The purpose of the Associate Degree Nursing Program is to prepare students with beginning competencies to practice as registered nurses upon successful writing of the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. The program is accredited by the Texas Board of Nursing and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. (ACEN) 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, Georgia 30326.
It is recommended that the applicant complete some or all of the general education courses in the curriculum prior to entry into the program. After successful completion of this program, the graduate is eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. Upon passing the examination, the graduate is licensed as a Registered Nurse.
Job opportunities include hospitals, clinics, home health care facilities, long-term care facilities, industry, and specialty health care hospital units. The registered nurse works within the scope of nursing as defined by the Nursing Practice Act in the State of Texas.
Lee College Nursing Division is committed to lifelong learning and encourages students to continue their education. Lee College Nursing Division has articulation agreements for RN-BSN programs with Lamar University, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, Texas Women’s University and Chamberlain University. Once the Associate Degree Nursing graduate passes the NCLEX-RN exam, they are eligible to transition to a BSN program. Articulation agreements make this transition seamless. Students interested in pursuing RN-BSN programs should contact the nursing admissions or the counseling office for more information.
Students are required to make application to Lee College before applying to the nursing program. Students are responsible for furnishing official transcript(s) to the Admissions and Records Office. Nursing applicant transcripts are evaluated during the application review and selection process. Students who have foreign transcripts should plan extended time for transcript evaluation.
Applications will not be accepted without Hepatitis B immunizations/immune titer documentation. Applications will be kept on file for one academic year. Applicants interested in maintaining an active application file must notify the nursing office in writing prior to the expiration of one academic year.
Nursing students are required to carry personal health insurance to meet hospital affiliation clinical requirements. A copy of the student’s health insurance card will be required to be submitted to the Nursing Office upon invitation into the Nursing program. All changes in health insurance coverage must be reported to the nursing office. A copy of the updated health insurance card must be submitted when changes occur.
The Lee College Nursing Program application is online at www.lee.edu/nursing
Due to requirements of criminal background checks, pre-admission testing and other processes, the following application deadlines are required:
Fall Admission
Applications will be accepted between January 15 and March 15.
Because of academic demands of a curriculum that prepares students for national licensing examinations and performance of safe nursing care in clinical situations, applicants must meet the academic criteria outlined for acceptance into nursing programs at Lee College. Meeting minimum entrance requirements does not guarantee admission. Admission requirements are monitored continuously and may change between catalogs. Contact the Nursing Office for the most current requirements including:
- Preadmission Assessment Examination-students who meet minimum requirements will be contacted to schedule exams
- HESI A-2 score requirements available in the nursing office
- Copies of scores from other schools may be submitted for review through a transcript request process with HESI (Evolve/Elsevier)
- Overall GPA of 2.7 in degree plan courses
- No grade less than “C” earned in the degree plan courses
- Prerequisite courses GPA of 2.7 minimum (RNSG 1301 , BIOL 2401 , ENGL 1301 , PSYC 2301 )
- Science GPA of 2.5 minimum in degree plan courses completed (BIOL 2401 , BIOL 2402 , and BIOL 2421 )
- Computer skills competency
- Students are encouraged to consider ITSC 1309 or equivalent to enhance computer skills if necessary;
- Lee College overall GPA of minimum 2.0
Other areas impacting admission
- Number of degree plan courses completed
- Successful completion of non-degree plan academic courses such as Sociology, History, Government, and Statistics, Chemistry, Biology, Life Science, Pathophysiology and Nutrition
- Previous unsuccessful RN degree plan attempts, at other schools and Lee College, will impact admission (Note: attempts over 10 years old will not impact admissions).
- Repetitive academic courses may impact overall admission scores
- Criminal background checks history. See Nursing Office for details
- Drug test results
- Texas Department of Health and Human Services required immunizations and/or titers
Students are required to take a Pre-Admission Assessment Exam. The exam scores will be used by the ADN program for admission, counseling, and progression advisement and decisions. The exam offers study methods which can aid the student with remediation during the course of the nursing program. Required payment is made at the cashier’s office, and the receipt submitted to the Nursing Office prior to taking the exam. Exam dates and testing requirements are available in the nursing office.
All nursing prefix courses must be completed within 5 years of awarding degree. (Note: Pharmacology is excluded from the 5 year requirement once the student is admitted into the nursing program and if the student remains continuously enrolled; otherwise the 5 year RNSG rule will apply).
The Texas Board of Nursing (BON) requires schools to inform enrolled students (verbally and in writing) about eligibility requirements and to maintain students’ signed receipt of the required information. Applicants for NCLEX and Nurses seeking licensure in Texas are required to submit a complete and legible set of fingerprints on a form prescribed by the board for the purpose of obtaining a criminal history from the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. (Section 301.252 (b) and Section 301.252 (e) of the Texas Occupations Code). Positive criminal background history may impact admission and/or progression in the nursing program.
All NCLEX applicants with outstanding eligibility issues that could prevent them from taking the NCLEX examination upon completion of a nursing program are urged to complete a Declaratory Order application prior to approval for the nursing program. The Declaratory Order process permits the Board to make decisions regarding an applicant’s eligibility for licensure prior to entering or completing a nursing program. The BON has identified certain circumstances that may render a potential candidate ineligible for licensure as a registered nurse in the state of Texas. The Board provides individuals the opportunity to petition for a Declaratory Order as to their eligibility in accordance with article 4519(a) of the Nursing Practice Act. View www.bon.state.tx.us for further information and forms.
All nursing applicants must provide proof of BON Criminal Background Clearance to take the NCLEX exam upon invitation to the nursing program in the form of the “BLUE CARD” or Declaratory Order Outcome letter.
Drug tests are required upon invitation to the nursing program. Results must be negative to be eligible to be in the nursing program. Random drug tests, at the student’s expense, are required while in the nursing program. A positive drug test may result in dismissal from the nursing program.
It is suggested that the * courses are taken prior to program admission. Once admitted into the program, all courses must be taken in the sequence listed at the time of admission. If any RNSG course must be repeated, the lab/clinical corresponding course must be repeated also.
All nursing prefix courses must be completed within 5 years of awarding degree. (Note: Pharmacology is excluded from the 5 year requirement once the student is admitted to the nursing program and if the student remains continuously enrolled; otherwise the 5 year RNSG rule will apply).
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