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At its origin, the program was designed
to be completed in two years; however, currently, most students take
at least three years to complete the entire curriculum-a year for
general education requirements and two years for nursing courses.
The curriculum prepares graduates to assume beginning staff positions under supervision as providers of care, coordinators of care, and members of the profession of nursing. On completion of the program, graduates are eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination (N-CLEX-RN) to become licensed as Registered Nurses. Employment may be sought in a variety of structured health care settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient clinics, ambulatory care centers, home health and hospice, schools and other community settings.
There are two educational tracks in the Associate Degree Nursing Program: the basic (for unlicensed students) and the transition (for licensed vocational/practical nurses). Students who wish to transfer from another institution are managed on an individual basis and must contact the Division Chair, the ADN coordinator, or the Counseling Office for details.
Checklist for Associate Degree Nursing Applicants
THE CHECKLIST MUST BE RETURNED TO THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE WITH AN ORIGINAL SIGNATURE AND DATE.
GENERAL ADMISSION CRITERIA REQUIRED OF ALL ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES:
Candidates for the Nursing Program are expected to be proficient in communication skills, math, science, computer, and learning skills as well as to have the physical and mental abilities to practice nursing. Candidates are advised to check each item to ensure that they have met the criteria. (If the file is not complete, the applicant will not be considered.) GENERAL ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS FOR BASIC, TRANSITION, TRANSFER AND RE-ENTRY CANDIDATES:
Must have the following on file at the Admissions Office by April 1****
- A college Application for Admission indicating Nursing as your major. (If you are enrolled in academics, you must submit another application.)
- A cumulative GPA of 2.5 (4.0 scale) or above on all college-level work.
- A "New APPLICANT COUNSELING INTERVIEW" form (dated after February 1 for Basic and transition applicants). See a member of the Counseling Staff.
- TSI Met (See a member of Counseling).
- Score of at least 75% on reading, math, and grammer sections of the A-2 Admissions Assessment test. All 3 sections must be passed on the same test, and the test must be taken at Texarkana College. (See a member of counseling to schedule a test date and time).
- Two semesters of high school chemistry with a grade of "C" or higher within the last 5 years. In substitution, CHEM 1405 or CHEM 1411 and 1412 with a grade of "C" or higher within the last 5 years. (An accept decision may be made if candidate has CHEM 1411; however, CHEM 1412 must be completed before starting RNSG 1513 (Basic) and 1327 (Transition).**
- An official high school transcript, GED scores or transcripts from all colleges attended. High school seniors must submit a current transcript with an overall "B" average by April 1.
- A current physical examination on the Nursing Physical Examination form, negative drug screen, and satisfactory background check.*** NOTE: The physical includes proof of childhood immunizations, including hepatitis B vaccine series, as required by Texas law, and a TB skin test or a chest x-ray.
- American Heart Association Basic Life Support Healthcare Provider course. (AHA/BLS-HCP).****
- Meet requirements for Priority Ranking (See I, II, and III).
- If low grades are earned early in the college career making the GPA less competitive, applicants may ask about the "Second Chance" Policy. (See Second Chance Policy in Texarkana College catalog.)
- Chemistry must be in date at the time the file is reviewed for admission. It is the responsibility of the applicant to be sure his/her files are kept current and sciences are in date.
- A physical exam, drug screen and satisfactory background check are not required until Notification in writing of "Conditional Acceptance" into the Nursing Program is received.
- AHA/BLS-HCP course may be obtained after Notification of "Conditional Acceptance" into the Nursing Program. It must be completed prior to enrollment in RNSG 1513 (Basic students) and RNSG 1327 (Transition students). Contact the Continuing Education Office regarding registration.
- Transition, Transfer, and Re-entry candidates - See additional requirements on pages 2 and 3.
SPECIFIC ADMISSION CRITERIA FOR PRIORITY RANKINGS OF CANDIDATES IN EACH CATEGORY:
All new candidates not accepted for the current class will be added to the waiting list in priority ranking. Candidates will maintain their priority ranking, providing they continue to meet course and GPA requirements.
*Fifty percent (50%) of admissions for each new class will be taken from the entire applicant pool of applicants (new applicants plus waiting list), according to priority ranking. Fifty percent (50%) of admissions for each new class will be taken from the waiting list, if one remains.
PRIORITY I
- Meet the general admission criteria.
- Complete a minimum of ten semester hours of required Associate Degree Nursing general education courses with a 3.0 or higher GPA. CHEM 1405 is not included in the ten hour minimum requirement.
- Complete BIOL 2401 or 2402 with a grade of "C" or higher.
- *Reside in the geographic service area.
- After meeting Priority I A, B, C, and D criteria, candidates will be ranked in order from those who have completed the greater number of semester hours of Associate Degree Nursing general academic support courses to those with the fewest within Priority I.
PRIORITY II
- Meet the general admission criteria.
- Complete a minimum of ten semester hours of required Associate Degree Nursing general education courses with a 2.5-2.99 GPA. CHEM 1405 is not included in the ten hour minimum requirement.
- Complete BIOL 2401 or 2402 with a grade of "C" or higher.
- *Reside in the geographic service area.
- After meeting Priority II A, B, C, and D criteria, candidates will be ranked in order from those who have completed the greater number of semester hours of associate degree nursing general academic support courses to those with the fewest within Priority II.
PRIORITY III
- Meet the general admission criteria.
- Complete a minimum of nine semester hours of required Associate Degree Nursing general education courses with a 2.5-2.99 GPA. CHEM 1405 is not included in the nine hour minimum requirement.
- After meeting Priority III A and B criteria, candidates will be ranked in order from those who have completed the greater number of semester hours of Associate Degree Nursing general academic courses to those with the fewest within Priority III. BIOL 2401 or 2402 must be successfully completed prior to enrollment in RNSG 1513.
| *Geographic service area includes these counties: |
| | Texas - | Bowie, Cass, Red River, Marion, Morris, Titus |
| | Arkansas - | Miller, Columbia, Hempstead, Howard, Lafayette, Little River, Nevada, Sevier |
| | Louisiana - | Caddo |
| | Oklahoma - | McCurtain |
TRANSITION CANDIDATES
The candidate must be a licensed vocational nurse, or a recent graduate from a vocational nursing program and eligible to take the licensure examination. Students who have been unsuccessful in the Basic Associate Degree Nursing Program or Transition Program previously are not eligible for the Transition Program. If unsuccessful on the A2 exam, applicants will automatically be considered for the Basic Associate Degree Nursing Program. Candidates who have graduated from a Texas Vocational Nursing Program within the past 5 years are exempt from the pre-entrance examination.
TRANSITION CANDIDATES must have the following on file at
the Admissions Office by April 1:
- All Basic Admission Criteria (above), including Chemistry, must be met prior to testing.
- An Official Transcript from the Vocational Nursing program.
- A passing score on the A2 exam. (Contact the Counseling Center for the Transition Test date.) The test results are valid for one year. If the candidate is not admitted within one year, the testing must be repeated. If space is not available for all who pass the test, the candidates will be placed on a Waiting List. Candidates will be ranked according to priority and admitted in order, providing they continue to meet course and GPA requirements.
NOTE: A current Licensed Vocational Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse license is to be shown at the time of testing. Recent graduates of Vocational Nursing programs who have not taken the Licensure Exam must show the license before they register for the Transition Nursing Courses.
*RE-ENTRY CANDIDATES
Re-entry into the program will be considered on a space available basis only. A student who leaves the program for any reason will be permitted one other opportunity to re-enroll. Under extenuating circumstances, the student may petition the Admissions Committee for an additional admission. Re-entry candidates, no later than Midterm of the Fall or Spring semester prior to re-entry, must have on file at the Admissions Office:
- All General Admission Criteria (above).
- A completed "Health Occupations Re-Entry Counseling Interview form". See a member of the counseling staff or the Chair or designated faculty member of the Health Occupations Division.
- A personal guidance conference with the Chair or designated faculty member of the Health Occupations Division regarding goals and plans.
- Priority will be given to those who reside in the geographic service area.
NOTE: Students must re-enter within 2 years to retain credit for nursing courses. Some remedial work may be required prior to re-admission.
TRANSFER PROCEDURE
Transfer candidates, no later than midterm of the Fall or Spring semester
prior to entry, must have on file at the Admissions Office:
- All General Admission Requirements (above).
- A "New Applicant Counseling Interview" completed with the Chair
or designated faculty member of the Health Occupations Division.
- An official transcript, and nursing course syllabi, or outlines
with earned grades.
- Written permission and the address of the previous school of
nursing for Texarkana College to obtain a letter of reference.
(Late applications may result in delay of transfer process)
NOTE: Credit will not be granted for nursing courses taken more than 2 years prior to application.
Some remedial work may be required prior to admission as a transfer student.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION RELATED TO ACCEPTANCE
RNSG 1201, BIOL 2420, PSYC 2301, ITSW 1191, and BIOL 2401 or 2402 must be completed prior to enrollment in RNSG 1513 (Basic students). RNSG 1201, BIOL 2401, 2402, 1322 and 2420, PSYC 2301 and 2314, and ITSW 1191 must be completed prior to enrollment in RNSG 1327. (Transition students).
Chemistry and biological science courses taken more than 5 years ago are not counted as required courses for Priority ranking and must be repeated with a grade of "C" or higher.
THE CHECKLIST MUST BE RETURNED TO THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE WITH AN ORIGINAL SIGNATURE AND DATE.
- Acceptance to Texarkana College and enrollment in general education courses does not constitute admission to the Nursing Program.
- It is the applicant's responsibility to complete the appropriate admission requirements by the stated deadlines.
- Texarkana College Health Occupations Division requires drug testing and background check as pre-admission criteria.
Notification of acceptance or rejection will be mailed to all candidates after April 1. You may be placed on a waiting list and admitted later, if space is available. Any questions regarding a student's status after April 1 should be directed to the Admissions Office. Applicants who are not accepted will be contacted during the subsequent semester to verify continued interest in the program.
NOTE FOR ALL APPLICANTS: The faculty of the Health Occupations Division reserves the right to alter the curriculum and admission policies whenever change is deemed necessary. Notification to all enrolled students who have completed the application process will constitute means to effectuate policy changes.
For more information on the ADN program, admission requirements, and degree plans see the TC Catalog.
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