Nursing — Become a Registered Nurse (RN)

• Applicants must have a minimum cumulative high school GPA of 85.
• Applicants must have completed algebra, chemistry, and biology in high school, with a minimum grade of 85% in each course.
• Applicants must submit an official high school transcript.
• Applicants must submit official college transcripts for college coursework taken in high school, including official AP exam scores.
• The TEAS exam is required. We recommend high school seniors provide their official transcripts to the Admissions Office first so we can assess the above minimum requirements to determine if you should take the TEAS exam.
• Any student required to take Basic Skills tests for English placement must be in ENG 101 to finalize acceptance into the Nursing program.

• Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better (or a 2.0 for those with a bachelor's degree). All college coursework will be factored into the GPA calculation. Borderline candidates who have demonstrated recent academic success will be reviewed by the Nursing Admissions Committee.
• Applicants must have completed prerequisite coursework in math, chemistry, and biology. See below for more details on these requirements:
  • Math — Students may take high school algebra, college algebra, or FLCC's MAT 115 Mathematics for Health Care Professionals to fulfill the math prerequisite for Nursing. Students may be admitted to Nursing provisionally without completing the math course, however, these students must successfully complete this requirement prior to beginning professional Nursing coursework.
  • Chemistry — Students may take high school chemistry, college chemistry, or FLCC's CHM 092 or equivalent prior to beginning professional Nursing coursework.
  • Biology — Students may take high school biology, college biology, or FLCC's BIO 171. Students must earn a C or higher in a general biology course. We also recommend completing FLCC's BIO 171 (Anatomy and Physiology 1). BIO 171 Human Anatomy & Physiology I, BIO 172 Human Anatomy & Physiology II, and BIO 230 Microbiology must be taken within seven years of matriculation into the nursing program, beginning Fall 2023. See Nursing Self-Evaluation for more details.
• Applicants must submit an official high school transcript or equivalency diploma.
• Applicants must submit official college transcripts from all institutions previously attended, including official AP exam scores.
• Applicants must complete the TEAS exam with a minimum score of 65%. Scores are good for two years from the date of the application deadline. Retesting is permitted once and we encourage you to wait 30 days between testing attempts. For more information and to register for the TEAS exam, please visit Workforce & Career Solutions.
• A future student who has two or more unsuccessful attempts in Nursing coursework as defined by the previous program(s) attended in two different semesters in a Nursing program other than FLCC's will not be eligible for admission to the FLCC Nursing program.
• Any student who has had one attempt in Nursing coursework in a Nursing program other than FLCC must arrange for the director of that Nursing program to submit a letter attesting that the student left that program in good clinical standing. Any student not in good clinical standing or who does not submit a letter will not be considered for admission to the FLCC Nursing program. It is the responsibility of the student requesting admission to follow up on the requested letter.
• Any student required to take Basic Skills tests for English placement must be in ENG 101 to finalize acceptance into the Nursing program.

If you do not currently have any college credits or nursing prerequisite related credit, and are looking to work on prerequisites, we encourage you to get in touch with an Admissions Counselor. We'd like to understand your individual circumstance, what college credits you may have, and what your goals are. You can sign up for an in-person or online appointment with admissions, or attend a Nursing Information Session on our visit page.

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In addition to our nursing program, we offer many opportunities to study and work in the healthcare field. Explore our programs in healthcare, kinesiology and human performance, physical education and exercise science, nutrition and dietetics, and more.

Explore Healthcare Programs

Through appropriate testing, LPNs may be granted advanced standing in FLCC's A.A.S. in Nursing program. This option minimizes repetitive coursework for qualified students, and therefore can be completed in as little as 18 months.

Learn more about the specific requirements for our accelerated option for LPNs.

A.S. Health Care Studies (Healthcare Track) students who meet the following criteria will be considered for entry into the nursing program:

• Completion of 18 credit hours in the Health Care Studies program
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5
• Completion of high school or college algebra or MAT 115
• Completion of BIO 171 and BIO 172 (grade B or higher). Courses completed within 7 years.
• Completion of high school or college chemistry

Learn more about this entry option by reviewing our direct entry self-evaluation guide.

We encourage you to meet with your Academic Advisor to discuss your options.

The following abilities and qualities, with or without reasonable accommodation, are necessary for success in the Nursing program. Reasonable accommodation is a modification or adjustment that enables an otherwise qualified individual with a disability to have the opportunity to attain the same level of performance or to enjoy equal benefits and privileges that are available to a similarly situated individual without a disability. A reasonable accommodation is defined on a case-by-case basis and must take into consideration:

• the specific abilities and functional limitations of the individual, and
• the specific functional requirements of the Nursing program.

Reasonable accommodations are directed toward providing an equal educational and/or employment opportunity for the disabled individual while providing for the safety of the individual, patient, and agency staff.

Physical Functioning

Complete physical examination and immunizations are required of those students admitted to the Nursing program. Student nurses must subscribe to the same laws as health facility employees which state, "no person is employed unless he/she is free from a health impairment which is a potential risk to the patients or which might interfere with the employee's performance of his/her duties, including habituation or addiction to depressants, stimulants, narcotics, alcohol, or other substances that may alter behavior."

Additionally:

• Tolerate sitting, standing, bending, reaching, stooping, and walking for long periods of time
• Lift, carry, push, pull, or support objects, extremities, or persons (i.e., during ambulation, transferring from bed to chair, turning, moving and lifting patients in bed, supporting arms or legs during treatments or procedures, and lifting children onto chairs, beds, scales, or examining tables; 50-100 lbs. occasionally, 25-50 lbs. frequently, and 10-25 lbs. constantly)
• Moving efficiently enough to meet the needs of several patients in a timely fashion
• Demonstrate motor coordination and manual dexterity required to handle and operate equipment (i.e., wheelchairs, beds, IV pumps, blood pressure cuffs, computer keyboard, syringes, open packages, and perform procedures)
• Accurately hear physiological and environmental sounds (i.e., lung sounds, heart rate, blood pressure, bowel sounds, infusion pump alarms, etc.)
• Accurately distinguish colors, odors, body language, and body alignment (i.e., skin color, drainage, nonverbal communication, and position of a person)
• Maintain optimal physical well-being

Cognitive Skills

• Accurately calculate basic algebraic equations required to determine exact medication dosages, solutions, IV drop rates, and IV flow rates
• Collect and interpret data for purposes of planning and evaluation of patient care
• Accurately and efficiently interpret and communicate information in English, both written and spoken — for example, responding to physician's orders, reading and recording information, directing assistive staff
• Organize, prioritize, and plan work in a logical sequence

Psycho/Social Skills

• Cope effectively while working in a stressful environment using patience, tact, and flexibility
• Communicate therapeutically and effectively with others
• Respect persons of diverse cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds
• Demonstrate caring, empathy, accountability, honesty, and a neat, clean professional appearance
• Maintain an alert level of consciousness and orientation to time, place, and person at all times
• Maintain optimal mental well-being

The Nursing Department does not guarantee readmission to the Nursing program. There must be substantial evidence that a student plan is in place to address the applicant's circumstances or documented deficiencies so that academic and clinical success is likely. The following criteria needs to be met in order for readmission to be considered.

GPA and Coursework Requirements

All applicants for readmission should follow the same admissions requirements as outlined in the "Applicants with College Credit or a Prior Degree" section above, in addition to:

All applicants seeking readmission to NUR 111 are required to submit additional documents to the Nursing Department by February 1 (for the Fall Semester) or Sept. 15 (for the Spring Semester):

• Letter to the Nursing Department Chairperson
• Note: If the student's request for readmission is denied, and the student wishes to be considered for readmission the following semester, the student must complete the entire process outlined above by February 1 for the Fall Semester or September 15 for the Spring Semester to be considered eligible for readmission.

All requests for readmission to NUR 121, 231, 241, or 242 must be made in writing to the Department Chairperson by April 1 (Fall Semester) and October 1 (Spring Semester), and must follow current Nursing Department Guidelines and Procedures.

Note: An applicant seeking readmission to Nursing 121, 231, 241, or 242 must do so within two years of leaving the program. For example, if a student completes NUR 111 satisfactorily in 2021 and either doesn't continue on to NUR 121 or begins NUR 121 but does not complete it satisfactorily, the student may request readmission to NUR 121 for the spring of 2023 or 2024. If more than two years have lapsed, the applicant must either repeat or successfully challenge prior Nursing coursework.

Readmission Consideration Criteria

Evaluation for readmission will use, but will not be limited to, the following criteria:

• Personal letter that includes:
  • A detailed explanation as to why the student failed, withdrew, and/or was placed on clinical probation
  • An explanation of the steps the student has taken to change the situation
  • A thoughtful, reasoned plan for success
  • Justification for readmission
• Current GPA based on all college coursework
• Review of previous clinical/academic performance
• Nursing Department's evaluation of the likelihood of the applicant's successful performance
• Class space availability
• Note: If more than two years have lapsed, the applicant must either repeat or successfully challenge prior Nursing coursework. Any challenge exam may only be taken once.

Nursing faculty reserve the right to require the student to successfully demonstrate their theoretical knowledge and skill competency through selected exams before readmission:

• Students seeking readmission shall be given two attempts to be successful on selected skill competencies.
• Readmitted students are expected to use current required textbooks and materials for a repeated course.

Readmission Exclusions

• Any student who has had clinical problems (for example: probation, clinical failure, etc.) and left the program may not be considered for readmission.
• Students will not be admitted to the Nursing program more than twice (except in extremely rare and unusual circumstances that require individual consideration by the Nursing Department). However, a former student may be allowed a third admission into the program if the third admission occurs due to a change in status (i.e. changing from the traditional Nursing program to the accelerated option for LPNs).