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.
Program Outcomes
Licensing Exam Pass Rate for First Time Takers (2016 most recent year)
National - 77.3%
New York - 74.15%
ECC - City - 95%
ECC - North - 91.11%
Completion Rate (graduation within 3 years of enrollment in Nursing Program)
City - 70%
North - 77%
Employment Rate (2016 graduates latest available data)
City - 92%
North - 100%
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 (5).
- All required sciences 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.
- It is recommended the completion of Anatomy and Physiology be done during a full academic semester.
- All applicants are required to take and pass the Nursing Admission Assessment Test (known as the A2 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 SUNY Erie 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 SUNY Erie 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. All pre-requisites and co-requisites in the Nursing program may be repeated only once if a grade below “C” or “W” (withdrawal) is received.
- It is strongly recommended 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. The 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. The Nursing application is to be completed online at https://www.ecc.edu/admissions/
- 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. Life Experience Assessment Program (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.
- SUNY Erie does NOT have a waiting list.
- Students who are not eligible to return to a previous nursing program are not eligible to enter the nursing program at SUNY Erie.
Entrance Exam
Sign up for A2 Entrance Exam is done through North Campus Nursing Department in room K218. Sign up must be done in person. To obtain 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 in process.
- Unofficial transcripts are accepted ONLY for the A2 sign up
- 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
All applicants are required to take the Health Education Services Inc. (HESI), Admission Assessment Exam (A2), which measures competencies in Math, English (Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and Grammar) and Anatomy & Physiology.
An applicant who does not attain a successful passing score of 75% for each section tested will have one opportunity to retake the Nursing entrance exam during a subsequent semester.
If you have already taken and passed our Nursing entrance exam within the last 5 years, you will not be required to retake it. If you are unsuccessful in attaining passing scores that is acceptable for admission to nursing, you may retake the exam only one (1) additional time.
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 SUNY Erie 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.
For transfer students, 30 credit hours must be completed ‘in residence’ at SUNY Erie.
A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required for graduation.
Any two failures (grade below “C”) or Withdrawal (“W”) in any of the following courses: NU116, NU117, NU126, NU127, NU236, NU237, NU246, or NU247 will result in dismissal from the Nursing program.
Students must complete all nursing courses within a three (3) year limit.
- 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 National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (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: 64.0