INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS
TO THE
PRACTICAL NURSE/ASSOCIATE DEGREE OPTION IN NURSING (PNAD)
AT
RARITAN VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
SUMMER 2012 & SUMMER 2013
CONTENTS
I.
OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM
II.
APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION TO THE COLLEGE (PRE-CLINICAL)
III.
QUALIFYING FOR THE ADMISSION LIST
IV.
ADMISSION TO CLINICAL NURSING COURSES (NURS 130)
V.
OTHER INFORMATION
I.
OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM
The Practical Nurse-Associate Degree (PNAD) Option in Nursing at Raritan Valley Community
College is a special program designed for currently licensed LPNs in the State of New Jersey
who wish to continue their studies at the Associates Degree level and qualify to take the NCLEX
exam for Registered Nursing Licensure (RN). The program builds upon the education and
experience already gained in the student’s PN career. Only students with an overall GPA of
3.25 (85%) or higher from their accredited LPN program will be accepted. Students who do
not meet this requirement may apply to the generic RN program.
The program consists of nursing and non-nursing academic courses. The nursing program
begins with NURSING TRANSITIONS (NURS 130), a full-time day course offered in the
Summer. This is followed by two semesters (fall and spring) of clinical nursing courses which
comprise the second year of the generic nursing program at RVCC. Students may be placed into
the day or evening program, as space allows. The clinical courses must be taken in sequence.
The non-nursing academic courses may be taken in any semester and do not require special
permission. Due to the difficulty of the clinical nursing courses, most students complete the nonnursing academic courses required for the degree prior to the start of the clinical course
sequence.
The program requires a minimum enrollment of 15 students. Usually between 20 – 25 seats are
available for the first summer nursing course (NURS 130). The upper limit is determined at the
end of each Spring semester. If there are fewer qualified applicants for the PNAD option than
needed, the program will not be offered that year.
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The challenges of the Nursing program must be seriously considered by all applicants. Due to
the intense and strenuous level of study and the time commitment required, students should not
be concurrently employed full-time, if possible. In addition, students with family responsibilities
should anticipate that some rearrangement of daily schedules and household responsibilities may
be necessary to allow sufficient time for classes, clinical practice, learning lab, and independent
study.
Qualified students who work or live in Somerset and Hunterdon Counties are offered seats prior
to out-of-county qualified applicants.
II.
APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION TO THE COLLEGE (PRE-CLINICAL)
To be accepted into the PNAD option of the Nursing program applicants must send Enrollment
Services all of the following items:
A. Completed admission application indicating Nursing-PNAD Option as intended program of
study
B. Application fee
C. All OFFICIAL transcripts from:
1. Any prior college attended,
2. High School or proof of high school equivalency (GED);
3. LPN program showing that they have graduated from an accredited Practical Nursing
Program in the United States and have attained an overall GPA of at least 3.25 (85%)
D. Immunization record showing two doses of Measles, Mumps and Rubella and 3 doses of
Hepatitis B according to State of NJ Dept. of Health requirements (for full time students)
E. Recommendation Form from their LPN school stating that they have passed the PNNCLEX and are a currently registered Practical Nurse (LPN) in the State of New Jersey
F. Work History Form that shows that they have worked full-time as an LPN for three out of
the last five years (if the applicant graduated from a PN program more than five years ago)
or 6 months for new graduates.
G. Acknowledgement form stating that they have read this packet, Information for Applicants
to the Practical Nurse-Associate Degree (PNAD) option in Nursing.
III.
QUALIFYING FOR THE ADMISSION LIST
Students must attend a Nursing Information Session to obtain current admission information
and an Application to Clinical. Only applicants who have submitted an Application to
Clinical to the Nursing program by January 31, 2012 for Summer 2012, and December
31, 2012 for Summer 2013 will be considered for the summer course. PNAD applicants must
have a complete RVCC application on file and meet each of the following requirements in
order to be considered qualified for admission to clinical courses:
A. Hold a current LPN license in the State of New Jersey
B. Have the required average (85% or 3.25) from an accredited LPN program
C. Complete college level laboratory courses in Anatomy and Physiology I & II with a grade
of “C” or better. Each course must be four (4) college credits.
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Nursing program policy states: “A student shall be dismissed from the Nursing Program
if they fail two required Science Courses, two Nursing Courses, or one Science Course and
one Nursing Course with a grade of D, F, W, or AU after the 10th day of class.”
This policy is amended for PNAD students. If a PNAD applicant received two grades of D,
F, W, or AU in required science courses prior to completion of their LPN program, they
will be admitted and granted one chance to succeed in the clinical program.
C. Complete any developmental course required in reading and writing, including ESL
(English as a Second Language) courses.
D. Demonstrate proficiency in mathematics through Elementary Algebra (MATH 022 and
MATH 023 at RVCC). Intermediate Algebra is also recommended, but not required.
E. Demonstrate computer literacy by successful completion of CISY 102, 103, 105, or
equivalent. Applicants may take a proficiency exam for this requirement. This requirement
must have been completed within five (5) years prior to application. Older courses will not
be accepted for transfer.
F. Hold an overall GPA of 2.75 or higher at RVCC. Applicants with prior college experience
only from a school other than RVCC must have an overall GPA of at least 2.75 from the
last college attended. Those with a lower GPA may qualify by completing at least six
credits at RVCC with an overall GPA of 2.75 or above.
G. Complete the ATI LPN STEP Test with an acceptable score.
IV. ADMISSION TO CLINICAL NURSING COURSES (NURS 130)
A. All applicants who have submitted an Application to Clinical and are qualified (see section
III) will be put on the Admission List and given a number. List numbers will be noted in
acceptance letters mailed out within 45 days of the deadline. The date of qualification and
county residency determines the applicant’s number on the list. If more than one student
qualifies on a specific date (e.g. the end of a semester), the student’s date of application to
RVCC as a PNAD Nursing major will be used to determine placement on the list.
B. The first 20 students will be offered a seat in NURS 130. Applicants with numbers above 20
will be offered admission, in list order, on a space available basis.
C. Admission Requirements
1. Attend Health Maintenance Meeting- several sessions will be offered each spring to
provide incoming students with information about what is required before beginning
clinical courses, such as:
 Liability Insurance – the student must submit proof of liability insurance
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Health Maintenance Form - the student must submit a satisfactory and complete
Health Maintenance Form to the Health Maintenance Coordinator by the deadline
given at the meeting.
Pharmacology Calculation Placement Test – the student must take the test before
the second 7-week session of the Spring semester (mid-March). Enrollment in a
Pharmacology Calculation course in the second 7-week session is required for
students who do not pass with the required score.
Criminal History Background Check- Each student must complete a Criminal
History Background Check (CHBC). Students will be given instructions about
information to submit to the CHBC agency. Any record containing serious
charges will be evaluated and the student will be contacted.
2. Prompt Registration – Registration forms and information will be mailed during the
registration period for the Summer session. The student must register for NURSING
TRANSITION (NURS 130) in person during the specified registration period (current
LPN license must be presented at time of registration). Anyone who does not
register by the deadline indicated in the registration mailing will be removed from the
Admission List.
3. Maintain 2.75 GPA and adhere to Nursing policy regarding 2 failures (D,W, F, AU) in
required science courses. Any student whose GPA falls below 2.75 may be removed
from the Admission List.
D. Qualified students who are not directly admitted to NURS 130 because all slots have been
filled remain on the admission list. If seats become available, students will be called in
sequence. If a student does not respond to an offer of admission within two weeks, the
student will be removed from the list and the next student will be called. Students may also
be removed if their GPA falls below 2.75, or they are placed on academic alert, suspended or
have any other college action taken against them while on the list.
E. If it is not possible to offer admission to clinical to all applicants on the list for a particular
year, those students must reapply for the following year.
V. OTHER INFORMATION
A. OUT OF COUNTY APPLICANTS: Qualified applicants who live or work in Somerset and
Hunterdon Counties have priority for admission to clinical at all times. Qualified out-ofcounty applicants may be considered for admission to clinical only if no qualified applicants
from Somerset and Hunterdon Counties are available.
B. ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER OF RECORD: The nursing program will use the
address and phone number listed on the student’s record. It is the student’s responsibility to
ensure that any changes are promptly updated with the college.
Revised 01/13/2012:nml