Associate in Science (A.S.)

Description of Program:

This two-year academic program is designed to prepare you as a registered Associate Degree Nurse (ADN) and/or for an advanced degree. The program provides you the opportunity to acquire the knowledge, attitude, and skills needed to be eligible to take the NCLEX exam for licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN). The Florida State Board of Nursing has the authority to deny a license to you, if you are found guilty of violating Florida Statute 456.0635.

Application Requirements:

The following materials and activities must be completed and submitted to the Allied Health Advisor by the second Friday in April in order for an applicant to be considered for admission:

1. Completed SFSC Application for Admission.
2. Completed Supplemental Nursing Application. (If you wish to apply to more than one program, you must submit a separate application for each nursing program.)
3. Placement test scores from any one of the following tests: ACT, SAT I, or FCELPT (CPT). You may schedule these tests through the college’s Testing Center.
4. Official high school transcript, General Education Diploma, or equivalent verifying proof of high school graduation.
5. Official college transcript(s) verifying the completion of the following courses and all other college work attempted:

   PREFIX NUMBER		COURSE NAME	CREDIT HOURS
   *	BSC 1085C	Human Anatomy and Physiology I	(G.E.)	4
   *+	BSC 1086C	Human Anatomy and Physiology II	(G.E.)	4
   *	ENC 1101	Freshman English I	(G.E.)	3
   *	PSY 2012	General Psychology	(G.E.)	3
   *+	STA 2023 OR	Elementary Statistics OR	(G.E.)	3
   *+	MAC 1105 OR	College Algebra OR
   *+	MGF 1106	Liberal Arts Math
   *	MCB 2010C	Microbiology	(G.E.)	4
   *	DEP 1004	Human Development		3
   				24
   *	Must earn a grade of “C” or higher.
   +	Check the course descriptions for course prerequisites

   The above program prerequisites must be completed by the end of spring term. The acceptability of equivalents for any of the courses will be determined by SFSC’s dean of Applied Sciences and/or director of Nursing Education.
6. Completed Nursing Student Checklist and submission of all related documents.
7. References from the following sources may be mailed or delivered by student if in a sealed envelope:
   1. Current or most recent employer.
   2. Two persons of your choice other than a relative.
8. Completed registration form and fee for NLN Pre-Admission Examination. All items must be forwarded to the Allied Health Advisor at South Florida State College, 600 West College Drive, Avon Park, Florida 33825.
9. Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II, and Microbiology must have been taken within seven years of admission to the program. If course work was completed more than seven years ago you must pass the college required competency exam. All science courses must have a lab.
10. All required developmental courses must be completed prior to application to the nursing programs.

Selection Criteria:

There are specific criteria which will be used when selecting students for the program. These criteria are as follows:

1. Completion of the 24 prerequisite hours with a grade of C or higher in each course and a cumulative prerequisite GPA of 2.5 or higher.
2. Achievement at the 50th percentile or above on the NLN pre-admission examination (composite percentile score).
3. Satisfactory physical, mental, and dental health as certified by a licensed health care provider. Certification of satisfactory health and immunizations are requirements for admission to the nursing program. Students will not be able to register until all documentation is submitted.

Selection Process

1. If you meet the minimum requirements by application deadline, you will be rank ordered, highest to lowest, on a product score devised by multiplying the NLN composite percentile score by the cumulative prerequisite GPA.
2. In cases where all credentials are equal, the following criteria will be used in the given sequence to determine who will be admitted into the program:
   1. Completion of any of the additional general education courses.
   2. Resident of service district.
   3. Completed application date.

General Information:

1. SFSC reserves the right to deny admission to you if you lack required qualifications for the ADN Program. You must reapply if you wish to be considered for a subsequent class. Each class is selected from a new applicant pool.
2. Completion of all or part of the general education courses required in the degree does not guarantee acceptance into the program.
3. The nursing program at SFSC has a stringent attendance policy. It is imperative that you understand and agree to abide by the published attendance standards prior to entering the program. The attendance policy is published in the Nursing Student Handbook which specifies the number of allowable absences for each portion of the program. If you have life or health conditions that might hinder attendance, you may wish to consider another program or delay application until a strong commitment to attendance can be made.
4. An official criminal history background check and a drug screen are required for entry into this nursing program. Please be aware that some providers of clinical experience will not allow individuals with certain types of criminal history into their facilities. This may deny entrance into the program, because such individuals would not be able to successfully complete clinical portions of the nursing program. A criminal history may also prevent you from being allowed to take the NCLEX examination for licensure by action of the Florida Board of Nursing. For more information or questions regarding your status, please contact the Board of Nursing at 850-245-4125 or access information at www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/nursing.
5. SFSC is a drug-free campus. As a student, you will be required to submit to random drug testing.
6. Computer literacy must be demonstrated prior to graduation.

Academic Requirements:

Regular and punctual attendance in all classes and laboratories is required. In case of absence, it is your responsibility to contact the instructor prior to the beginning of the scheduled class or clinical experience. You may be subject to administrative and/or disciplinary penalties in acts of cheating, plagiarism, or failure to fulfill responsibilities in clinical areas.

An overall GPA of 2.0 (C grade) or higher in all general education courses and a grade of 3.0 (B grade) in each and every nursing course. Theory and clinical grades are computed separately. Minimal passing grade for each is 80 percent; achievement in either theory or clinical of less than 80 percent constitutes a failure in the course.

Approximate Costs:

Length: Two (2) years - 72 credit hours (48 credit hours following the completion of the prerequisites - 24 credit hours)