Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Preparation for RN (AAS)

The Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) is a two-year program which prepares graduate professional nurses to utilize clinical judgment to provide safe, evidence-based and patient-centered care for the benefit of the community. The graduate of the WCJC ADN program is prepared to meet the differentiated essential competencies (DECs) at the associate degree level as defined by the Texas Board of Nursing in four major roles: member of the profession, provider of patient-centered care, patient safety advocate, and member of the health care team. General education courses as well as nursing courses are included in the curriculum and are transferable to many four-year colleges that offer baccalaureate degrees in nursing.

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are qualified to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The program is approved by the Texas Board of Nursing (BON). The program is fully accredited by the National League of Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation.

The ADN program has limited enrollment. Admission to the program is by a competitive ranking process. Students are accepted:

1. Fall semester for Wharton campus
2. Spring semester for Sugar Land campus

Application packet for Wharton campus is published online in November.

• Wharton campus application packet deadline is the third Wednesday of March.

Application packet for Sugar Land campus is published online in April.

• Sugar Land campus application packet deadline is the third Wednesday of August.

Application/Admission Requirements

1. Application and current admission to WCJC.
2. Must have all components of Texas Success Initiative (TSI) satisfied prior to application.
3. Complete application to the ADN program.
4. If applicant has attended any institution other than WCJC, the applicant must request a transcript evaluation through the Office of Admissions and Registration. This must be completed at least one (1) month prior to the application deadline. (Office of Admissions and Registration must have official transcript from each college attended.)
5. A copy of the transcript from each college, including WCJC, must be included with the Associate Degree Nursing application packet.
6. Admission Test:
   ​TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills)
   1. Applicants with a minimum score of 70% in Reading, 70% in Math, and 70% in Science will receive application points. Applicants may retake any section to achieve the 70%.
   2. All exam component results must be within two (2) years.
7. The following prerequisite courses must be completed by the application deadline with a grade of “C” or higher and an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher in prerequisite courses.
   1. BIOL 2401 - Anatomy & Physiology I  
   2. PSYC 2301 - General Psychology  
   3. PSYC 2314 - Life Span Growth & Development  
   4. ENGL 1301 - Composition I  
8. Hepatitis B vaccination:
   1. Applicants who have had the Hepatitis B vaccine series must submit proof of completion in the application packet.
   2. Applicants who have not received the Hepatitis B vaccine series must submit proof that the vaccine has been started with the application packet.
      1. For fall admission must have been started by February 1^st
      2. For spring admission must have been started by July 1^st
9. Statement of Student Responsibility completed and signed.
10. Letter of Good Standing: 
    If you have previously enrolled in any nursing program, you must provide a letter from the program director stating you are a student in good standing and are eligible for readmissions to that program.
11. Must have all components of application packet complete and turned in by deadline to be processed for admission.

Competitive Ranking Process

Acceptance to the Associate Degree Nursing program is a competitive ranking process based on points awarded for designated criteria. Meeting all of the criteria does not guarantee anyone admission to the program.

Criteria for points includes but not limited to:

1. Proof of completion of prerequisite courses by stated deadline. Grade must be a “C” or higher and an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher in prerequisite courses. There is no time frame on prerequisite courses.
   1. BIOL 2401 - Anatomy & Physiology I  
   2. PSYC 2301 - General Psychology  
   3. PSYC 2314 - Life Span Growth & Development  
   4. ENGL 1301 - Composition I  
2. Proof of completion of general education courses required for Associate Degree submitted in application packet. Grade must be a “C” or higher and an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher in general education courses. There is no time frame on general education courses.
   1. BIOL 2402 - Anatomy & Physiology II  
   2. BIOL 2420 - Microbiology  
   3. Humanities/Fine Arts Elective, per WCJC catalog
3. TEAS examination results with a minimum score of 70% in Reading, 70% in Math, and 70% in Science.
4. Proof of completion of specific course work toward a RN-BSN transition program with a minimum grade of “C”.
   1. ENGL 1302 - Composition II  
   2. MATH 1342 - Elementary Statistical Methods  
   3. HIST 1301 - United States History I  
   4. HIST 1302 - United States History II  
   5. GOVT 2305 - Federal Government (Federal Constitution & Topics)  
   6. GOVT 2306 - Texas Government (Texas Constitution & Topics)  
   7. SPCH 1315 - Public Speaking  or
      SPCH 1318 - Interpersonal Communication  
   8. CHEM 1405 - Introductory Chemistry I  or
      CHEM 1411 - General Chemistry I  
   9. Humanities/Fine Arts Elective, per WCJC catalog
   10. BIOL 1322 - Nutrition & Diet Therapy  
   11. PHED 1164 - Introduction to Physical Fitness & Wellness  or
       PSYC 1300 - Learning Framework /EDUC 1300 - Learning Framework  

Conditional Acceptance - Notification Letters

Utilizing the point award ranking process, a ranked list is generated from the applications which met the above criteria. Conditional acceptance letters, alternate conditional acceptance letters, and nonacceptance letters are emailed. Please ensure to provide a valid email address when applying to the program. Applicants who receive conditional acceptance letters and/or alternate conditional acceptance letters must respond to the letter by the stated deadline. If a potential applicant declines, an alternate is placed into the opening.

Full Acceptance

Full acceptance to the ADN program is contingent upon the applicant complying with the following:

1. Must attend Associate Degree Nursing mandatory orientation.
2. Must receive eligibility approval from Texas Board of Nursing (BON) to take the NCLEX-RN without any restrictions or conditions.
   1. Applicant will be required to have a FBI/DPS fingerprinting and criminal background check completed. Instructions for obtaining the fingerprinting and background check are provided after the student has responded to the conditional acceptance or alternate letter.
   2. If there is something in the background check that cannot be resolved by the mandatory program orientation date, the applicant will not be able to begin the program. Once the issue is resolved and the student applicant has received approval from the BON without any restrictions or conditions, applicant is eligible to reapply to the program.
   3. Cost of the background check is at the applicant’s expense; cost is approximately $55.00.
3. Must create a Castle Branch account and upload all documentation. Instructions for creating the Castle Branch account are provided after the applicant has received their background check back from the Texas Board of Nursing (BON). The following must be uploaded into the Castle Branch account once completed:
   1. Must complete health data form which is provided to the applicant.
   2. Must provide titers showing immunity for the following immunizations:
      1. Hepatitis B
      2. Varicella
      3. MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
   3. Must provide documentation showing proof of required immunizations.
      1. Tetanus, Diphtheria & Pertussis (Tdap) adult dose within the last ten years
      2. Hepatitis B series
      3. MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
      4. Varicella
      5. Flu vaccine (current season)
   4. Must provide documentation of annual TB skin test (positive results will require follow-up).
   5. Must provide copy of current CPR certification by the American Heart Association in Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers.

Drug Screen

Drug screens are scheduled at random intervals during the program. Drug screens must initially be negative and remain negative to continue in the program. If results are positive at any time, student is dismissed from the program. Refusal to submit to a drug screen will result in dismissal from the program. Cost of the drug screen is at the student’s expense; cost is approximately $50.00 each screening.

Sequential Curriculum

The grading scale for the Associate Degree program is as follows:

A = 90 - 100
B = 80 - 89
C = 75 -79
D = 65 - 74
F = below 65

The curriculum of the Associate Degree Nursing program is sequential; therefore, a student must achieve a minimum grade of 75 in each nursing course to receive credit for the course and progress to the next sequence of courses.

Expenses

Estimated costs of tuition, textbooks, fees, diagnostic tests, uniforms, insurance, supplies, (laboratory and simulation), equipment and graduation expenses are approximately $9,900 for in-district students and $12,000 for out-of-district students for the two-year period.

Scholarships are available and applicants may contact the Financial Aid Office for information. Applicants should submit a FAFSA to be eligible for financial aid.