1. Practice professional nursing behaviors incorporating personal responsibility and accountability for continued competence.
2. Communicate professionally and effectively with individuals, significant support person(s), and members of the interdisciplinary healthcare team.
3. Integrate knowledge of the holistic needs of the individual to provide an individual centered assessment.
4. Incorporate informatics to formulate evidence-based clinical judgments and management decisions.
5. Implement caring interventions incorporating documented best practices for individuals in diverse settings.
6. Develop a teaching plan for individuals, and/or the nursing team, incorporating teaching and learning principles.
7. Collaborate with the interdisciplinary healthcare team to advocate for positive individual and organizational outcomes.
8. Manage health care of the individual using cost effective nursing strategies, quality improvement processes, and current technologies.
Our next admission to the ADN Program is Fall 2021: If you are not a current student at VGCC, please apply to the college now. Once you have applied to the college (or if you are a current student), you will work with an Academic Advisor to complete the ADN Admissions steps.
Apply to VGCC
Please review the ADN Fall Admission Requirements before meeting with an Academic Advisor/Pre-Health Advisor. Students should print an ADN Planning Checklist to complete the items required for the PROGRAM APPLICATION and to review the instructions for submitting a PROGRAM APPLICATION.
All students are required to be currently listed on the CNAI registry prior to the Admission Deadline which is the last business day in March of the application year. Students are required to maintain their listing on the CNAI registry through the first year of the nursing program. For information about the state-approved NA I training course offered at VGCC, including the schedule, please click here: Occupational Healthcare at VGCC
Other state-approved NA I training programs
A Waiver Request Form may be submitted by students who have other degrees or certifications equivalent to the NA I course and CNA listing. Please click here for the Waiver Request Form , complete it, and submit it as instructed on the form.
Since students are required to be currently listed on the CNA I registry prior to entry into the program and must maintain the listing through the first year of the program, the NA I skills will not be retaught and students can independently perform in clinical. Students admitted via a waiver of the CNA I requirement are responsible for knowing and demonstrating correct performance of NA I skills. If a student demonstrates unsafe or unsatisfactory performance of a NA I skill, the student will be required to satisfactorily complete the skill in the lab under the supervision of an instructor. Failure to satisfactorily demonstrate any NA I skill in lab after three attempts will result in dismissal from the program.
Six-months of work experience as a CNA 1 OR a letter from your NA I instructor recommending you for the program is required. Please complete the Work Experience Verification Form to demonstrate that you meet this requirement.
Completion of the TEAS V with a minimum score of 58.7% (Adjusted Individual Total Score) is required. The TEAS test can be taken at VGCC or official scores from other schools may be transferred in. The TEAS V must have been taken within 5 years of the Eligibility Checklist Deadline.
A TEAS Study Guide or Practice Exams can be purchased through the ATI Testing Website . It is strongly recommended that you complete a Practice Exam before taking the TEAS test.
For more information on the TEAS test, please see our new TEAS LibGuide
Transfer Students: VGCC may accept students into the VGCC nursing programs that have completed nursing courses at other community colleges or universities. In order to be eligible for transfer into a nursing program, students must meet all admission criteria and complete a Transfer Student Program Application with a Student Success Coach prior to the deadline for admission. Nursing courses taken will be reviewed for the number of attempts/program admissions, the year taken, content covered, and grade equivalency and acceptance of transfer credit for nursing course(s) and is at the discretion of the Department Chair/Program Head. Students who have been previously admitted to a nursing program other than VGCC once (as evidenced by nursing courses on the official transcript) will be permitted one admission/transfer opportunity to a VGCC nursing program. Students who have had two or more admission attempts at other nursing programs outside of VGCC are not eligible for transfer or advanced placement and must apply to the Associate Degree Nursing program and start at the beginning of the program. Students who meet eligibility criteria and have nursing courses accepted for transfer are not guaranteed enrollment in the nursing programs as transfer student space is based on space availability.
If a student is accepted for admission into the program, a criminal background check and drug screen will be required. Findings on a criminal background check or a positive drug screen may prevent the student from continuing in the nursing program. Nursing faculty do not review criminal background checks and cannot provide advice on findings that are on a criminal background check. Also, the North Carolina Board of Nursing will complete a background check on all applicants for a license as a Registered Nurse. For more information, visit: http://www.ncbon.com/dcp/i/licensurelisting-criminal-background-checks-cbc-requirements
Upon acceptance into the program, the student must submit required immunizations and health records, including a physical examination by a healthcare provider which states the student is physically and emotionally able to participate in the program. Current CPR certification through the American Heart Association as a HealthCare Provider (only type accepted) is also required.
All students enrolled in the Nursing programs must have health insurance by the start of the semester. It is recommended that students obtain health insurance prior to being accepted into the program as Open Enrollment dates do not correlate with admission dates. Failure to have health insurance by the start of the program will require the student to be unenrolled from the program. Here are some links for health insurance information:
http://www.studentccsi.com/
http://www.cigna.com/individuals-families/students-and-young-adults
http://www.estudentinsurance.com/
VGCC Student Medical Form
Click here for the Job Hazards Information for Nursing
All students enrolled in the Nursing Programs must view this MRI Safety Video and complete the MRI Screening Form annually.
An estimation of the fees associated with the Nursing Programs and other important information can be found in the Nursing Programs Student Handbook.
At the completion of second semester, students who have satisfactorily completed all the skills required and who are currently listed a CNA 1 on the NC registry are eligible for listing as an NA II via the NC Board of Nursing. Students are required to review the following PowerPoint and must submit the application to the Department Chair by the deadline posted in order to be submitted for listing. Once the student's information is submitted to the NC Board of Nursing, the student must create an account on the BON website and pay the listing fee as required by the Board of Nursing. Further information on NA II listings and the application to complete the process for listing once submitted.
VGCC NA II Application for Listing
Students in the Associate Degree Nursing program are encouraged to join the VGCC Student Nurses' Association (SNA) by signing up for membership in the National Student Nurses' Association (NSNA)
Students may be a part of the American Nurses Association and the North Carolina Nurses Association
RN to BSN Affiliated Program Information
Started in 1983, the Associate Degree Nursing Program has graduated many successful RN's who provide safe, quality, and professional care to our community's residents. The program provides strong clinical experiences as well as challenging didactic class work.
Courses are taught by a team of instructors using a variety of teaching strategies in order to meet the learning needs of all our students. The program utilizes a concept-based curriculum with each semester building on the previous. Clinical experience takes place at local as well as large healthcare facilities and includes rotations in long term care, med-surg, pediatrics, maternal-newborn, mental health, and leadership. During the final semester, students participate in a preceptorship rotation in which they work one-on-one with an assigned nurse preceptor. Upon graduation from the program, students are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN.
Our NCLEX-RN pass rates are as follows: 2016: 90% (National Average 85%); 2017: 88% (National Average 87%). Further information about NCLEX pass rates can be found at https://www.ncbon.com/news-publications-statistics-statistics-statistics-for-nclex
We truly believe in professional development and life-long learning for our students. Students are encouraged to join the VGCC Student Nurses' Association (in association with the National Student Nurses' Association and the North Carolina Association of Nursing Students). There are also opportunities for students to join professional nursing organizations at the student level. VGCC has partnered with NC A&T State University and Chamberlain College to facilitate our graduates obtainment of a BSN degree. Please see additional information under Resources.
Frequently Asked Questions regarding Nursing Admissions