Program Description

The AS in Nursing (ASN) program is a "mobility program" which allows the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to advance their knowledge and skill for licensure and practice as a registered nurse (RN). This program is approved by the MnSCU system and Minnesota Board of Nursing. The program offers full-time and limited part-time options. Learners may apply for admission to either the campus-based program (which may use a combination of on-campus and internet-based courses) or to the on-line program which has some on-campus requirements. All learners will experience supervised clinical opportunities in caring for individuals in a variety of health care settings such as hospitals, long term care facilities, mental health, and other community settings.

To obtain an AS degree in nursing, the learner must successfully complete all required courses. After successful program completion, graduates apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination for the Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) to become a RN. The learner is taught the use of the nursing process at the registered nursing scope of practice for the maintenance of health and prevention of illness, for the observation and nursing care of persons experiencing changes in health status, and in the administration of prescribed medication and treatments. The successful RN possesses excellent communication skills required to educate clients and/or staff and consult with physicians and other members of the interdisciplinary health care team. The RN must possess sound clinical judgment, ethical decision-making, and abilities essential to safe and effective nursing practice as part of a health care team. The experienced RN delegates tasks to other personnel, assumes leadership and management roles, and supervises other team members.

Through an articulation agreement with the nursing program at Bemidji State University, interested graduates may continue their educational advancement through the Baccalaureate Degree completion program.

Admission Requirements

1. General College Requirements:
   • Official high school transcript or GED
   • Immunization forms
   • Accuplacer assessment or waiver (see #2 below)
   • Official transcripts from all colleges previously attended
     
2. Accuplacer assessment in reading/writing is waived for the ASN learner. Accuplacer assessment in math is required. Waivers, for math, may be granted in some cases (see the NTC Policy 3100-1-01 College Readiness Assessment).
3. PN Diploma or AAS Degree within the last 2 years or a letter from employer demonstrating the equivalent of 6 months work experience within the past 2 years.
4. Higher education cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher; applicants on academic probation or suspension will not be eligible for admission.
5. Biology (Anatomy & Physiology or Advanced Physiology) within past 7 years with earned grade of C or higher.
6. Chemistry, with a lab, and an earned grade of C or higher (1 year equivalent of high school or 1 semester college level).

Following program acceptance additional documentation is needed (acceptance is conditional until these requirements are met):

• Consent to Disclose/Allied Health Division Student Data form complete and on file.
• Background study completion upon program entry and annually thereafter. Evidence of "clearance" (approval to provide healthcare) must be on file prior to clinical courses. 
• Unencumbered LPN licensure upon acceptance or within 8 weeks of program start for recent PN graduates (or prior to the start of clinical courses, whichever comes first).
• CPR certification (either American Heart Association CPR for Healthcare Providers or the American Red Cross CPR for Professional Rescuers) current and maintained throughout the program.                                              

Competitive Admission

This program exercises a competitive process for admission. Each completed application file is assigned a number based on a 12-point scoring rubric. See the Competitive Admission Scoring Rubric for more information on this transcript based assessment. Program capacity is determined each spring. Applicants with the top rubric scores are admitted to the program.

Employment

Employment opportunities have experienced a major expansion in recent years. Graduates are currently employed in acute-care hospitals, state hospitals, long-term care facilities including nursing homes and rehabilitation hospitals, clinics and physicians' offices, group homes and child care centers, health care and public health agencies, armed services, school nursing, industry and private homes.