Program outcomes: Upon successful completion of the nursing curriculum, students will have acquired the knowledge and skills to establish eligibility for The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) required to become licensed as a Registered Nurse. Upon licensure, graduates will have a reasonable opportunity to secure employment in the nursing field.

The nursing curriculum consists of a theory and clinical component and is designed to prepare the graduate for a beginning staff position in a variety of health care settings. Upon successful completion of the required courses in the Nursing Concentration, an associate of applied science degree is awarded.

The Nursing Program is approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing and accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. (ACEN), 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326. The Department and the College hold agency membership in the National League for Nursing, National League for Nursing Council of Associate Degree Programs, National Organization of Associate Degree Nursing and the Southern Council on Collegiate Education for Nursing.

This program is not designed for transfer, although many institutions accept all or part of the course work toward a bachelor’s degree.

Students presenting nursing course work which was completed more than four years previously will be required to repeat the course work. A transition curriculum is available for LPN’s.

Faculty policy statements concerning attendance, grading, progression and professional dress requirements are available upon request. Students will have the additional expense of uniforms, lab coats, lab skills kits, a watch that indicates seconds and testing. Transportation to class and clinical is the responsibility of the student.

Two different sequences are available to students who are eligible for the nursing program. The first one consists of 4 semesters offered predominantly during day time hours, may include hybrid (on campus and online) coursework and does not include summer nursing coursework.  The second sequence is part-time over 6 semesters, including hybrid (online and on campus) and summer nursing courses.

The sequences are not interchangeable. Students will not be able to change sequences once admitted.

The sequence of required courses for student nurses and the admissions requirements are listed on the following page. Both sequences may be altered to take general education courses prior to admission to the nursing program. Courses which are not completed prior to admission must be taken before or during the semester scheduled according to the summary of required hours.

To be eligible for admission students must take a nursing admissions exam and pass with an appropriate score (listed in the nursing information packet). This is in addition to current criteria: completing all required learning support courses, equivalent of high school chemistry and a GPA of 2.75 on required nursing academics. If the entrance exam score is less than required for passing, a student may also be eligible to enter the program if they have achieved a 3.0 GPA in all three required science course (BIOL 2010/2011, BIOL 2020/2021, BIOL 2230/2231)¹ on the initial attempt.

¹Student may only repeat the science courses one time.

Nursing Program Admission Requirements

The Nursing Program at Cleveland State Community College (CSCC) is a limited enrollment program. Admission to the program is highly competitive. An applicant scoring tool is used to admit eligible applicants when the number of eligible applicants exceeds the number of students that can be admitted. Contact the Nursing Office at (423) 478-6228 or (800) 604-2722, Ext. 228, for more information or visit www.clevelandstatecc.edu.

Nursing Admission and Progression Standards

1. Students must meet the following criteria to be eligible for admission (for LPN transition, see LPN Transition below):
   1. Be accepted for admission to Cleveland State Community College and comply with all college requirements.
   2. Remove any deficiencies as a result of admission assessment and complete the appropriate Learning Support courses prior to submitting an application to the nursing program.
   3. Complete a course in high school or college chemistry with a “C” or better prior to admission to the Nursing Program and submit transcript to the Nursing Office.
   4. Complete an application to the program and submit to the Nursing Office. Application forms are available online. For the Day Sequence, applications for admission must be received no later than March 1 of the year in which the student desires to enter the nursing program. Students currently enrolled at CSCC will be given admission priority over transfer students. For the Evening Part-time Sequence, application for admission must be received no later than September 1, prior to the spring semester in which the student desires to enter the nursing program.
   5. Satisfy one of the following four category requirements:
      1. High school graduates:
         1. Must have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or above on a 4.0 scale.
         2. Should have completed a unit in general science, a unit in biology, a unit in chemistry and two units in algebra prior to admission into the nursing program.
         3. Will be ranked utilizing a high school applicant tool.
      2. GED graduates must establish a college GPA of 2.75 or above on a 4.0 scale on required academic courses for the nursing program.
      3. Applicants with previous college credits:
         1. Must have a GPA of 2.75 or above on a 4.0 scale on required academic courses for the nursing curriculum completed prior to entry into the nursing program. For science courses, credits that are more than five years old at date of admission to the nursing program (not application) will not be considered.
         2. Must have an official transcript of all previous college work submitted to the Office of Admissions.
   6. Must adhere to the schedule specified in the Summary of Required Hours in the nursing curriculum for courses which are not completed prior to admission to the nursing program.
   7. Science courses may be repeated one time in a five-year period for admission application.
   8. Priority admission to the Cleveland State Community College Nursing program is given to current CSCC students.  A current student is defined as a student who has completed a course with a passing grade.
2. Students taking any required course in the nursing concentration curriculum must make a “C” or better to progress.
   1. Grades below “C” will result in ineligibility.
   2. Students taking nursing courses must achieve a grade of “C” or above in each course to progress in the program. Students are allowed to repeat one nursing course if a grade less than a “C” is received. A second failure to achieve a “C” or above in the same or any subsequent nursing course will result in dismissal from the respective program.
   3. Students making multiple “D’s” and/or “F’s” (two or more) should re-evaluate their professional goals.
3. A maximum of four years is allowed to complete all nursing courses.
4. Students must maintain a current card denoting successful completion of an American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers course while in the nursing program. Students are required to purchase malpractice insurance through the college at the time of registration.
5. Applicants who are not admitted to the nursing program and wish to be considered for admission for the subsequent year must reapply. Applicants who do not reapply will not be considered for admission.
6. Health
   1. Once conditional admission to the nursing program has been granted, a student will be required to undergo a physical exam/health verification before final admission to the program. Students will be required, during the course of the program, to demonstrate their physical and/or emotional fitness to meet the essential requirements of the program. Any appraisal measures used to determine such physical and/or emotional fitness will be in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Core performance standards for admission and progression which comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 are available from the Office of the Nursing Department.
   2. The nursing faculty reserve the right to ask a student to submit to further testing during the admission process and throughout the program of study if deemed necessary. Referral and counseling may be recommended.
   3. Students will be required to meet all health guidelines of the affiliating clinical agencies. For example, health insurance may be required by some affiliating agencies. Not having health insurance could limit a student’s educational experience. Students are responsible for costs incurred from injury or illness while in the nursing program.
7. Other
   1. Applicants who have been convicted of a crime other than a minor traffic violation could be ineligible for nursing licensure in the State of Tennessee, even though they may successfully complete the program. It is the applicant’s sole responsibility to contact the Tennessee Board of Nursing in order to determine eligibility for licensure.
   2. Students are required to undergo a criminal background check prior to clinical experiences. If as a result of a required criminal background check a student is prohibited from a clinical affiliate agency, the student may be dismissed from the program.
   3. Applicants who have ever had a nursing or health related license suspended, revoked, denied or been the subject of disciplinary action could be ineligible for nursing licensure in the State of Tennessee, even though they may successfully complete the program. It is the applicant’s sole responsibility to contact the Tennessee Board of Nursing in order to determine eligibility for licensure.
   4. Students who are admitted to the nursing program whose use of alcohol or consciousness-altering drugs interferes with their performance of educational activities will be handled in accordance with campus and departmental drug/alcohol policies. Failure to correct the problem will result in termination from the nursing program.
   5. Students will be required to meet all health and safety guidelines of affiliating clinical agencies, including a urine or blood drug or alcohol screen.
   6. Students in the nursing program will be exposed to latex and may be exposed to blood and other body fluids. Students may also be required to draw blood and perform tests on blood and other body fluids, under supervision, for patients with infectious diseases. Any student refusing assignment to an infectious patient may be subject to dismissal from the program.

Nursing Readmission/Transfer

Students seeking transfer/readmission must meet the admission and progression criteria. In addition, guidelines from the State, ACEN and clinical agencies influence the number of student positions available.

1. Transfer students:
   1. Must submit all official transcripts and appropriate course descriptions from the previous school of nursing.
   2. Must submit a letter of recommendation from the director of the previous nursing program.
   3. Should understand that nursing courses from other programs will be evaluated for transfer credit on an individual basis.
   4. Students desiring to transfer nursing courses from another nursing program must have achieved a minimum grade sufficient to allow progression at that program but not less than a “C” for the course to be eligible for transfer credit. Students should understand that a grade in a nursing course that does not allow progression in a previous nursing program counts as the first failure. Students receiving a grade less than a “C” or a grade that prohibits progression in two nursing courses at another institution are not eligible for admission into the nursing program.
   5. A maximum of four years is allowed to complete all nursing courses including transfer nursing courses.
2. Readmission applicants:
   1. Must apply to the nursing program prior to registration for the semester preceding the one in which readmission is desired. (Example: if desiring readmission to NUR 2020, apply before registration for NUR 2010 begins.)
   2. Readmission to the nursing program is dependent upon successful completion of the readmission application criteria.
   3. Will be considered only once for readmission if unable to progress academically in the nursing program.
   4. The total number of accepted applicants will be on a space available basis each semester.

LPN Transition–Nursing Program Only

Students requesting advanced placement in the nursing sequence will be considered on an individual basis after admission to the nursing program. LPN’s must submit records of all previous academic work and proof of LPN Licensure results to the Nursing Office. Contact the Nursing Office at (423) 478-6228 or (800) 604-2722, Ext. 228, for more information or visit www.clevelandstatecc.edu.

1. Admission Requirements for Transition Curriculum
   1. Meet admission requirements for Cleveland State Community College and the nursing program.
   2. Provide verification of one year full-time work experience as a licensed practical nurse within the two years prior to admission to CSCC’s nursing program or approval of program director.
   3. Be admitted to CSCC’s nursing program.
   4. Declare intention to pursue the transition curriculum at the time of acceptance into CSCC’s nursing program.
   5. Students who have been unsuccessful and are no longer eligible to return to the RN program at CSCC may be reconsidered after being licensed and working for one year as an LPN.
2. Enrollment and Progression in Transition Curriculum
   1. Meet all admission requirements to the transition curriculum.
   2. Register for and successfully complete NUR 1030 and NUR 1040.
   3. Complete all required courses in the nursing transition curriculum prior to registering for NUR 2010. Students passing NUR 1030 and NUR 1040 will be awarded an additional ten hours of credit for prior experience.
   4. Students in the nursing program will be exposed to latex and may be exposed to blood and other body fluids. Students may also be required to draw blood and perform tests on blood and other body fluids, under supervision, for patients with infectious diseases. Any student refusing assignment to an infectious disease may be subject to dismissal from the program.