Program: AS-25510

The purpose of the Nursing Program is to provide a curriculum that prepares entry-level professional nurses to practice in a variety of settings. The Polk State College faculty members are committed to the professional development of the student, the support of healthcare within the community, and the enhancement of the nursing profession.

The Nursing Program fulfills responsibilities to the students, the broader community, and the nursing profession by:

•  Fostering and developing creative, innovative, and positive learning experiences that support the profession’s defined standards of care.
• Providing faculty who serve as role models and mentors for the students, the community, and the profession.
• Creating a learning environment in which students are provided the opportunity to develop the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skills and professional behaviors necessary to assume the role of professional nurse, as well as the demeanor required of the job.

Graduates of the Nursing Program are awarded the Associate in Science in Nursing degree and are eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination-RN to become a licensed registered nurse.

Accreditation

The Polk State College Nursing Program is approved by the Florida Board of Nursing and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC), 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326; 404-975-5000.

Program Information

Two program options are offered for nursing students. The Generic Option is for individuals without a current Florida healthcare license. The Transition Option is for individuals holding one of the following current Florida licenses or certificates in a direct patient care field: Licensed Practical Nurse, Paramedic, Respiratory Therapist, Physical Therapist Assistant, Occupational Therapy Assistant, X-ray Technologist, or Cardiovascular Technologist. The College seeks to provide as many qualified graduates as feasible, subject to the availability of clinical and academic resources, the existence of community need, and the number of qualified applicants.

Nursing is a limited admission program, and each applicant must first be admitted to the College and meet pre-admission requirements. Applicants with the best qualifications (according to the selection criteria) and who meet and comply with all other admission policies, procedures, and requirements are eligible to apply for admission to the program. The College reserves the right to change program and admission requirements, as need dictates.

As part of the program, students are assigned to clinical experiences in various healthcare facilities in Polk County, and to a limited extent, facilities in neighboring counties. For the required clinical experiences, students may be assigned to a day shift (6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.), or evening shift (1:00/2:30 p.m. to 9:30/11:00 p.m.), or a combination thereof, throughout the week or on weekends. Students are expected to acquire many skills and competencies in the program, which necessitates individual time in the on-campus nursing laboratory (with a minimum number of hours per week required outside regular class hours). For most courses, this minimum requirement is 2 hours per week. Students are also advised that assignments for clinical days, times, and facilities are made by the nursing faculty, and flexibility is expected. Nursing class and clinical time usually demand a minimum of 2-3 days per week. Study time and practice time necessary to be successful are at least equivalent to the class and clinical requirements. Applicants are encouraged to arrange individual and dependable transportation prior to admission. Students interested in the program are encouraged to consider completing all of the non-nursing course requirements prior to application.

Students are also strongly encouraged to investigate financial aid eligibility (e.g., Pell grants, scholarships, etc.) at the time of application to the College and/or to the program. Students who wait until the time of registration or until acceptance to the program are generally too late to qualify for funds for that term. Students need to be aware of financial aid limitations regarding minimum credit hours taken per term so that plans can be made to accommodate any adjusted financial resources. Information regarding assistance is available through the Financial Aid Office. In addition to the tuition and fees, there are additional expenses such as textbooks, other course materials, and uniforms, which may not be covered by financial aid.

The Florida Board of Nursing has the authority to deny licensure as a registered professional nurse to applicants with a conviction, a plea of no-contest, or guilty plea, regardless of adjudication, for any offense other than a minor traffic violation. Applicants for admission with any record of a criminal charge must report this information to the Program Director at the time of application. Any charges which arise after admission must also be reported to the Program Director.

Prospective students should be aware that a Social Security Number is required to be issued a certificate or license by the Florida Department of Health, which is the licensing authority for healthcare licenses in Florida.

Florida Nursing Students Association (FNSA)

The FNSA is a pre-professional student organization that is affiliated with the National Student Nurse Association. Students interested in nursing as a career, but not yet admitted to the nursing program, are eligible and encouraged to join the association after successfully completing 9 credit hours of program requirements. For further information, students may contact the FNSA Advisor Ms. Harto at lharto@polk.edu or Ms. Gaddy at ngaddy@polk.edu.

Health Requirements

Potential applicants for admission should be aware that there are health requirements for admission and continued enrollment in the Program. Students who do not already have the required immunizations are encouraged to get these early so as to avoid a large financial burden at the time of admission. The requirements are listed below. Failure to show appropriate documentation that the health requirements have been met can result in denial of admission or dismissal from the program:

• Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis) vaccination: Once received, this immunization is good for 10 years. Students should make sure the vaccine received contains Pertussis; a normal Tetanus immunization given to adults does not contain Pertussis. If a previous Tetanus immunization has been completed within the 10-year window and at least two years prior, the Tdap can be received. If a Tetanus shot was received within the past two years, reimmunization with Tetanus containing Pertussis cannot be given. Students must contact the Program Director regarding special clinical restrictions in this situation.
• MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccination: Individuals born before 1957 are required to have physician-documented evidence of disease or an MMR titer to verify immunity. Individuals born after 1957 must have documentation of having received MMR immunizations (a 2-step process), and if that cannot be verified, then the MMR titer must be done. Once completed, additional vaccinations or titers are not needed.
• PPD Tuberculosis skin test: If an individual has never had a PPD or if it has been more than a year since a PPD has been completed, the initial testing is a 2-step process with two tests up to 1 to 3 weeks apart. The subsequent PPD is a single test repeated annually. The student must always maintain a current PPD. Individuals who have had a positive PPD must have documentation of a negative chest x-ray within the past year.
• Hepatitis B vaccination: This immunization is not required, but is strongly encouraged. It is a 3-step process. Following the third injection, a titer for Hepatitis B surface antibody is required to verify immunity. The titer is a one-time procedure.
• Hepatitis C test: A titer is required within one year of admission. This is a one-time procedure. Individuals who test positive must meet with the Nursing Director to discuss any further requirements.
• Varicella (Chicken Pox) test: A titer is required. This is a one-time procedure. If the titer is negative, a Varicella immunization is required.
• Physical Examination: Completion of a health examination is required no more than one year prior to admission. The examination must be documented on a Physical Exam Form provided by the Department of Nursing.

In addition to the immunization requirements, potential applicants should be aware that nursing is a physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding profession. In order to be admitted and retained in the program, all applicants and students must be able to demonstrate the ability to independently perform the following essential cognitive, affective, and psychomotor functions expected during nursing duties. These functions are:

• Sufficient visual acuity, such as is needed in the accurate preparation and administration of medications, and for the observations necessary for safe patient assessment and nursing care.
• Sufficient auditory perception to receive verbal communication from patients and members of the health team, including occurrences where face masks are worn by personnel (which precludes lip reading), and to assess health needs of people through the use of monitoring devices such as cardiac monitors, stethoscopes, infusion pumps, fire alarms, and other equipment with alarms or auditory signals.
• Sufficient gross and fine motor coordination to respond promptly and to implement the skills required in meeting health needs, including the manipulation of equipment and supplies.
• Sufficient communication skills in speech, reading, and writing in the English language to interact effectively and safely with individuals, and to communicate patient needs promptly as may be necessary in rendering patient care.
• Sufficient tactile ability to conduct physical assessments, to distinguish significant temperature differences, and to determine the safe use of objects in a person’s environment.
• Sufficient physical abilities to quickly move from room to room, to maneuver in small spaces and in spaces containing numerous pieces of patient care equipment, and to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other life-saving skills in typical patient care situations.
• Sufficient interpersonal abilities to interact therapeutically and professionally with individuals, families, and groups from a variety of social, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds, as well as with individuals with emotional or psychological illnesses.
• Sufficient coping and communication skills to handle stressful situations in a calm and professional manner.
• Sufficient intellectual and critical-thinking skills to make safe and rapid clinical decisions, identify cause and effect relationships, and to develop safe and effective nursing care plans.
• Sufficient stamina to provide patient care and related responsibilities for extended periods of time (8-12 hours or more).
• Sufficient ability to quickly and safely implement written or verbal medical and nursing plans of care.
• Sufficient ability to effectively handle multiple priorities in a stressful situation.

Program Cost

The approximate cost of the Nursing Program is $13,000. This includes everything from the prerequisite courses and lab fees, to program-support courses, uniforms, physical examinations, immunizations, nursing course materials, application for licensure, etc., and the Polk State College Nursing Pin, which is awarded upon successful completion of the program and graduation. This figure does not include the cost of any College Preparatory courses.

Potential Earnings

Graduates of the program can expect a beginning base pay of approximately $40,000-$50,000.

 Transfer Students from Other Nursing Programs

A student who has started nursing classes at another institution requesting transfer into the Polk State College Nursing Program, whether as an advanced-standing student or a new student, must be in good academic standing in the program from which transfer is desired and must be eligible to continue in that program.  A student not eligible to continue in the nursing program, where he or she is enrolled will be held to the same academic standards and policies as a Polk State nursing student who is deemed ineligible to continue in the program.

Transfers are accepted on the basis of space availability as determined by the Program Director. Students are required to make an appointment with the Director as the first step in the transfer process. Course documents or other materials which outline in detail the content of courses completed must be available for the Director’s review to determine potential appropriate placement. Competency testing may be required for demonstration of theoretical knowledge and skills proficiency that is equivalent to Polk State College standards. Transfer students must meet all of the same requirements as other Polk State College students.

Dual Enrollment Option with Florida Southern College (FSC)

The dual enrollment agreement between Polk State College and FSC offers selected students the opportunity to complete a baccalaureate degree in nursing from FSC in a shorter period of time. Students in this program take the nursing courses of FSC’s RN to BSN Program as evening classes while enrolled in the Polk State College Nursing Program. To qualify for this program, students must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 at the time of admission to the dual enrollment program, and must maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout the dual enrollment program. Students must apply for admission to FSC and meet the requirements for admission into the FSC Evening Program. Students must have satisfactorily completed the first clinical course of the Polk State College Nursing Program (NUR 1211C Adult Health I, or its equivalent) to be eligible to enroll in the first baccalaureate nursing course at FSC.

Although the General Education courses required by Polk State College satisfy some of the General Education courses required by FSC, additional General Education courses are required to complete the RN to BSN Program. The left column in the following chart lists the FSC course; the right column lists the Polk State College courses that FSC has determined to be equivalent. Those marked with an asterisk (*) are also required by the Polk State College Nursing Program. Students interested in this accelerated program are encouraged to have all General Education courses completed prior to beginning the program.

FSC Requirements for RN to BSN	Polk State College Equivalent Courses
ENG 101 (3)	ENC 1101*
ENG 102 (3)	ENC 1102
HIS 101 or 102 (3)	WOH 1012 or 1022
Literature (3)	Any LIT course
Fine Arts (3)	HUM 2020*
Social Science (6)	PSY 2012* and DEP 2004
Biological Science (4)	BSC 2085C*
Computer Science or Math or Natural Science (4)	BSC 2086C*
Natural Science (4)	MCB 2010C*
Interdisciplinary/cultural studies (6)	REL 2300
REL 205 or 206 (3) Religion or Philosophy (3)	REL 2300 or PHI 2010 or PHI 2600
Mathematics (3) *Nursing requires a statistics course to satisfy the math requirement.	STA 2023 or STA 2122 (STA 2023 meets Polk State College’s math requirement; Polk State College also accepts MAC 1105 or MGF 1106 for its math requirement, but these are not acceptable for FSC.)

The baccalaureate courses required for the nursing major at FSC consist of 45 hours of nursing, as well as other core courses for the major that must be taken at FSC. Students must take an additional 14 credit hours of General Education or elective courses at FSC to meet the credit-hour requirements to receive a degree from Florida Southern College. Students should keep this requirement in mind when taking the General Education courses listed above.

Students who have met the General Education requirements and who enroll in nursing courses following the sequence planned by FSC are able to complete 30 hours of nursing courses while enrolled in the Polk State College Nursing Program. The remaining hours are taken after Polk State College graduation and require the graduate to have successfully passed the NCLEX-RN licensing exam. Interested students should contact the FSC College of Nursing for an advising appointment. The requirements noted above are established by FSC, and Polk State College has no authority to waive any requirements or approve any course substitution.

Selection Criteria

The Nursing Selection Committee considers all eligible applicants and selects the most qualified applicants for admission based on a point system that considers factors such as scores on any admission testing required, overall cumulative GPA and cumulative GPA in program courses, and obtainment of a previous college degree. This list is not meant to be all inclusive; Polk State College reserves the right to make changes in the admission criteria as circumstances require and every reasonable effort is made to communicate changes in the program to interested students. Final acceptance and enrollment is based on the completion (with a grade of C or better) of required prerequisite courses that are in progress at the time of application, and the completion of other requirements listed below.

Application Information

The application for admission to the Nursing Program Generic Option must be submitted to the Polk State College Admission Office during the application period. The two periods are:

• May 15-30 for the August class.
• September 1-15 for the January class.

Applications are not available until the application period. During the application period, applications are available in Student Services on each campus and center and on the nursing website at www.polk.edu/nursing . All transcripts, required test scores, and any other documentation required in the admissions process must be submitted at the time of application for the application to be considered complete and eligible for consideration.

Anyone who applies but is not accepted for admission must reapply for consideration during future application periods. There is no waiting list.

Admission Requirements

Reading Requirement
Students considered for admission must have a reading score exempting enrollment in developmental reading courses, or satisfactory completion of these developmental courses is required. Other exemptions for the reading requirement include: (1) an ACT score of 18; (2) an SAT score of 440; and (3) EAP 1520C with a C or better; (4) a previous college degree; or (5) other demonstration of reading ability and aptitude for college-level work as determined by College standards.

Prerequisite Courses:
The following prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of C or better:

ENC 1101 - College Composition I 
PSY 2012 - General Psychology 
BSC 2085C - Human Anatomy and Physiology I 
BSC 2086C - Human Anatomy and Physiology II 
NUR 1010C - Introduction to Nursing (This course must be  taken within three years of admission to the program.)
(Note: LPNs with a current Florida license receive credit for this course on the basis of the license.)

Mathematics (one course)
MAC 1105 - College Algebra (or a higher-level MAC course)
MGF 1106 - Topics in Mathematics 
STA 2023 - Introduction to Probability and Statistics

The courses listed below may also be taken prior to program admission. The courses must be completed with a grade of C or better. Students are advised that due to the number of applicants, successful completion of these courses is usually required for admission.

DEP 2004 - Human Development
MCB 2010C - Microbiology
An approved Humanities course

Please note that prerequisites to a program and courses that can be taken prior to admission to a program can change and students not yet admitted to the program may be required to take additional or alternate prerequisites prior to admission to the program. 

All required science courses in this option must have been completed within seven years of the time of application and acceptance to the program. Exceptions to this policy can be granted only by the Director of the Nursing Program and are based on an individual’s education and experience.

All students must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of a 2.5 at the time of application for admission to either of the two program options.

Admissions Test
Students must achieve a satisfactory score on any tests required for admission. Currently the Department requires the Test of Essential Academic Skills, Version 5 (TEAS-V) with a minimum score of 60 required for admission. Effective with admission in August 2012 the minimum score required for admission will be 65. The Department reserves the right to change this requirement as need dictates.

Additional Admission Requirements

After a student is notified of acceptance for admission, the following requirements must be completed and current in order to finalize the admission process and remain enrolled in the program.

1. Completion of the physical examination and evaluation of essential functions.
2. Completion of immunizations and submission of communicable disease screenings.
3. Attainment a current American Heart Association (or similar provider) CPR Certification for Healthcare Providers.
4. Completion of a drug screening by a department-approved vendor.
5. Completion of fingerprinting and the national background checks by a department-approved vendor, completed within no more than one year from entrance into the program.
6. Submission of a signed affidavit attesting to the non-committance of specific criminal acts.
7. Completion of the Nursing Orientation.

Applicants with felony charges and selected misdemeanor charges, or those with positive drug screenings may ultimately be denied enrollment in nursing courses. Students must be free of offenses that would potentially disqualify them from working in a healthcare environment (Florida Statutes 456.0635, 435.04, and 316.193). Pursuant to Section 456.0635, Florida Statutes, the Florida Board of Nursing shall refuse to issue a license, certification, or registration and shall refuse to admit a candidate for examination if the applicant has been:

• Convicted or plead guilty or nolo contender (no contest) to a felony violation, regardless of adjudication of Chapters 409, 817, or 893 Florida Statutes; or 21 U.S.C. ss 801-970 or 42 U.S.C. ss 1395-1396, unless the sentence and any probation or pleas ended more than 15 years prior to the application.
• Terminated for cause from Florida Medicaid Program, unless the applicant has been in good standing for the most recent five years.
• Terminated for cause by any other State Medicaid Program or the Medicare Program, unless the termination was at least 20 years prior to the date of the application and the applicant has been in good standing with the program for the most recent five years.

Admission into the clinical portion of the Nursing Program is at the discretion of the clinical agencies, and these agencies may require more stringent limitations than those outlined above; therefore, applicants with any felony charges and selected misdemeanor charges may ultimately be denied enrollment in nursing courses.

Note: Once admitted to the Nursing Program, there are program restrictions and requirements which must be met for the student to remain enrolled in the program. Admitted students should see the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) Policy Manual for details.