Associate Degree Nurse Program
General Information
The Lone Star College System offers a multiple entry/exit program of study in Associate Degree Nursing. The basic track and the LVN to ADN Transition track lead to an Associate of applied science degree in Nursing and eligibility to take the R.N. State Licensure Examination. The Professional Nursing Program and LVN to ADN Transition programs are accredited by the Board of Nurse Examiners (BNE) for the State of Texas. The Board of Vocational Nurse Examiners for the State of Texas (BVNE) is the accrediting board for the LVN exit track. The National League for Nursing accredits both the RN and LVN tracks for the ADN nursing.
Basic Track: Beginning nursing students are admitted in August of each year to pursue four sequential semesters of nursing courses. Classes include lecture, lab, and clinical. Attendance requirements are from 4-5 days per week.
HEALTH AND IMMUNIZATION STATUS
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Students must be physically and emotionally able to meet all program requirements including the rendering of safe nursing care in the clinical setting. These abilities involve lifting, moving, bathing and transferring patients in and out of bed, calculating medications, and being able to communicate clearly and effectively with patients and members of the health care team. Nursing care involves exposure to patients with infectious and blood-borne diseases. After enrollment, students must submit a record of current immunizations required by the Texas Board of Health Rules. The Hepatitis B vaccine is required for all Associate Degree Nursing students. Students must have a physical exam prior to the first day of clinical, which certifies that they are physically and emotionally capable of performing the duties of a nurse.
Students in the nursing program are strongly encouraged to carry a personal health policy. The College and clinical facilities are not responsible for any claims for expenses that result from an action of a student in the clinical setting. Although the clinical facilities provide access to acute emergency care in the event of an accident or injury to a student, the student is responsible for all expenses incurred. |
PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE
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| All nursing students are required to carry professional liability insurance. Fees collected at the time of registration cover the cost of a college student blanket policy with a major insurance carrier. |
PROGRESSION REQUIREMENTS
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To remain in good standing and progress within the ADN curriculum, students must (1) maintain a cumulative grade point of 2.0, and (2) attain a grade of "C" or better in each nursing and biology course. Students must successfully complete all concurrent courses to advance to the next level.
Standardized testing will be used throughout the nursing program to determine progression. Students who do not make acceptable scores will be required to remediate. Students will be required to make an acceptable score on a second exam following remediation. Students will be required to take nationally-normed tests throughout the curriculum and to make a satisfactory score on each test. In the last semester of the curriculum, students must achieve a satisfactory exit exam score in RNSG 2272 in order to pass the course and graduate from the program. Students scoring less than satisfactory score will be required to complete remediation and retesting. The student will receive an I "Incomplete" grade in RNSG 2272 until the exit exam is passed. The student will have until the end of the next long semester to remediate and pass the exam. Failure to pass the test during this time frame will result in failure of the course. All costs for the exam and remediation are the student's responsibility. |
GRADING POLICY
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| Students must complete all concurrent nursing courses with a C or better in order to progress to the next level. If a student earns a D or F in all concurrent nursing courses the grades earned will be recorded. If a student earns a D or F in one or two of the nursing courses, the grades for all three courses will be recorded as IP. The IP will remain on the transcript but will not jeopardize the GPA. |
READMISSION POLICY
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| Readmission is not automatic; it is based on remediation of problem areas and space available in the class. Students may only be readmitted to the program one time. If readmitted, the student must enroll in all concurrent courses and are required to adhere to CURRENT nursing program policies. Students who are unsuccessful in any first semester nursing course must reapply to the program. |
BOARD OF NURSE EXAMINERS REQUIREMENTS FOR LICENSURE
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The Board of Nurse Examiners (BNE) may refuse to admit persons to its licensure examination, OR may refuse to issue a license or certificate of registration to any individual with lack of fitness to practice by reason of mental or physical health or intemperate use of alcohol or drugs that could result in injury to patients or the public. The Board may also refuse to grant licensure to any individual with a history of a conviction. An individual enrolled or planning to enroll in a basic nursing program who has reason to believe that he/she is ineligible may petition the Board of Nurse Examiners (BNE) for a declaratory order as to eligibility. Contact the Board of Nurse Examiners at www.BNE.state.tx.us for additional information. All candidates for licensure will undergo DPS and FBI background checks.
In order to be eligible for licensure by the Board of Vocational Nurse Examiners (BVNE), those seeking an LVN license within the ADN program MEEP option must not have any records of felony. Applicants also must be high school graduates or have completed their GED. |