A.A.S. Nurse Education Program

Program Description
Sussex County Community College has entered into a unique and trendsetting collaboration with Passaic County Community College to enable PCCC students to obtain an outstanding nursing education here in Sussex County. In this innovative program, students take the pre-nursing courses with Sussex County Community College. Admission to the PCCC Nursing Program is competitive.  Selection at the SCCC campus is limited to 20 students. Applicants must note that at the Sussex Campus, priority is given to the residents of Sussex County Co, NJ and Pike County, PA only. The Sussex Campus also gives preference to applicants who have completed a majority of the required general education credits at SCCC.  Priority at the PCCC campus is  given to Passaic County residents with others being considered on a space availability basis.

The PCCC Nurse Education Program  also offers an LPN-RN mobility option.  This option allows LPNs who wish to continue their education to become an RN to get credit for Nursing I after certain admission requirements are met.  Nursing II, III, and IV must be completed  with the PCCC Nurse Education Program at either the SCCC Campus or the PCCC campus. Acceptance is based on several criteria and the availability of a seat in Nursing II at either campus.

Qualified students who are admitted to the PCCC Nurse Education Program, offered in conjunction with SCCC, take the clinical nursing courses with PCCC here on the SCCC campus and in clinical sites throughout northern NJ. These clinical courses comprise a four semester sequence which begins every year in January. General education courses from the sciences and liberal arts enhance the students’ understanding of clients with
acute and chronic health problems. The curriculum prepares students to practice in hospitals and healthcare agencies within the framework of the American Nurses Association’s Standards of Practice and the New Jersey Nurse Practice Act.

Applicants for admission to the Nurse Education Program must be high school graduates or have high school equivalency diplomas (GED). They also must meet admission criteria selected to ensure that accepted candidates have the potential to succeed in a rigorous academic program.

Admission criteria are minimum standards and, in most cases, applicants accepted into the program exceed these requirements. The following requirements must be met prior to admission.

Meet Passaic County Community College admission criteria.

  • Achieve satisfactory scores on the Accuplacer Placement Test for placement in college level mathematics/English courses, OR complete the required remediation with a grade of “C” or higher.
  • Complete CHEM 100 – Introduction to Chemistry with a grade of “C” or higher within the past 5 years. If you have not completed at least one high school laboratory science course within the past 5 years, it is recommended that you complete a general science laboratory course with a grade of “C” or higher.
  • Achieve a passing score on the TEAS (entrance exam) with a minimum of 50% in three subject areas, Math, Reading, and English. A passing score is required but does not guarantee acceptance. Acceptance is based on a point score for three areas, GPA, Number of college credits, and results of the TEAS.
  • Applicants are admitted in rank order of their point score along with other considerations listed  in the program description.
  • The TEAS Exam dates for 2012 are:  2/18; 3/17; 4/14; 5/12; 6/16; 7/14; 8/11; 9/15; 9/22
    Testing is conducted in room A 317 from 9 am – noon

 

 Program Requirements 

CODE AREA OF STUDY CR.
  GENERAL EDUCATION    
  34 Credits may be taken through SCCC    
ENGL101 English Composition I 3
ENGL102 English Composition II 3
PYSC101 General Psychology 3
PSYC109 Psychology of Human Growth and Development 3
BIOS103 Anatomy and Physiology I 4
BIOS104 Anatomy and Physiology II 4
BIOS210 Microbiology 4
CHEM100 Introduction to Chemistry 4
       
 
  ELECTIVES    
  3 credits in Sociology and 3 credits in Humanities  
  (Art, English, History, Music,
Philosophy, Foreign Language)		  
 
  NURSING CORE COURSES    
  34 Credits offered at SCCC by PCCC    
NUR101 Nursing I 7
NUR102 Nursing II 8
NUR201 Nursing III 9
NUR202 Nursing IV 9
NUR203 Nursing Seminar 1
 
 
Additional information may be found at the Passaic County Community College website: www.pccc.edu (Search for Nurse Educational Program) 

  • Achieve a composite score at the 50th percentile in each subject area (Math, Reading, and English) on the required Test for Essential Academic Skills (TEAS). A passing score is considered valid for admission to the program within three years of successfully passing the test. Once accepted into the Nurse Education Program the following are required:
    • Submit a completed health form signed by aphysician or nurse practitioner.
    • Provide evidence of current professional liability
      insurance coverage for nursing students.
    • Submit verification of current certification inAmerican Heart Association Health Care
      Provider CPR.
    • Submit evidence of health insurance coverage or
      obtain insurance coverage through the college.
    • Successfully pass a criminal history background
      check. (Note: A second comprehensive criminal
      history background check, with finger prints, is
      required at completion of the program by the
      New Jersey Board of Nursing in order to obtain
      your nursing license.)
For additional information, contact: Karen Petriccione
973-300-2136
kpetriccione@sussex.edu