Nursing
Associate of Science in Nursing
Occupational Major
Department of Health Sciences
Founders Hall 112 • Phone (215) 968-8327
Curriculum Code No. 2035
The Program in Nursing offered at Bucks County Community College can be completed in two years if the student chooses to be a full-time student, or it can be completed on a part-time basis, and leads to an Associate of Science in Nursing Degree. Graduates of the Program are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX®RN). Further, the Nursing Program prepares graduates to function as beginning graduate nurses, and to assume entry-level positions as Registered Nurses in acute care and long-term care facilities, homes, clinics, physicians' offices, or other agencies established to meet health care needs. Program learning experiences prepare graduates for associate degree nursing practice, as defined and delineated by the nursing profession. Nursing functions require advanced technical skills, in addition to substantial scientific knowledge.
Nursing students must comply with the rules and policies as presented in the Associate Degree Nursing Student Handbook and Attendance Policy, in addition to those listed in the catalog. Students who meet criteria for readmission into the program must comply with the Nursing Student Handbook that is in place for the class to which they have been readmitted.
The Associate Degree Nursing Program is approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 2649, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2649.
The Associate Degree Nursing Program at Bucks County Community College located in Newtown, PA is accredited by the: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 · Atlanta, Georgia 30326 P. 404.975.5000. The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the Associate Degree nursing program is Continuing Accreditation.
Program Outcomes
Graduates of this program are able to:
- Incorporate nursing knowledge and principles and standards of quality care and safety into nursing practice to meet the health care needs of diverse patients across the lifespan;
- Utilize sound nursing judgment to provide clinically competent nursing care;
- Engage in inter-professional collaboration while utilizing communication, current technologies, and information literacy in the delivery of patient-centered care;
- Integrate leadership behaviors and appropriate management of care skills to facilitate positive patient outcomes; and
- Demonstrate professionalism, caring, legal, and ethical conduct with adherence to standards of nursing practice and guidelines.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the Program of Study
- All applicants must fulfill the College's admission requirements and the specific requirements for admission to the Nursing Program of Study.
- Meeting High School Requirements. All students must have a final official high school transcript on file in the Registrar's Office and must have a BCCC Student Number.
- All students must have completed work equal to a standard high school program with a minimum of 16 units (a unit is the equivalent of a year's worth of study). These requirements are:
- 4 Units of English
- 3 Units of Social Studies
- 2 Units of Science: 1 year of High School Chemistry with a grade of C or better or 70% and 1 year of High School Biology with a grade of C or better or 70%.
- 2 Units of Mathematics with a grade of C or better or 70% (one unit must be algebra)
- All students must have completed work equal to a standard high school program with a minimum of 16 units (a unit is the equivalent of a year's worth of study). These requirements are:
- All enrolled nursing students must be seen by their assigned Academic Advisor during the advising period in fall/spring.
- GED students must meet the same requirements.
- Students who do not meet the high school requirements must take the following courses:
- To satisfy the English requirement, a student must take the Writing Placement Test, and score a six (6) or complete COMP107 Introduction to Academic Writing with a grade of "C" or better. (NOTE: Prerequisite courses, as determined by College Placement Tests, need to be taken prior to enrollment in this course).
- To satisfy the Social Studies requirement, a student must complete PSYC110 Introduction to Psychology, OR SOCI110 Introduction to Sociology, OR a course listed under Arts/Humanities (as listed in the College Catalog).
- To satisfy the Science requirements, a student must complete BIOL181 Human Anatomy & Physiology I, with a B or better for a deficiency in Biology; CHEM101 Chemistry A for a chemistry deficiency. It is recommended that the student enroll in Biological Science 101 or 102 if seven years have lapsed since their last high school science course.
- To satisfy the Mathematics requirements, a student must take the placement test to determine the appropriate placement. The student needs to complete MATH095 with a C or better OR receive a score on the Math Placement Test of 5.
- Students who completed high school work in a foreign country must either:
- Have a course-to-course evaluation performed by one of the College-approved transcript evaluating agencies (information available in the Registrar's Office).
- Earn a "C" or better on the above College courses and a "B" in BIOL181 to meet high school requirements.
- Upon completion of the above requirements, and the student's request to Admissions, the curriculum code of 1108 Health Sciences, 2035 Nurse Potential will be assigned.
Conditional Acceptance into the Clinical Component of Nursing Requires that Students
- Fill out the Clinical Application Form. The application will be open between December 15 and February 15.
- Are currently enrolled in the College (has a BCCC Student Number) and have taken the three placement tests: Reading, Writing, and Math placement with scores on file.
- Meet high school requirements.
- Enroll/are enrolled in Curriculum Code of 2035 (Nursing), 1108 (Health Sciences), or 2035P (Health Science, Nurse Potential).
- Have a grade of B in BIOL181 (Anatomy & Physiology I), BIOL182 (Anatomy & Physiology II), and BIOL228 (Microbiology) and a C or better in ALL courses required in the Nursing Program of Study, if taken before applying for admission into the Clinical component of Nursing. All required courses, with a grade that does not meet the requirements of the AD nursing program, taken prior to entry into the clinical component of the Nursing Program, MUST be repeated before acceptance into the clinical component.
- Have taken BIOL181, BIOL182, BIOL 228, HLTH120N (Nutrition), and PSYC110 (Introduction to Psychology) within seven years prior to the start of the first clinical nursing course to be considered current and valid for admission.
- Have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 at BCCC.
- Have a standardized test score that meets the minimum criteria as outlined below:
- ATI-TEAS - must have minimum Academic Preparedness Level of PROFICIENT on a test taken within one year prior to the application deadline of February 15th, OR
- SAT - must have a minimum total score of 980 on test taken within five years prior to the application deadline of February 15th, OR
- ACT - must have a minimum score of 20 on test taken within five years prior to the application deadline of February 15th, OR
- All applicants must have an official acceptable standardized test score sent directly from the issuing institution (ATI, The College Board, or ACT), to our Registrar's Office by the application deadline and posted in the student planning module. It is each applicant's responsibility to be sure the standardized test score has been received by our Registrar's Office before the application deadline.
After meeting all the admission criteria, students who have completed the highest number of credits in the Nursing Program of Study at BCCC with a final grade of B in BIOL181, BIOL182, and BIOL228 and a C or better in other courses in the Program of Study, and are Bucks County Residents will be considered first.
After notification of conditional acceptance to the Clinical Component of the Nursing Program, the student will be required to submit the following documents to the Director of Associate Degree Nursing for full acceptance into the clinical component of the Nursing Program (Necessary paperwork is provided and discussed at the mandatory orientation):
- Current Driver's License
- Current CPR certification (BCLS course)
- Current Health examination with tuberculosis screening
- Current Immunizations record
- Current State Police criminal check and FBI check that shows the applicant is felony free for ten years. This requirement is related to the Nurse Practice Act (Act No. 185-109) of Pennsylvania which states "… The Board of Nursing shall not issue a license or certificate to an applicant who has been convicted of a felonious act prohibited by the Act of April 14, 1972 (P.L. 233, No. 64), known as "The Controlled substance, Drug Device and Cosmetic Act", or convicted of a felony related to a controlled substance in a court of law of the United States or any other state, territory or country, unless: at least ten years have elapsed from the date of conviction…" In addition, applicants must be free of Prohibitive Offenses (which includes certain drug and substance abuse violations) as found in the Pennsylvania Older Adult Protective Services Act 169 of 1996 and as amended by Act 13 of 1997, within their lifetime. The student must not have been convicted of a driving under the influence of intoxicating liquors and/or drugs within five years of participation in the program. In the event a student is permitted to participate in the program and then it is learned that the student does not meet the criteria as set forth herein, the student will be immediately removed from the program. The student must self-disclose any arrest after their acceptance in the Clinical Component.
- Current FBI fingerprint clearance
- Current Child Abuse clearance, which demonstrates student is child abuse activity free in their lifetime
- Current negative drug and alcohol screen
- Student Profile Packet and Permission Forms
- Complete COVID Vaccination Status
- Other requirements that may be dictated by current clinical affiliations
Prior to starting the second year, students must re-submit the following to the Director of Associate Degree Nursing:
- Current CPR certification
- Current State Police criminal check and FBI check demonstrating the above
- Current tuberculosis screening test results
- Current negative drug and alcohol screening
- Student Profile Packet and Permission Forms
- Other requirements that may be dictated by current clinical
Progression through and completion of the nursing program requirements
- A grade of C defined as 73% (on available testing) or better in all required nursing courses, which also includes a grade of satisfactory laboratory and clinical performance and attendance. Students who do not earn a minimum grade of 73% will receive a D+.
- A grade of C or better in all required non-nursing courses and a B in BIOL181, BIOL182, and BIOL228.
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75.
- Students failing to meet the above criteria are dismissed from the Program. The student must apply for readmission, which is granted on a space available basis. Students, who meet criteria for readmission into the program, must comply with the Nursing Student Handbook that is in place for the class to which they have been readmitted.
- Nursing students must comply with the rules and policies as presented in the Nursing Student Handbook, in addition to those listed in the BCCC catalog.
- A student may only repeat one clinical nursing course. Any attempt in a nursing course is considered unsuccessful if not completed with a 73% including any withdrawal. The student must reapply for admission and conditional acceptance is on a space available basis. Students who meet criteria for readmission into the program must comply with the Nursing Student Handbook that is in place for the class to which they have been readmitted.
Degree Course Requirements*
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| ADRN110 Introduction to Professional Nursing A,C,F,6 | 3 |
| ADRN111 Foundations of Nursing Practice F,G | 4 |
| ADRN112 Adult and Family Nursing I F,G,J | 5 |
| ADRN113 Health Assessment in Nursing F,J | 3 |
| ADRN114 Pharmacology in Nursing F | 3 |
| ADRN210 Adult and Family Nursing II F,G,J | 7 |
| ADRN211 Adult and Family Nursing III E,F,G,J,9 | 8 |
| ADRN212 Transition into Nursing Practice F,J,5 | 4 |
| BIOL181 Human Anatomy and Physiology I A,F,7 | 4 |
| BIOL182 Human Anatomy and Physiology II B,F | 4 |
| BIOL228 Microbiology B,F | 4 |
| COLL101 Orientation to College | 1 |
| COMP110 English Composition I A,C,F,2,10 | 3 |
| COMP111 English Composition II D,F,2,4,10 | 3 |
| HLTH120N Nutrition A,I,K | 3 |
| PSYC110 Introduction to Psychology C,D,F,2,3,8 | 3 |
| SOCI110 Introduction to Sociology E,2,3,8 | 3 |
| Arts/Humanities H,1 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 68 |
Recommended Semester Sequence
The recommended course sequence is designed for full-time students. Students may complete program requirements based on placement testing and preferred course load, on a part-time basis. Most students complete many of the non-nursing courses before acceptance to the clinical portion of the program but are not required to do so. Once accepted to the clinical courses, nursing and non-nursing courses must be completed in the semester sequence order listed below.
First Semester
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| ADRN110 Introduction to Professional Nursing A,C,F,6 | 3 |
| ADRN111 Foundations of Nursing Practice F,G | 4 |
| BIOL181 Human Anatomy and Physiology I A,F,7 | 4 |
| COLL101 Orientation to College | 1 |
| COMP110 English Composition I A,C,F,2,10 | 3 |
| HLTH120N Nutrition A,I,K | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 18 |
Second Semester
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| ADRN112 Adult and Family Nursing I F,G,J | 5 |
| ADRN113 Health Assessment in Nursing F,J | 3 |
| BIOL182 Human Anatomy and Physiology II B,F | 4 |
| BIOL228 Microbiology B,F | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours | 16 |
Third Semester
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| ADRN114 Pharmacology in Nursing F | 3 |
| ADRN210 Adult and Family Nursing II F,G,J | 7 |
| COMP111 English Composition II D,F,2,4,10 | 3 |
| PSYC110 Introduction to Psychology C,D,F,2,3,8 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 16 |
Fourth Semester
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| ADRN211 Adult and Family Nursing III E,F,G,J,9 | 8 |
| ADRN212 Transition into Nursing Practice F,J,5 | 4 |
| SOCI110 Introduction to Sociology E,2,3,8 | 3 |
| Arts/Humanities H,1 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 18 |
A Must be taken before or with ADRN111.
B Must be taken before or with ADRN112.
C Placement testing required.
D Must be taken before or with ADRN210.
E Must be taken before or with ADRN212.
F Course requires prerequisite.
G Must be CPR certified prior to enrollment.
H Consult the list of courses approved
for this subcategory . Any course may be chosen.
I HLTH120N is taught by a registered dietician as required by the PA State Board of Nursing
J Course requires co-requisite.
K HLTH120 cannot be substituted for HLTH120N
1 Satisfies Arts/Humanities.
2 Satisfies Critical Thinking.
3 Satisfies Diversity.
4 Satisfies Information Literacy.
5 Satisfies Oral Communication.
6 Satisfies Quantitative Literacy.
7 Satisfies Scientific Literacy.
8 Satisfies Social Sciences.
9 Satisfies Technological Competence.
10 Satisfies Writing.
Credits exceeding the required minimum cannot be used to satisfy required credits in other course requirements.
The Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing has approved the Program as stated. An I, D, or F, grade in ADRN, prerequisite or corequisite courses will prevent progression.