Nursing

BPCC’s Nursing Program consists of a prerequisite component and a clinical component. Students may work at any pace (part-time/full-time) to complete the prerequisite course requirements. After completion of these courses (with a “C” or better), students apply for admission to the clinical component. The program is designed so the student will complete the clinical portion in three consecutive semesters (fall, spring, fall or spring, fall, spring). Detailed information on the Nursing Program is located in the General Catalog.

Career Description

Healthcare is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States and the demand for trained professional nurses to work in the field has never been greater. Nursing offers a wide range of career opportunities working with various populations from neonatal care to gerontology. Nurses work in a wide variety of healthcare environments, including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools, private practices, and even cruise ships. During nursing school students have opportunities to experience specialized areas, such as pediatrics, maternity, intensive care, surgical or emergency nursing. Nurses play a vital role in providing direct patient care. Basic nursing duties and skills include assessing and monitoring patients, administering medication per orders, placing IVs and catheters, performing intubations, assisting patients with personal care, providing patient education, and much more. Registered nurses (RNs) are professionals who have completed a nursing program of either two or four years, including practical experience, and who have successfully passed the professional National Council on Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

Nursing is a high demand career with good employment opportunities and job stability. Many hospitals and other healthcare entities may offer new graduates incentives, such as sign-on bonuses, shift differentials, or tuition reimbursement.

For a more complete description of careers in nursing, refer to the website for the American Nurses Association.

Program Philosophy

The BPCC Nursing Program subscribes to the overall mission and philosophy of Bossier Parish Community College. In addition, the BPCC Department of Nursing adheres to the following beliefs:

Nursing is both an art and a science. As a primary advocate, the nurse demonstrates caring and compassion while providing culturally-competent patient-centered care as a full partner with the patient or patient’s designee. Patient-centered care requires respect for patient preferences, values, and needs to promote dignity, integrity, and self-determination. The science of nursing is the basis for evidence-based nursing judgment when making timely and appropriate clinical decisions to provide safe, quality care to promote the health of patients across the lifespan in family and community contexts. In collaboration with nursing and health care teams, nurses focus on patient, staff, and system safety to improve health care delivery (quality improvement), utilizing informatics and technology support.

The nurse demonstrates professional identity, integrity, accountability, and excellence, while adhering to legal standards and ethical practices. He or she is committed to life-long learning, development and utilization of nursing knowledge, and advancement of the nursing profession.

Learning requires shared knowledge and shared responsibility and is best facilitated by faculty and student collaboration in order to achieve integration of course ideas and content across the curriculum. Collaborative learning supports the premise that participants can learn from experiences of others without having to have the same experience. We recognize that there is diversity in learning styles and needs. Learning results in changes in behavior, attitudes, feelings and/or thought patterns.

The associate degree nurse (ADN) is a beginning generalist prepared for initial practice. The ADN is caring, sympathetic, and responsible with the emotional stability to cope with human suffering, emergencies, and other stresses. This nurse usually begins as a staff nurse in a hospital and is involved in promotion of health and prevention of illness of individuals of all ages, families and communities. The scope of educational preparation and practice enables the generalist nurse to have the capacity and authority to competently practice primary, secondary and tertiary health care in all settings and branches of nursing. With experience and good performance the ADN often moves to other settings or is promoted to positions of more responsibility. Continuing education is a distinct reality for this nurse as is advancement on the career ladder evidenced by the high number of ADNs returning to school to pursue higher nursing degrees

Student responsibilities include displaying a willingness to learn and accountability for his/her education. Students will learn to perform skills in various situations that require cognitive, psychomotor and effective abilities. The BPCC student nurse is an integral member of the health care team with the ability to participate on interdisciplinary teams to promote positive outcomes. Students will be taught how to provide culturally sensitive care with emphasis on individuals throughout the life span who have acute or chronic health needs. Students will also learn to use communication skills and information technology to practice within an ethical and legal framework with a commitment to the value of caring.

References

• National League for Nursing (2010). Competencies of Associate Degree Nursing Programs
• Quality and Safety Education for Nurses

• Traditional Track, AS
• LPN to RN Transition Track, AS

Admission to the Traditional ASN Program

The selection process for the BPCC Nursing Program begins each spring and each fall. Students should be aware of the following requirements and procedures regarding clinical selection:

• Meet all General Admission Requirements for college admission as specified in the BPCC Catalog
• Complete twenty-eight hours of pre-requisites (prior to acceptance in the Nursing Program courses)
• Submit a completed application online by published deadline
• Submit official transcripts from ALL colleges attended to the BPCC Admission Office
• Have a minimum prerequisite GPA of 2.500
• Have a minimum science GPA of 2.500
• Have completed all science courses within five (5) years of application of program courses
• The BPCC Nursing Program Essential Requirements
• Complete the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) test ON CAMPUS, during PNUR 101, or during last semester of prerequisite classes. Sign up for a testing appointment online with submission of application.
• Successfully complete the AHA Healthcare Provider CPR course offered during the fall or spring semester in conjunction with nursing courses
• Submit with the Nursing Program Application a letter of good standing from any other nursing program attended
• Sixty students per semester are selected for the clinical component of the program

LPN to RN Transition Program

The BPCC LPN to RN Program is a work-friendly transition program. All academic (prerequisite) classes are offered online at the student’s own pace. Students are welcome to take classes on campus (day or evening) if preferred. Once accepted into the nursing clinical portion of the program, LPNs must attend class on campus one day per week. Nursing practicum rotations are provided every other weekend, 12-hour shifts. The LPN to RN transition program requires four semesters of nursing clinical courses to complete.

Admission to the LPN to RN Transition Program

LPNs who wish to pursue a career as an RN must:

• Complete a minimum of one year of practice as an LPN.
• Complete all admission requirements and be admitted to BPCC
• Complete all science courses within five years of application
• Complete all specified prerequisite/qualification courses with a “C” or better by the end of the term in which the application is due
• Submit a completed application online by published deadline. Contact Cindy Adams (cyadams@bpcc.edu) for a link.
• Complete the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) test, ON CAMPUS, during last semester of prerequisite classes. Sign up for a testing appointment online with submission of application.
• Submit an official copy of all transcripts from all colleges attended directly to the admissions office
• Submit proof of LPN licensure
• Have a minimum prerequisite GPA of 2.500
• Have a minimum science GPA of 2.500
• Ten LPNs are selected each fall and spring semester

Special Requirements

• Students selected for the nursing program must attend the orientation class. This class will be scheduled soon after the class is selected.
• All students will be required to read, sign and submit the BPCC Essential Requirements.
• Students selected for the Nursing clinical must adhere to the nursing clinical requirements related to additional tests, immunizations, documentation, submission and policies/procedures of the division/program.
• Students selected for nursing clinical pay a clinical fee in addition to regular tuition each clinical semester.
• Before the end of the program the student must pay a NCLEX-RN Exam fee and a Louisiana State Board of Nursing Licensure fee.

Louisiana State Board of Nursing Requirements

1. If you have been arrested, charged with, convicted of, pled guilty or no contest to, or been sentenced for any criminal event, you must disclose this information to the BPCC Nursing Program Administrator in writing prior to entering the program and you must seek approval through the Louisiana State Board of Nursing.
2. If you have any final or pending disciplinary action against you by any Nursing Board – you must disclose this information in writing to the BPCC Nursing Program Administrator prior to entering the program and you must seek approval through the Louisiana State Board of Nursing.
3. Students enrolled in the BPCC Nursing Program are required to notify the LSBN and the BPCC Nursing Program Administrator in writing if any of the above events take place at ANYTIME during enrollment in the BPCC Nursing Program.
4. The BPCC Nursing application and the LSBN require information for answering “Yes” to specific questions. Additional documentation that may be required are:
   • Detailed letter of explanation regarding the incident(s)
   • Certified arrest report
   • Certified judgement and sentencing
   • Certified release from probation or completion or pre-trial division, or
   • Certain medical illnesses require detailed letters, history, physical examination information, and a list of medication
   • If you enter the BPCC Nursing Program and are later found to have a conviction:
     • The student may be immediately dismissed from the program
     • The student may not be allowed to take a licensure exam

All applications are to be submitted electronically. Contact Cindy Adams (cyadams@bpcc.edu) beginning in February or September and request a link. Applications and deadlines are the same for both the Traditional RN Program and the LPN to RN Transition Program. Applications must be submitted by 4:00 P.M. on the day of the deadline:

• For fall admission--deadline is the first Monday in April
• For spring admission--deadline is the first Monday in October

Click here to download the essential requirements document.

Program Outcome 1: Satisfactory pass rate for all graduates taking the NCLEX-RN evidenced by a pass rate of 80% or above

Program Outcome 2: 85% of graduates actively seeking employment securing nursing positions within six months of graduation

Program Outcome 3: Student graduation rate within four semesters of enrollment in nursing clinical courses being at least seventy percent of the enrolled students

The Bossier Parish Community College Associate of Science in Nursing Program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30326, (404) 975-5000, and has full approval of the Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN), 17373 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70810, (225) 755-7500.