Nursing, AAS (AAS.NUR 35208)

The Associate in Applied Science major in Nursing prepares graduates for the practice of registered nursing to provide direct patient care across the life span. Job options include hospitals, long-term care facilities, doctors’ offices, schools, and community health agencies. People who want to help others lead healthy lives and have strong science and math skills may be interested in this program. Students enrolled in this program will have criminal background checks and drug screenings.

To become a registered nurse and to obtain employment as a registered nurse, graduates must pass the Computer Adaptive Testing National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).  The Associate in Applied Science degree in Nursing is designed to prepare graduates for work as a registered nurse.  Graduates who successfully pass the NCLEX-RN must apply for licensure in their home state.  South Carolina is a part of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) which allows nurses to have one multistate license with the ability to practice in their home state and the other 33 states in the compact.  Please visit https://www.ncsbn.org/nurse-licensure-compact.htm for a complete list of US states and territories in the Nurse Licensure Compact.  There are legal limits for state licensure in South Carolina for graduates with prior criminal records.  The South Carolina Board of Nursing policy regarding legal limits for state licensure is available on https://llr.sc.gov .

The graduate of the Associate Degree Nursing Program functions in three basic roles within the healthcare delivery system, which is the framework for the nursing program: provider of care; manager of care; and member within the discipline. The graduate will also be able to demonstrate caring, communication, critical thinking, teaching/learning, professional behaviors and the nursing process within each role. 

Students must have current American Heart Association CPR Certification for children infants, adults, and AED.  Students must have proof of health insurance.  Liability insurance is also required and may be purchased through York Technical College.  Clinical facilities require drug screens and background checks before allowing students to participate in clinical rotations. Students participating in clinicals may be required to have a drug screen at any time during their rotation. Students will be required to attend multiple clinical facilities throughout the curriculum. Results of background checks and drug screens will be reviewed with designated personnel at the affiliate clinical sites. To be accepted for a clinical placement, all findings must be satisfactory to all participating clinical sites. Students not accepted for clinical rotations will not be able to successfully complete the course or program.

Prior to beginning clinical, students must have a completed health form to include the following:

• Physical Assessment
• Proof of two MMR vaccinations AND Rubella titer is required or if no proof of MMR is available you must have titers for each (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella)
• Proof of two Varicella (Chicken Pox) vaccinations OR titer required
• Proof of Diphtheria-Tetanus Booster (Last booster must have been received within the past 10 years.)
• Hepatitis B vaccination is recommended (Documentation of declination is required if student does not have the vaccine.)
• Proof of 2 step PPD within 3 months prior to entry of program is required
• Physician’s evaluation
• COVID-19 vaccine.  Please note* York Technical College does not require the COVID-19 vaccination for students as a condition of enrollment or attendance.  Students intending to enroll in a health-care related program should be aware that York Technical College maintains clinical placement agreements with health care facilities where students are required to complete clinical rotations as part of the requirements for their academic program.  Clinical sites maintain their own policies governing vaccine and booster requirements, including the COVID-19 vaccine, and any exemption processes related to those requirements.  Students choosing to pursue a program that requires a clinical component must follow all vaccine policies and requirements of clinical sites.  Vaccine requirements and the approval of exemptions are at the sole discretion of each clinical site, and clinical sites may implement and modify vaccine requirements at any time as they deem necessary.

Admission Requirements -  Admission to the Associate Degree Nursing Program requires the student to be a high-school graduate or equivalent. Students must complete one course of high school, college preparatory general chemistry with a minimum grade of C or any college chemistry with a minimum grade of C prior to acceptance into the Nursing program.

Students must also pass the “Test for Essential Academic Skills” (TEAS) test with a composite score of “Proficient” or better. TEAS scores must be no more than 3 years old at the time a student seeks admission in the ADN Program.

Applicants for admission to the Associate Degree Nursing Program must also meet one of the following:

1. SAT scores (2016 version) 480 Reading/Writing and 570 Math, OR ACT scores of 21 English and 23 math. Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 or higher. SAT/ACT scores must be no more than 5 years old at the time a student seeks admission into the ADN program.

OR

2. Completion of the Nursing Care Certificate (CT.NURNC) with a GPA of 2.50 or higher and meet the minimum reading requirement by one of the following methods: Accuplacer 95, Accuplacer Next Gen 263, Compass 88, Asset 46, YTC Placement Test Level 4 Reading 70, SAT RDG score 480, or ACT English score 21. 

NOTE: Students must achieve a grade of “C” or better on the first or second attempt of BIO 210, BIO 211, BIO 225 to meet the admission and curriculum requirements for the ADN program. Grades of “W,” “F,” and “WF” are considered unsuccessful attempts. Students who are unsuccessful on the second BIO attempt are not eligible to apply to the ADN program for five (5) years. Academic forgiveness will be given five (5) years after the second BIO attempt and then the student will be eligible to apply to the ADN program.

Admission by Transfer Requirements - Transfer credit may be granted for nursing courses taken at other Associate or Baccalaureate Degree Nursing Programs for a student meeting the following criteria:

1. The student must meet present admission criteria to the Nursing Program.
2. The student must submit a letter from the dean of nursing from the previous school attended stating that he/she left in good standing and is eligible for re-admission into their nursing program.
3. The student may be required to provide the nursing department chair with a detailed course syllabus showing course and unit objectives. Courses for which transfer credit is given must meet the objectives of the comparable York Technical College nursing courses.
4. In order for a course to be transferred, the student must demonstrate competency by proctored ATI computerized exam, skills check off and previous grades.

Admission by transfer is based on space availability.

Re-admission Requirements

1. Students who receive a grade of “W”, “WF”, “D”, or “F” in a nursing course must seek re-admission to the program in order to repeat the course. Re-admission is not automatic.

2. Student requesting re-admission into the Nursing Program must meet all admission requirements for the academic year in which they request readmission.
3. Submit a written request for re-admission to the Nursing Program Coordinator. The request must indicate the specific term and course in which the student request re-entry.
4. Required nursing courses more than three years old must be repeated.
5. Required competencies are nursing course specific, and will include a proctored ATI computerized exam and demonstration of course specific skills.
6. Re-admission is based on space availability.

Program Requirements - A student must have a “C” in each nursing course to progress in the program.

Nursing classes include campus and clinical laboratory hours. Students are required to drive to a variety of clinical agencies to complete the clinical component of the nursing courses. Students are expected to drive to either campus for classes according to the class schedule. Students may be assigned to morning, afternoon, evening and night clinical experience anywhere in the York, Chester or Lancaster counties. Clinical experience may range from four to 12 hours per clinical day.

Retention and Promotion - For retention and promotion in the Nursing Program, the student must, in the judgment of the faculty, satisfy the requirements of health, conduct, and scholastic achievement. In addition to meeting the established criteria, upon admission to the nursing program students:

1. Must complete courses in the sequence as outlined in the Nursing Master Curriculum.
2. Must achieve a cumulative 2.0 grade point ratio on all courses which are required for graduation.
3. Must make a grade of “C” or better in theory in each nursing course attempted and receive a clinical evaluation of “Satisfactory.”
4. Must not repeat more than one nursing course.
5. Who receives a “W”, “D”, “F”, or “WF” in any required nursing course may repeat that course one time only. In order to repeat a nursing course, the student must follow the re-admission criteria for the Nursing Program found in the current Nursing Student Manual. Re-admission will depend on space availability.
6. Will be eligible for academic forgiveness 5 years after the last nursing course attempted and may apply to re-enter the nursing program from the beginning. Students must meet current admission requirements when applying for re-admission.

LPN /ADN Transition Advance Placement (Associate in Applied Science)

A minimum of 23 semester hours of nursing credits will be awarded upon completion of validation if the applicant meets the following criteria:

1. Has a current, active LPN License.
2. Meets admission requirements of York Technical College.
3. Meets admission requirements of the Associate Degree Nursing Program, which includes a score of “Proficient” or better on the TEAS test.
4. Scores of 74 or better on the ATI PN Predictor test (one attempt only).
5. Successfully demonstrates course-specific skills.
6. Student must be a graduate of an ACEN accredited practical nursing program.

The deadline for application for the LPN/ADN transition program is May 15, 2023.

Direct Matriculation to the York Technical College’s Practical Nursing Program

Students in the Practical Nursing Program may matriiculate into the Associate Degree Nursing Program if they meet the following criteria:

1. Has successfully completed the PN curriculum.
2. Has satisfied all the current required criteria for the ADN program.
3. Matriculation occurs immediately after completion of the PN program.
4. Matriculation into the ADN program is based on space availability. Direct matriculation into the ADN program is not automatic or guaranteed.
5. In the event there are more qualified students who desire to matriculate than space availability, a lottery will be utilized.