing with reasonable skill and safety, should be aware of the possibility that they may not be eligible to sit for the National Council Licensing Exam (NCLEX) or obtain a license to practice Nursing. Questions should be addressed directly to the Washington State Board of Nursing, Nurse Practice Advisor at 360-236-4725.