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Curriculum No. 366
*This nursing education program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.
This degree program prepares students to deliver high-quality, safe and cost-effective health care as a Registered Professional Nurse. Registered Professional Nursing is governed by the State of Illinois Nurse Practice Act 2007. It is designed to prepare the entry-level professional nurse to sit for the licensing examination for professional nurses (NCLEX-RN) after graduation. The Registered Professional Nurse advocates for patient safety through use of evidence- based practice, team work, ethics, technology and a focus on continuous quality improvement. The curriculum includes theory in communications, science and behavioral sciences as well as nursing. The Kishwaukee College Nursing Program curriculum utilizes the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) Institute competencies to provide an organizing framework for curriculum content.
The QSEN competencies include:
- Patient-centered care
- Teamwork and Collaboration
- Evidence-based Practice
- Quality Improvement
- Safety
- Informatics
A vital component of the curriculum is the supervised clinical experience provided in area hospitals and community agencies. The newly remodeled facilities which include classrooms, nursing labs, and a high fidelity simulation lab located within the Terry and Sherrie Martin Health Career Wing, provide a quality environment for learning in the 21st century. Requires 66 credit hours.
Interested individuals should attend an information meeting or contact the Director of Nursing for complete admission, selection, re-entrance, and graduation requirements. Program information is available online and in Student Services.
Specific policies, retention and promotion criteria and graduation requirements are included in the Nursing Student Handbook. A copy of the handbook is available on the College’s website www.kish.edu.
Admission Criteria
Enrollment in the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Program is limited to clinical site capacity. The Nursing Program typically admits 50 students in the Fall semester to start in the following Spring and 40 students in the Spring semester to start in the following Fall semester. All applications are evaluated without discrimination with regard to age, race, sex, creed, national origin, or disability.
A variable tuition rate per credit hour in addition to the standard tuition rate will be applied to all nursing courses in the ADN program which was effective January 2015.
Kishwaukee College welcomes all qualified applicants to apply to the nursing program between February 1st and 28th for a Fall admission and between September 1st and 30th for a Spring admission. Applications are available at information meetings, online, or in the kiosk outside of the Health Sciences Division office. Students within the Kishwaukee College district who meet all admission requirements are given priority to out of district applicants.
Admission to the Nursing Program is limited to a select cohort of students per semester; if applications exceed available spots available, qualified applicants will be placed on a waitlist. Application submissions should include all elements listed below in a sealed envelope with the applicant’s full name and Kishwaukee College ID number on the outside. Applications may be mailed or placed in the Health Sciences Division locked drop box outside of office B1222.
Prior to applying, attendance at a Nursing Program information session is recommended. Please check the website at www.kish.edu/nursing for dates, times and to fill out the registration form.
Admission Process
Admission into the Kishwaukee Associate Degree Nursing Program requires the applicant to:
1. Submit a completed Kishwaukee College admissions form to the Admissions Office, if not already enrolled as a Kishwaukee College student.
2. Submit official documentation of a high school diploma, high school equivalency certificate, and all other college/university transcripts and transfer credit to the Admissions Office.
3. Submit the Nursing program application and three completed reference forms to the Health Sciences Division Office after all requirements and pre-requisites have been completed OR while in the final semester of required pre-admission coursework. Requirements to apply for the Nursing program include:
a. Completion of BIO 103 and BIO 105 with grades of “B” or higher in the last five years. Students who have completed BIO 258/BIO 259 with grades of “C” or higher within the last five years may waive this requirement. If a student has not completed a Biology course within the last five years, they should meet with an academic advisor on which course(s) would be the best fit.
b. Completion of COM 100 or similar transferrable college course with a grade of “C” or higher.
c. Completion of ENG 103 or similar transferrable college course with a grade of “C” or higher.
d. Completion PSY 102 or similar transferable college course with a grade of “C” or higher.
e. Completion of a Tier 1 college level Math course, similar transferrable college course, higher level college math with a “C” or higher or appropriate placement scores. Math courses expire after five years. Placement scores expire after three years. Please consult with Advising on how to best meet this requirement.
f. Overall College GPA (Kishwaukee College and other transfer colleges) of 2.5 or above in all college level coursework.
g. ATI TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) Testing with a minimum composite score of 60.0%.
ATI TEAS Testing Information
Testing includes the areas of Reading, English, Math and Science. The testing link is located on the nursing website (www.atitesting.com). Testing is scheduled through the ATI testing website. Students are encouraged to test at Kishwaukee College. Testing sessions will be scheduled every 2 - 3 months. Students may test only once per session (or once every 60 days). Students who are unable to take the test at Kishwaukee must submit scores officially through ATI. (TEAS testing requires pre-registration and there is a cost to take the test. Current cost is $92 if taken through Kishwaukee College, and $120 if taken remotely through ATI; these fees are subject to change). Study guides are available for an additional cost at www.atitesting.com
Selection Process
Review of all applications will be conducted within two weeks of the end of each application period, unless otherwise publicized. Upon completion of that review, students will be divided into two categories:
1. Students who have completed ALL admission criteria will be considered first.
2. Students who have completed some admission criteria and/or some required program coursework but have not completed all will be considered next. This includes students who are currently completing required pre-admission coursework or have not yet received a 60% or higher on the TEAS exam.
Within each category, student applications will then be ranked using the following items to provide an overall score:
1. GPA in required Nursing pre-admission courses
2. TEAS test score
3. Quality of references received
Applicants may choose to complete all coursework required of the AAS degree in Nursing as part of the application process. Specifically, this includes courses BIO 258, BIO 259, BIO 213, and PSY 280. Applicants who have completed these courses program may receive additional consideration as part of the selection process. All Kishwaukee College course work must be maintained at a 2.0 GPA or above after completing the first semester of nursing if admitted.
Retention
General education courses may be completed prior to final admission. The ADN (Associate Degree in Nursing) courses must be completed within four years of the first admission. All Level II courses must be completed within a two-year time frame. Students who do not complete the Nursing program within the specified time frame are required to repeat all nursing courses for credit. A 2.0 GPA must be maintained in all Kishwaukee College courses once the transfer student enters Kishwaukee College.
Satisfactory completion of pre-nursing course work and first year course work as outlined below is required for Level II status. Level II status is necessary for enrollment in NUR 226 , NUR 227 , NUR 239 , NUR 249 and NUR 262 .
Students must earn “C” or higher grades in all nursing and general education courses included in the Nursing curriculum as one of the requirements for the Associate in Applied Science in Registered Nursing degree.