Nursing

Associate Degree Program

Associate Degree Nursing (RN) prepares you for a career as an essential member of the health care team.  Nurses are often the primary contact for the patient, directly addressing patients' responses to health events.  Through this program, you will gain knowledge and skills that are essential for making a difference in the health of members of your community. Nursing is one of the most interesting and important fields in health care, providing various exciting job opportunities, excellent pay, and a rewarding career.  If you are interested in starting a career in nursing, this program is your first step.

The program can be completed in five semesters and offers an accelerated option whereby students may self-select to complete their degree sooner. Advanced placement in the program is available for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) who hold a current license and for nationally certified Paramedics. Academically ready students can apply for admission to the associate degree nursing program following completion of its pre-requisite requirements. Full-time students following the five-semester course sheet (rapid admission process) can also apply.

Academically ready students can apply to the program following the guidelines of each location's competitive admission process. Interested applicants should review the information provided here and contact their program advisor for application requirements. Evening and Weekend programs available at some campus locations.

Offered at the Dover, Georgetown, and Stanton campus.

What You Can Do

In this program, you will gain the knowledge and skills to prepare you for positions in:

• Acute care hospitals
• Long term care facilities
• Physician offices
• Private clinics
• Home healthcare
• Hospice
• Public health
• Correctional health systems
• School systems

What You Will Earn

Competitive starting salaries range from $50,000 - $60,000.

What You Will Learn

Program Graduate Competencies

The Program Graduate Competencies listed below identify the major learning goals related to your specific program of study and identify the knowledge and skills you will have when you graduate to be successful in your chosen field.

1. Integrate sound nursing judgment, incorporating theoretical knowledge, clinical reasoning skills, and informatics to provide clinically competent nursing care for individuals, families, and communities.
2. Integrate the diversity of the individual, family, and community to maintain caring relationships.
3. Employ appropriate communication techniques while functioning as a member of the healthcare team.
4. Manage care for a group of patients using organization, collaboration, and delegation.
5. Integrate civic professionalism, ethical, and legal standards into nursing practice.

Core Curriculum Competencies

The Core Curriculum Competencies listed below identify what you will be able to do as a graduate, regardless of your program of study. You will acquire these core competencies through general education courses and program-specific coursework. You will be expected to use relevant technology to achieve these outcomes:

1. Apply clear and effective communication skills.
2. Use critical thinking to solve problems.
3. Collaborate to achieve a common goal.
4. Demonstrate professional and ethical conduct.
5. Use information literacy for effective vocational and/or academic research.
6. Apply quantitative reasoning and/or scientific inquiry to solve practical problems.

Pursuing a Bachelor's Degree?

This is a Connected Degree program. Graduates who meet the admission requirements enter the RN to BSN, or RN to MSN program at affiliated four-year institutions. See a program advisor for details!

Alumni | Delivering Excellence, Changing Lives