Nursing: Associate Degree Registered Nursing

Overview

The BTC Registered Nursing Program is nationally accredited through the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and is a concept-based Associate Degree in Nursing Direct Transfer Agreement/Major Ready pathway (DTA/MRP). The Nursing DTA/MRP degree is designed to create a streamlined pathway for students from an Associate Degree to a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN).

Students take one year or more of prerequisite general education courses then apply to the program and upon acceptance, complete six quarters of Nursing Program core courses. Graduates of the BTC Registered Nursing Program are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) and may apply for admission to RN-BSN programs at WA State colleges and universities.

The Registered Nursing Program accepts advanced placement students who are WA State Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN’s) into the part-time, evening LPN-RN option. The LPN-RN option is six quarters of part-time Nursing Program core courses including Summer Quarter. Students who graduate from the LPN-RN part-time pathway receive the DTA/MRP Degree and are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN)

The Nursing Program has a separate admission process from admission to BTC. Students must be admitted into a cohort before beginning nursing coursework. See the Nursing Program website for more information about current admission requirements and process.

Program Outcomes

The BTC Associate Degree Nursing graduate will:

Nursing Care: Integrate the nursing process to deliver individualized culturally competent care.
Self-Care Promotion: Formulate strategies to promote the health of self and others.
Professionalism: Model integrity through professional boundaries, ethical behaviors, and respectful communication.
Collaborative Leadership: Maximize positive health outcomes through the promotion of evidence-based clinical care within the interdisciplinary team.
Clinical Judgment: Model safe nursing care by integrating critical thinking, evidence-based practice, and prioritization.

Placement Requirements

ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS) assessment. Applicants must score at the “PROFICIENT” level or higher in each of the four areas on one transcript; see the ATI TEAS Handout on the Nursing website for details.
Healthcare Experience. Two-year applicants must submit a Healthcare Experience Verification Form for prior approval. Experience in healthcare may be demonstrated by certification or training in an allied healthcare field. Other experience will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by program staff. LPN-RN applicants must have an active, unencumbered Washington State LPN license and submit the Verification of Work Experience Form documenting 1,000 hours of work as an LPN within the last five years. These two forms are located on the Nursing website.

Clinical Placement Requirements

After acceptance into the Nursing Program but prior to beginning clinical rotations, students must complete the clinical placement process and be at least 18 years of age. Clinical requirements include:

Criminal background check
10-Panel urine drug screen
Physical examination
Tuberculous screening
Required immunizations
Current American Heart Association BLS for Provider CPR certification
Medical Insurance Coverage

More information about the clinical placement requirements process is on the Nursing Program website.

Degree Requirements

Nursing DTA/MRP degree completion requires a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher, a minimum grade of B- (2.7) for all Program Core courses, and minimum grades for all Prerequisite Courses as described above. Students must also complete the minimum required clinical hours.

Programs

Direct Transfer Agreement/Major Related Program