Mar 28, 2024  
Fall 2015 Catalog 
    
Fall 2015 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Nursing, A.A.S.


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Degree: Associate in Applied Science
HEGIS Code: 5208.1
Curriculum Code: 0622

Campus Location: City (January Admittance), North (September Admittance Only)
Health Sciences Division

 

Pre-Admission Recommendations: Please see admission requirements listed below.
Recommended High School Courses and/or Experiences: Health Care Experience, Biology, Algebra
Career Opportunities/Further Education:
Hospitals, Public Health Agencies, Nursing Homes, Physicians’ Offices, Home Health Care, Schools Military, Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Educator

 

Program Description

Recent advances in science, medicine and technology have resulted in new responsibilities and new requirements for today’s registered nurses. Nurses are essential members of the health care team, qualified to give client-centered, competent nursing care. Nurses today, dealing with people living in a complex, dynamic society, are concerned with the whole person - mind, body and soul.

The Nursing curriculum combines nursing and general education courses with selected laboratory experiences, during which students provide nursing care to clients in hospitals and other health care facilities. Program courses cover medical/surgical, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics and psychiatric nursing, utilizing current technologies. The nursing specific classes are complemented with studies in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, pharmacology, psychology, sociology, English composition and literature. Although the Nursing curriculum is designed to be completed in two academic years, students may take a longer time to fulfill their degree requirements, depending on individual circumstances.

Graduates find employment as registered nurses in hospitals, public health agencies, nursing homes, extended care facilities, home health care agencies, government health agencies, schools, military, law offices and other health care facilities.

Accreditation

Accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) formally the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Inc., 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326, Phone: 404.975.5000, Fax: 404.975.5020, www.acenursing.org.

Program Competencies

Professional Behaviors
Develop a commitment to the profession of nursing.

Adheres to the standards of professional practice, is accountable for own actions and behaviors, and practices nursing within the legal, ethical, and regulatory frameworks.

Communication
Communicate verbally, non-verbally, in writing, or through information technology.

Utilizes effective communication skills which include caring, compassion, and cultural awareness. This includes verbal, non-verbal, and written communication.

Assessment
Demonstrate assessment of clients’ health status by collecting, analyzing, and synthesizing relevant data.

Provides comprehensive, holistic assessment which includes developmental, emotional, psychosocial, cultural, spiritual, and functional status.

Clinical Decision Making
Formulate clinical judgments through the performance of accurate assessments and the analysis and integration of knowledge and information.

Utilizes effective decision making skills which result in finding solutions, individualizing care, and assuring the delivery of accurate, safe care that moves the patient toward positive outcomes.

Caring Interventions
Demonstrate caring interventions to assist clients in meeting their needs.

Utilizes behaviors and actions that assist clients in meeting their needs, and that are based on knowledge and understating of the natural sciences, behavioral sciences, nursing theory, nursing research, and past nursing experiences.

Teaching/Learning
Provide health education to clients to promote and maintain health and reduce risks.

Designs teaching that encompasses the provision of health education to promote and facilitate informed decision making, achieve positive outcomes, and support self-care activities.

Collaboration
Work collaboratively with clients and other members of the health care team to achieve client and organizational outcomes.

Shares planning, decision making, and problem solving with the patient, significant support persons, peers, other members of the health care team, and community agencies.

Managing Care
Manage client care through the efficient use of human, physical, financial and technological resources.

Effectively uses human, physical, financial, and technological resources to meet patient needs and support organizational outcomes.

Admission Requirements
 

  • High school graduate or HSE (High School Equivalency).
  • Academic high school average of 86 percent minimum or above within the last five years for applicants without any college credit.
  • A minimum GPA of 3.0 at all undergraduate colleges attended within the last five years and completion of BI 150 and BI 151 with a minimum grade of “C” within the last five years. BI 150, BI 151, BI 152 and BI 153 are pre-requisites to matriculation into the evening program. BI 150, BI 151, BI 152, BI 153, BI 230 and BI 231 also must be taken within five years.
  • All applicants are required to take and pass the entrance exam. An applicant who is unsuccessful will have one more opportunity to retake the entrance exam during a subsequent semester. Two failures of the entrance exam will deem the student as ineligible for the program.
  • Applicants must pass the ECC Math Placement Test at a higher level than MT 006. (If not successful, applicant must complete and pass MT 006 or have received a waiver from the Math Department.) Any math developmental course must be successfully completed with a minimum passing grade of “C”. Developmental courses may be repeated only once, including grades of “W” (Withdrawal).
  • Applicants must pass the ECC English Placement Test at the EN110 level or above or have received a waiver from the English Department. Any English developmental course must be successfully completed with a minimum passing grade of “C”. Developmental courses may be repeated only once, including grades of “W” (Withdrawal).
  • A minimum grade of “C” is required in all developmental courses, pre-requisites, co-requisites and required nursing courses (except MT 111-Math Dosage where a minimum grade of 80 percent (B-) is required).
  • It is strongly recommended that interested students meet with a health science counselor as admission into the program is based on academic qualifications and space availability. Students should initiate and complete processing of all transfer credits for any courses indicated in the Nursing Curriculum Outline while in General Studies and before acceptance into the Nursing Program. Students should meet with a General Studies adviser for advisement and processing of transfer credits. Acceptance into General Studies does not guarantee future entrance into the Nursing Program.
  • Nursing at North Campus admits students for days and evenings in September. Application deadline date for North Campus is February 15. Nursing on City Campus admits students for days only in January. Admission deadline date for City Campus is September 15.
  • For alternate admission deadline dates for RN Transition from LPN/Medical Military personnel classes, please consult the Nursing Department at North or City Campus. A specialized first semester RN Transition course for LPNs or Medical Military personnel (NU 120) may be offered at alternate times. For LPNs, a current New York State LPN license is required to take NU 120. For Medical Military personnel, transcripts will be individually evaluated for eligibility by the Nursing Department and assessed for appropriate departmental transfer credit. LEAP credit must be completed before the start of the second Nursing semester.
  • Meeting program admission requirements does NOT guarantee acceptance into the nursing program.
  • Admission is also based on the academic qualifications of the student and space availability.
  • Completion of ALL admission criteria are required prior to deadline date in order to be considered for the designated term.
  • If you apply after the deadline date OR if you did not receive a seat due to space availability you must submit a Nursing application for the following term to be reconsidered.
  • ECC does not have a waiting list.
  • Students who are not eligible to return to a previous nursing program due to failure of nursing courses are not eligible to enter the nursing program at ECC.

Entrance Exam

Sign up for A2 Entrance Exam is done through the Nursing department at the north campus in K218 and must be done in person. To obatin information on upcoming exam dates, please call (716) 851-1357.

You must provide the following information to be eligible for the A2 Exam:

  • two forms of picture ID;
  • show successful (C or better) completion of Anatomy and Physiology. (BI 150 151) If applying to the evening Nursing Program you will need to have the Anatomy and Physiology II (BI 152 153) successfully completed (C or better) or show currently taking. Unofficial transcripts are accepted;
  • minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher; and
  • LPN students must show proof of current license.

Seating is limited for each exam and registration is on a first come, first served basis.

Faculty Scoring Guide

A2 Content Exams
Reading Comprehension: 47-item exam. Provides reading scenarios in order to measure reading comprehension, including: identifying the main idea, finding meaning of words in context, passage comprehension, making logical inferences, etc. The reading scenarios pop up on the screen. Students can move around the windows to see the entire scenario. Grammar: 50-item exam. Contains basic grammar, including: parts of speech, important terms and their uses in grammar, and commonly occurring grammatical errors. Vocabulary and General Knowledge: 50 item exam. Contains basic vocabulary that is often used in health care fields. Math: 50-item exam. Focuses on math skills needed for health care fields, including basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, fractions, decimals, ratio and proportion, household measures, and general math facts that are useful, for example, when calculating drug dosages and solutions.  Anatomy and Physiology: 30 item exam. Provides coverage of general terminology and anatomical structures and systems.

Learning Style/Personality Profile
Learning Styles: 14-item assessment of preferred learning style. Personality Style: 15-item assessment of personality related to preferred learning style. Students receive a printout with study tips based on their learning style and personality profile.

Admission/Progression Criteria
All developmental, pre-requisites, co-requisites and nursing courses may be repeated only once if a grade below “C” or “W” (Withdrawal) is received. Pre-requisites, co-requisites and electives may be taken at any ECC campus day or evening.

Progression/Graduation Criteria
Nursing courses are sequenced in a specific manner to enable students to attain program competencies. All required courses must be passed each semester in order to advance to the following semester. Nursing courses must be taken in the prescribed sequence. Non-nursing co-requisite courses may be taken in advance but may not be taken later than the prescribed program sequence. Any two failures (grade below “C”) or Withdrawal (W) in any of the following courses: NU 116, NU 117, NU 120, NU 126, NU 127, NU 236, NU 237, NU 246 and NU 247 will result in dismissal from the Nursing Program. BLS Health Care Provider certification is required prior to entering Level II (NU127-Lab for NU126) and must be continuously maintained throughout the program. Instructors may give an Incomplete grade to a student who has satisfactorily completed at least three quarters of the required work for a course but because of a personal emergency finds it impossible to finish the coursework within the usual time frame. Students must complete all nursing courses within a three-year limit. Failure to meet requirements from clinical facilities may preclude completion of the Nursing Program.

Department Notes
 

  • Additional fee requirements may include an individual malpractice insurance fee, nursing evaluation fee and others.
  • A physical examination is required annually to ensure that the student is capable of completing the clinical requirements. An incomplete or unacceptable physical exam may result in dismissal from the program.
  • Students entering Nursing are strongly recommended to receive immunization against Hepatitis B.
  • Nursing students must be compliant with the college immunization requirements. The college reserves the right to deny progression in the Nursing Program when students have incomplete or unacceptable physical exam reports.
  • Students are responsible for providing transportation to off-campus clinical/community agencies utilized for clinical nursing laboratory courses.
  • Students are responsible to meet all requirements and/or costs associated with clinical agencies.
  • Failure to meet requirements from clinical facilities may preclude completion of the nursing program.
  • Nursing course activities/clinical may be scheduled during the day, evening or weekend hours.
  • Students may be excluded from clinical lab experiences when in the judgment of the college they are unable to provide safe nursing care or have demonstrated unprofessional behavior.
  • Graduates of the Nursing Program are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN Licensing Examination. As needed, consultation with the New York State Education Department is suggested for details regarding the legal limitations to licensure in New York State.

Curriculum

Total Degree Credits: 65.0

Level I – First Semester


RN Transition


Level II-Second Semester


Level III-Third Semester


Level IV-Fourth Semester


Note:


* BI 150 and BI 151 are pre-requisites to matriculation if the student does not meet the initial admission criteria. BI 150, BI 151, BI 152 and BI 153 are pre-requisites for entrance into the Evening Nursing program. Students who are working are strongly encouraged to complete all co-requisites before entering.

The Nursing curriculum contains New York State mandated content in infection control and child abuse.

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