Nursing-Associate

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Accreditation Status:  The Midland College Associate Degree Nursing (A.D.N.) program is approved by the Texas Board of Nursing (BON), located at 333 Guadalupe, Suite 3-460, Austin, Texas 78701; phone 512-305-7400.  The nursing curriculum plan is approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). 

Program Options:  The curriculum of the Midland College Associate Degree Nursing program prepares graduates for entry-level nursing practice as a professional nurse.  Upon completion of the program, receiving approval for licensure by the BON, and successful completion of the licensing exam, NCLEX-R.N., the graduate is licensed as a registered nurse (R.N.).

Midland College offers traditional and transition options to earn the associate degree in applied science (AAS) for nursing.  The transition option is for licensed vocational nurses (L.V.N.s) who seek career mobility.  The traditional option is for students entering the field of nursing.  Both options require the same general education courses to complete the degree.  The degree plans specify the required nursing courses for traditional and transition students.

The transition option awards the L.V.N. credit for vocational nursing licensure as part of the degree requirements.  L.V.N.s can complete the transition track in three semesters, after earning all of the general education credits for the degree.  The traditional option requires a minimum of five semesters to complete, including prerequisite requirements.

Program Locations:  The traditional option is taught at the Midland College main campus.  The L.V.N. to A.D.N. transition option is taught at the Midland College main campus and transmitted via interactive video to Ft. Stockton’s Williams Regional Technical Training Center (WRTTC).  Students in the Ft. Stockton area can take these nursing courses and selected general education courses at the WRTTC.  Additionally, clinical instruction is an important component of the nursing program.  Therefore, various hospitals, clinics and community agencies are used each semester for the clinical component.  The F. Marie Hall SimLife Center at Midland College is used for simulated learning experiences.  Students are responsible for their own transportation for class and clinical assignments.

Academic Advisement:  The A.D.N. program uses selective admission criteria.  Admission to the college does not guarantee admission into the nursing program.  Initial academic advisement should begin with a college counselor to ensure all college requirements are met.  Prospective nursing students are encouraged to confer with the nursing department for program-specific advisement.  The official degree plan for nursing begins with program admission.  Application deadlines for the traditional option are May 15 for admission for the fall semester, and September 15 for admission for the spring semester.  Transition applicants should contact the nursing department for the admission deadline.  The number of students admitted each semester depends upon resources and faculty availability.

Admission Requirements - Traditional and Transition Options:  After admission to Midland College, an applicant to the A.D.N. program must meet these additional requirements:

1. High school diploma or GED.
2. Minimum score of 79 on the TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language).  This requirement is for students born and educated through high school outside the United States.  The TOEFL score is valid for two years.
3. Completion of requirements for the college’s Texas Success Initiative (TSI) unless an exception has been granted.
4. Satisfactory score on the nursing entrance examination, The Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS), most current versions.  The minimum acceptable score is in the academic preparedness category of Proficient.  The exam can be taken once per admission cycle.  See the nursing department for further information.
5. All course work for the degree must be passed with a grade of “C” or better.

Applicants should submit the A.D.N. application and provide transcripts of all college work to the nursing department.  Additionally, applicants must provide the nursing department with the following documentation before full acceptance in the program is granted: 

1. Record of required immunizations, tuberculosis screening, and physical exam by a licensed healthcare provider.
2. A negative urine drug test.
3. Documentation of CPR training in a Professional Rescuer course.  Training must be current at the time of the application deadline and maintained throughout the nursing program.  Online training is not accepted.

Contact the department for further information.

BIOL 2401  Anatomy and Physiology I and BIOL 2402  Anatomy and Physiology II must be current within five years of program admission.

RNSG 1201  Pharmacology may be taken prior to acceptance into the nursing program if the student has taken BIOL 2401  Anatomy and Physiology I, and has taken, or is enrolled in BIOL 2402  Anatomy and Physiology II.  A grade of “B” or better must be earned in RNSG 1201  if taken prior to program admission.  See the nursing department to discuss options if either or both courses are older than the five-year limit.

Traditional option applicants must complete the prerequisite courses listed in the degree plan.  All general education courses for the degree may be taken prior to the semester in which they are listed; however, they must be taken no later than the semester they appear on the curriculum plan.

Transition option applicants must hold a current license to practice nursing as an L.V.N. in the State of Texas.  Applicants must complete all of the general education course requirements for the degree prior to taking the nursing courses in the first semester of the program.

Selection for Admission:  Admission to the program is competitive.  Ranking traditional applicants is based on the number of general education courses completed in the A.D.N. degree plan and the grade earned in those courses.  Fully qualified L.V.N. to A.D.N. Transition applicants are accepted based upon application date until the class is filled.  In the event of a tie, and the class is full, the decision for admission will be the TEAS score.

Other Program Requirements:  Students must comply with all school and nursing program policies.  Professional liability insurance is required and is paid for as part of college fees.  Health and accident insurance is required throughout the program.  A criminal background check will be conducted prior to final approval for program admission, and students are required to pay the fees associated with fingerprint analysis and the criminal background check through the BON.  A person who has been convicted of or received deferred adjudication for anything other than a minor traffic violation, has been diagnosed with mental illness, or has a history of substance abuse should contact the BON prior to seeking program admission.  Eligibility questions can be discussed with the nursing program chair.

Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI):  The nursing program uses ATI teaching, learning, and evaluation products throughout the program.  Students pay fees each semester to access the materials. Content mastery tests are administered periodically and may be used as part of a course grade.  Students take the Comprehensive Predictor exam a few weeks prior to graduation to assess readiness for NCLEX-R.N.  ATI is required of all students.

Graduation Requirements:  The THECB requires a capstone experience in the degree plan.  The program has identified the faculty-approved exit exam as the capstone.  In addition to completing all course requirements in the degree plan, the candidate for graduation must:

score satisfactorily on the exit exam or prescribed alternative;
complete the NCLEX-R.N. review course the same semester as graduation;
score satisfactorily on the BON’s nursing jurisprudence exam or satisfactorily complete the alternate assignment;
satisfy all college financial obligations;
complete a degree application in the registrar’s office by the specified deadline; and
return any borrowed school property.

Participation in graduation and pinning ceremonies is optional but encouraged. 

The course sequences shown in the programs of study below should be followed when possible. Nursing (RNSG) courses must be taken according to the sequence shown. 

If the student has not completed the non-nursing general education courses prior to admission, these courses must be taken no later than the semester in which they are listed.

Programs

• Nursing, A. A. S. - Licensed Vocational Nurse to Associate Degree Nursing Option
• Nursing, A.A.S. (2014-2015)
• Nursing, A.A.S. (2015-2016)

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