Nursing

Program Description

The AAS nursing degree program is registered by the New York State Department of Education and is a member of the National League for Nursing.

The nursing program offers both didactic (traditional classroom), laboratory, and clinical instruction. Didactic and laboratory instruction occur at the BCC campus. The clinical experience occurs in a variety of hospitals, healthcare facilities and community agencies in the Bronx and easily accessible areas in other boroughs.

The clinical sequence is run as a day program. We do, however, often offer some of the nursing courses during the evening based on an assessment of students’ needs. The need is reviewed every semester. There is no guarantee that courses will be offered every semester during the evening.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the Nursing program requirements, students will be able to:

1. Provide safe, competent and compassionate patient-centered care for patients and families/support person(s) across the life span based on current evidence-based practices.

2. Assimilate leadership and management principles in practice as a professional nurse.

3. Demonstrate integrity and accountability when applying professional nursing standards in practice within the ethical and legal framework of nursing.

4. Participate in collaboration and teamwork with members of the inter-professional team, the patient, and the patient’s support person/family.

5. Utilize informatics and patient technologies to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error and support decision-making.

6. Participate in quality/performance improvement activities to promote optimal patient outcomes.

7. Engage in clinical reasoning/nursing-judgment to make patient-centered care decisions, and to function within the complex healthcare environment.

Accreditation, Approval, and Membership Information

The associate nursing program at Bronx Community College - CUNY located in Bronx, NY, is accredited by the: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326 (404) 975-5000

The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the associate nursing program is continuing accreditation.

View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding this program at https://www.acenursing.org/search-programs

Academic Requirements

Academic requirements for all students who want to apply for entry into the Registered Nursing (R.N.) Program include:

• A cumulative GPA of 2.70, with a minimum grade of “C” or better in the pre-clinical sequence of COMM 11, ENG 100, 110 or 111, PSY 11) and a “C+” or better in BIO 23 and PHM 10. These courses can only be repeated once to achieve the required minimum grade. (For these courses, withdrawal grades count as an attempt only for PHM 10.) This policy also applies to students who transfer into BCC’s RN program from other institutions.

TEAS V Examination

To be considered for admission into the BCC R.N. Nursing Program, applicants must obtain an individual score within the “Proficient “range on the TEAS V Admissions Examination. The TEAS V examination may be repeated one time only within the past two years. It is highly recommended that the applicant participates in the Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) testing remediation program before repeating the TEAS V examination. The initial testing must be completed at Bronx Community College. TEAS V Scores from another institution are not accepted. TEAS V exams must be less than two years old.

The TEAS V examination is a multiple-choice test that evaluates essential academic skills: Math, Science, Reading and English. It is recommended that applicants review Biology, Chemistry and Math content in preparation for taking the TEAS V examination. Assessment Technologies Institute, INC. (ATI) testing, the author of the TEAS V examination, has study materials and programs available for interested students.

The test will take approximately 3½ hours to complete. Testing fees are not refundable. Information about ATI is available at: https://atitesting.com/Home.aspx

The testing schedule will be published each semester. The initial testing must be completed at Bronx Community College. TEAS V Scores from another institution are not accepted.

Additional Admission Information

Admission into the R.N. Program’s nursing (NUR) courses is based on the approved priority list posted in the Nursing Department. Admissions are competitive and meeting the above requirement is not a guarantee of admission. When the number of applicants exceeds the number of available clinical spots in the program, cumulative GPA will be used to determine which candidates are admitted. (Transfer students see the following item.) Requirements for admission must be met by mid-November for admission into the following spring semester and mid-May for admission into the following fall semester.

Returning Students

Students who have withdrawn from the program and wish to return to the clinical sequence must:

• be in good academic standing;
• be able to complete the clinical program within five years from the date of entry into the clinical sequence and meet current progression criteria; and
• have completed BIO 23, BIO 24, BIO 28 and PHM 10 within seven years of the date of re admission into the clinical sequence.
• BCC students absent for one year or more will be held to the new standards.

A returning student who cannot meet the time requirements as stated above must reapply to the program and be subject to the current admission criteria.

Transfer Students

Transfer students who were enrolled in but did not complete a nursing program at a previous school may be considered for admission if they meet all criteria. However, these students must also provide a statement explaining the reason for failure to complete the program. The Nursing Committee on Admission reserves the right to deny admission after review of statement and circumstances of failure to complete the program.

The nursing program does not accept transfer credits for nursing or pharmacology courses taken at other colleges. In addition, Biology courses that are seven or more years old will not be accepted by the nursing program. Transfer grades are not posted on the BCC transcript and must be provided at the student’s request to the College’s Office of Admission and sent to the nursing program for entry into the nursing student’s file.

Any student transferring in credits from another accredited college cannot receive a combined total of more than 30 credits of advanced standing and/or examination.

Documentation Requirement for Applicants

Per CUNY policy, BCC will consider applicants for admission who are eligible for licensing in New York under the regulations of the New York State Education Department. The regulation provides eligibility for citizens and non-citizens who are “not unlawfully present,” including those with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and those permanently residing in the United States under color of law (PRUCOL).

Applicants may demonstrate eligibility through documents that verify that they meet the required criteria. The most common documents include:

1. Proof of U.S. citizenship through a birth certificate, U.S. passport, naturalization certificate, or a certificate of citizenship.
2. Proof of legal permanent resident status with what is
known as a “Green Card”.
3. Proof of various eligible categories, listed below, generally through an employment authorization
document (EAD) or other satisfactory documentation.

Eligible immigration categories:

1. International student with F-1 status
2. Asylee
3. Refugee
4. Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
5. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
6. Individuals paroled into the United States whose parole has not expired
7. Persons residing in the U.S. pursuant to an Order of Supervision
8. Persons granted a stay of deportation/removal
9. Persons granted an indefinite voluntary departure
10. Persons on whose behalf an immediate relative petition has been approved
11. Persons who have filed an application for adjustment of status to permanent resident
12. Persons granted Deferred Action Status
13. Persons who entered and have continuously residency in the U.S. before 01/01/1972
14. Persons granted suspension of deportation or cancellation of removal
15. Cuban/Haitian entrants
16. Persons with a pending application for asylum, withholding of removal or deportation, protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT), cancellation of removal, or TPS
17. Persons in T or U non-immigrant status
18. Self-petitioner under the Violence Against Women Act
19. Other persons living in the U.S. who are not unlawfully present

Criminal Background Checks

Current laws generally permit a state licensing board or agency to deny a license to practice nursing if the applicant has been convicted of a felony or other specified crime. Like many state licensing boards, the Office of the Professions of the New York State Education Department requires that a criminal background check be conducted prior to granting a license to practice nursing.

The Department of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences at Bronx Community College does not require a criminal background check for admittance, but the department’s educational requirements include placement at one or more hospitals or other off-campus clinical training sites. These sites frequently require a student to undergo a criminal background check before the student can be placed for clinical training. If, based upon the results of a criminal background check, the site determines that a student’s participation in its clinical training program would not be in the best interest of the site, the site may deny that student admission to the training program. Even if the student has already begun the placement when the results are received, the site may elect to dismiss the student, regardless of the student’s performance while in the training program. Each clinical training site that requires a criminal background check sets its own standards and procedures and you may be asked by the site to pay the cost of the background check. Please note that if a clinical training site determines that you may not take part in its training program based on the results of a criminal background check, you may be unable to complete your course requirements and to continue in the nursing program. It is important for you to consider this before you enroll in the nursing program. Bronx Community College has no obligation to refund your tuition or fees or to otherwise accommodate you in the event you are ineligible to complete your course requirements based on the results of a criminal background check, or if you are denied a license to practice nursing.

Please note that some of the facilities used by the nursing department may require screening for substance abuse. If this is a mandate of the clinical facility the student must comply. Failure to comply or a positive finding will result in the student having to withdraw from the nursing courses they are registered in at the time of the finding. No alternate clinical placement will be done.

Legal Limitations for State Licensure

A student who has charges pending or has ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor and/or has been found guilty of professional misconduct, unprofessional conduct or negligence may enter the nursing program. The student may sit for the professional licensing examination after completing the program. However, the student may or may not be rendered a permit to practice and/or receive the registered professional nurse license following review of the student’s Application for License and First Registration by the Regents of the University of the State of New York.

Basic Life Support (BLS)

Certification by the American Heart Association is required of all nursing students and must remain current. Health clearance for Nursing must be completed each semester.

Health Requirements

The nursing program requires a specific detailed physical examination that exceeds the college requirements for physical examination and immunizations. These requirements comply with the New York State Department of Health regulations and must include immunization papers. The physical examination form is available in the Nursing Department.

Students who become ill, disabled or pregnant during clinical enrollment must provide current medical clearance before continuing the clinical portion of the program.

Students with disabilities must notify the disAbilities Services Office in Loew Hall, room 215, before any accommodation in a specific nursing course can be considered.

All nursing students must meet special health requirements to practice in clinical agencies.

Progression Requirements

• PHM 10, BIO 23, BIO 24 and BIO 28 must be taken within seven (7) years of the clinical sequence.
• All nursing (NUR) courses required for graduation must be passed with the required grade within five years of entry into the clinical sequence.
• Students must obtain a grade of C or better in supporting BIO courses (BIO 24, BIO 28), Students may repeat BIO 24 and BIO 28 once to attain a grade of C or better.
• Students must obtain a grade of “C” or better in NUR 100 and NUR 101. (Note: the C minimum grade is applicable to students beginning the Nursing clinical program in Fall 2023 or later.) Students repeating NUR 100/101 must earn a grade of C+ or better on the second attempt. Students must obtain a grade of C+ or better in NUR 201, NUR 301, NUR 401, and NUR 402.
• A student may repeat, on a space-available basis, one of the NUR courses a maximum of one time in order to earn the required grade. Note that withdrawal grades of W and WU count as an attempt in NUR courses.
• When a student receives a grade of “C-“,“D+”, “D”, “D-“, “F”, or “FIN” in NUR 100 or NUR 101 and repeats the course and earns a grade of “C+” or better, the first grade will be converted to an “NC” (“No Credit”). When a student receives a grade of “C”, “C-“,“D+”, “D”, “D-“, “F”, or “FIN” in NUR 201, NUR 301, NUR 401, or NUR 402 and repeats the course and earns a grade of “C+” or better, the first grade will be converted to an “NC” (“No Credit”). This NC conversion policy may only be applied once.

NCLEX-R.N. Examination

Graduates of the Nursing program are eligible to take the R.N. Licensure Examination (NCLEX-R.N.) given by the State of New York. Nursing students are required to pay for the NCLEX-R.N. Examination. The cost is approximately $335.

Additional Requirements

Substance abuse screening and a criminal background check may be required of students by certain clinical agencies. Positive findings will result in dismissal of the student from that agency and, as a result, the student must withdraw from the associated clinical course. The student must resolve the matter in a satisfactory manner before re-registering in the clinical course would be possible.

Transfer and Articulation

The Nursing AAS degree program articulates with SUNY Empire State College, Lehman College, Mercy College, and CUNY School of Professional Studies (SPS). Eligible graduates may also transfer credits to other senior colleges in The City University of New York or enroll in other colleges to continue study for baccalaureate and higher degrees.

Program Director: Professor Shanell Rawls