Accreditation
The Nursing program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC), 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA 30326, (404) 975-5000, Anyone wishing to file a complaint with regard to the Nursing program should follow the complaint resolution procedures as outlined in this publication (see Complaints). They may also contact the National League for Nursing at the above address and telephone number.
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Mission Statement
The mission of the associate of science in the nursing program is to prepare the learner with the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes to practice competently and safely as a beginning nurse generalist in a variety of health care settings.
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Work Environment
Most RNs work in well-lit, comfortable healthcare facilities. Home health and public health nurses travel to patients' homes, schools, community centers, and other sites. RNs may spend considerable time walking, bending, stretching, lifting, and standing. Patients in hospitals and nursing care facilities require 24-hour care; consequently, nurses in these institutions may work nights, weekends, and holidays. RNs also may be on call-available to work on short notice. Nurses who work in offices, schools, and other settings that do not provide 24-hour care are more likely to work regular business hours. About 20 percent of RNs worked part time in 2008.
RNs may be in close contact with individuals who have infectious diseases and with toxic, harmful, or potentially hazardous compounds, solutions, and medications. RNs must observe rigid, standardized guidelines to guard against disease and other dangers, such as those posed by radiation, accidental needle sticks, chemicals used to sterilize instruments, and anesthetics. In addition, they are vulnerable to back injury when moving patients.
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Nature of the Work
Registered nurses (RNs), regardless of specialty or work setting, assess, provide treatments and care to patients, educate patients, families, and the public about various medical conditions, and provide information and emotional support to patients and family members. RNs record patients' medical histories and symptoms, help perform diagnostic tests and analyze results, operate medical machinery, administer treatment and medications, and help with patient follow-up and rehabilitation. RNs teach patients and their families how to manage their illnesses or injuries, explaining post-treatment home care needs; diet, nutrition, and exercise programs; and self-administration of medication and physical therapy. Some RNs may work to promote general health by educating the public on warning signs and symptoms of disease. RNs also might run general health screening or immunization clinics, blood drives, and public seminars on various conditions.
When caring for patients, RNs establish a care plan or contribute to an existing plan. Plans may include numerous activities, such as administering medication, including careful checking of dosages and avoiding interactions; starting, maintaining, and discontinuing intravenous (IV) lines for fluid, medication, blood, and blood products; administering therapies and treatments; observing the patient and recording those observations; and collaborate with physicians and other healthcare clinicians.
There are many options for RNs who specialize in a work setting or type of treatment. Ambulatory care nurses provide preventive care and treat patients with a variety of illnesses and injuries in physicians' offices or in clinics. Some ambulatory care nurses are involved in telehealth, providing care and advice through electronic communications media such as videoconferencing, the Internet, or by telephone. Critical care nurses provide care to patients with serious, complex, and acute illnesses or injuries that require very close monitoring and extensive medication protocols and therapies. Critical care nurses often work in critical or intensive care hospital units. Emergency or trauma nurses work in hospital or stand-alone emergency departments, providing initial assessments and care for patients with life-threatening conditions. Some emergency nurses may become qualified to serve as transport nurses, who provide medical care to patients who are transported by helicopter or airplane to the nearest medical facility. Holistic nurses provide care such as acupuncture, massage and aromatherapy, and biofeedback, which are meant to treat patients' mental and spiritual health in addition to their physical health. Home healthcare nurses provide at-home nursing care for patients, often as follow-up care after discharge from a hospital or from a rehabilitation, long-term care, or skilled nursing facility. Hospice and palliative care nurses provide care, most often in home or hospice settings, focused on maintaining quality of life for terminally ill patients. Infusion nurses administer medications, fluids, and blood to patients through vascular access devices.
Long-term care nurses provide healthcare services on a recurring basis to patients with chronic physical or mental disorders, often in long-term care or skilled nursing facilities. Medical-surgical nurses provide health promotion and basic medical care nursing care to patients with various medical and surgical diagnoses. Occupational health nurses seek to prevent job-related injuries and illnesses, provide monitoring and emergency care services, and help employers implement health and safety standards. Perianesthesia nurses provide preoperative and postoperative care to patients undergoing anesthesia during surgery or other procedure. Perioperative nurses assist surgeons by selecting and handling instruments, controlling bleeding, and suturing incisions. Some of these nurses also can specialize in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Psychiatric-mental health nurses provide care patients with personality and mood disorders. Radiology nurses provide care to patients undergoing diagnostic radiation procedures such as ultrasounds, magnetic resonance imaging, and radiation therapy for oncology diagnoses. Rehabilitation nurses care for patients with temporary and permanent disabilities. Transplant nurses care for both transplant recipients and living donors and monitor signs of organ rejection.
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Employment
As the largest healthcare occupation, registered nurses held about 2.6 million jobs nationally in 2008. Hospitals employed the majority of RNs, with 60 percent of such jobs. About 8 percent of jobs were in offices of physicians, 5 percent in home healthcare services, 5 percent in nursing care facilities, and 3 percent in employment services. The remainder worked mostly in government agencies, social assistance agencies, and educational services. Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow by 22 percent from 2008 to 2018.
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Earnings
Median annual wages nationally of registered nurses were $62,450 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $51,640 and $76,570. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $43,410, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $92,240. Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of registered nurses in May 2008 were:
- Employment services-$68,160
- General medical and surgical hospitals-$63,880
- Physicians offices-$59,210
- Home healthcare services-$58,740
- Nursing care facilities-$47,060
Source: U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition (http://www.bls.gov/oco/)
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Student Learning Outcomes
The Nursing program will prepare the learner with the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes to practice competently and safely as beginning nurse generalist in diverse healthcare environments. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to complete the following:
- Provide holistic, patient-centered care through professional application of the nursing process (human flourishing)
- Synthesize knowledge from a broad education foundation upon which nursing practice is based (nursing judgment)
- Communicate and collaborate with members of the healthcare team in identifying and meeting needs of individuals, families, and communities (nursing judgment)
- Demonstrate an understanding of the need for continuous personal and professional growth (spirit of inquiry)
- Pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) (professional identity)
- Function as beginning practitioners in professional nursing according to established standards of practice and regulatory frameworks (professional identity, safe practice in contemporary healthcare environments)
- Demonstrate the personal and professional ethics and interpersonal skills that are expected in the workplace (professional identity)
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Essential Functions
Certain physical and mental abilities are essential to function as a student and a nurse generalist. These include that students and nurses must be able to:
- Function in an environment characterized by frequent exposure to blood, body tissues and fluids, moving equipment, situations requiring use of special equipment or wearing of special clothing
- Read small print, see objects at a distance, discriminate color, and discern depth
- Hear normal sounds in the presence of average levels of background noise (as in answering the telephone while others converse in your presence) and to hear certain sounds such as normal speech and sounds associated with providing patient care (such as those heard when taking a manual blood pressure reading or performing physical assessments)
- Engage in effective verbal, electronic, and written communications
- Perform written work in a timely fashion and be able to relate information to and from the medical record and other documents or media
- Lift persons/objects weighing from 50 to 100 pounds; smaller items (up to 10 pounds in weight) will need to be carried various distances on a frequent basis
- Spend prolonged periods of time walking, standing, sitting, bending, and climbing, as well as reaching, pushing, and pulling
- Perform fine motor skills such as finger movements and manipulating small objects
- Perform tasks that require hand/eye coordination and perform upper and lower body movements in a coordinated fashion
- Focus on a task or function at any time for 10 consecutive minutes; longer periods of concentration may be required
- Exercise judgment in regard to patient and other clinical situations, have the ability to set priorities, and adapt to change
- Detect problems and errors and be prompt and assertive in actions to resolve problems
- Concentrate on fine detail with constant interruption on a regular basis (as when preparing and administering medications)
- Understand and apply, simultaneously, specific ideas and theories as they relate to various concepts
- Assess the skills and knowledge of others and supervise others in the performance of care
- Relate in a professional manner with patients, their friends and families, physicians, and other members of the healthcare team
- Remember multiple tasks and assignments given to self and others during the course of the day.
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Program Expenses
The Higher Education Act requires all colleges and universities to notify students and prospective students of all program costs for which they will be responsible. Students will be responsible for the following expenses each semester (unless otherwise noted):
- Tuition ($75 per credit hour)
- Registration fee ($39)
- Student activity fees ($30)
- Accident insurance fee ($6)
- Instructional and technology supply fee ($55)
- Program supply fee (Varies - see course descriptions for exact amounts)
- Assessment Technologies Incorporated (ATI) Content Mastery Series ($281.25 for the first semester and $253.25 per semester for each of the remaining semesters)
- Background check and drug screen (Approximately $95 per required check)
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- Basic life support for healthcare providers (Approximately $75)
- Cogent ID ($52.50)
- Georgia Board of Nursing application fee ($40)
- Immunizations (From approximately $40 to $400)
- Malpractice insurance ($11 per year)
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) application fee ($200)
- Physical examination (Approximately $300)
- Required laboratory tests (From approximately $100 to $750 once admitted to the program)
- Textbooks (Approximately $1,500 for entire program)
- Uniforms and lab coat (Approximately $200)
- School pin ($50 - $170; optional, prices subject to current price of gold)
These expenses are based on costs in effect at the time this catalog was published. Prices are subject to change.
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Admission Requirements
The Nursing program uses a competitive admission process to select students. Program faculty and the Admissions Office staff designed the process to ensure maximum opportunity for student success in the program and on the NCLEX-RN. The program admits students once per year at the beginning of Fall Semester. Prospective students may gain admission to the college initially as Healthcare Science program students/applicants to Nursing in order to complete any learning support classes and required general education courses.
Applicants must submit all required documentation to the Admissions Office by February 1 to receive consideration in the selection process. Applicants who are on academic probation or are academically dismissed from the college as of the application deadline will not be considered for admission. Applicants not selected for the program may reapply during subsequent admission intake periods. There is no waiting list between intake periods; applicants must complete the application process for each attempt at program entry. Applicants must complete the following steps:
- Submit completed and signed application for admission and a $20 nonrefundable application fee
- Submit official high school or GED transcripts and/or official college transcripts from all colleges attended in the past (see General Admission Requirements)
- Submit National League for Nursing Pre-Admission RN Examination, AD Composite Score of no less than the 85th percentile that is less than five years old on the application deadline date (see Selective Admission Examinations)
- Submit valid COMPASS or ASSET test scores (see COMPASS and ASSET Placement Tests)
- Submit completed and signed Intent form (blank forms are available from the Admissions Office and online at www.athenstech.edu/oldcatalog/programsofstudy.cfm - select Selective Admissions Forms)
- Complete English (ENGL 1101), mathematics (MATH 1101 or MATH 1111), human anatomy and physiology I and II (BIOL 2113, BIOL 2113L, BIOL 2114, and BIOL 2114L), and introductory microbiology (BIOL 2117 and BIOL 2117L) or equivalent courses with a grade of C or better by January 1 of the year in which admission is sought (applicants transferring from other colleges must confirm the transferability of credit for these courses with the college's director of registration and records by the February 1 admission application deadline)
- Attend a mandatory pre-admission orientation session once selected (failure to attend or to make alternate arrangements to obtain necessary information will result in the forfeiture of admission to the program)
Although applicants must have a minimum grade of C in the prerequisite courses listed above, it should be noted that the prerequisite course grade point average is one of the main criteria for selection in health and life sciences programs, so grades of C are typically not competitive.
Applicants to the Nursing program must take the NLN Pre-admission RN Examination no later than January to receive consideration for admission to the program. The NLN pre-admission test may be taken every six months. After gaining admission to the program and prior to enrolling in the first Nursing (RNSG) course, students must have the following current official documents on file in the Nursing Office:
- Certification in Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers
- Verification of health and malpractice insurance (see Malpractice Insurance)
- Record of physical exam that is less than six months old and a physician statement that student is in satisfactory health
- Results of tuberculin skin test and/or chest x-ray
- Evidence of immunity to rubella, rubeola, mumps, varicella, and Hepatitis B
- Documentation of current TDAP (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) immunization
- A signed document acknowledging that the commission of a felony before or during their enrollment in this program may prevent or impede graduates from obtaining licensure as registered nurses and that they may be required to complete drug testing and/or background checks at their own expense prior to participating in internships, practicums, or clinical activities at certain host sites for these activities (see Drug Testing/Background Checks) (blank documents are available from the program chair or the Admissions Office and online at www.athenstech.edu/oldcatalog/programsofstudy.cfm - select Selective Admissions Forms)
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Licensure and Certification
In all states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories, students must graduate from an approved nursing program and pass a national licensing examination, known as the National Council Licensure Examination, or NCLEX-RN, in order to obtain a nursing license. Other eligibility requirements for licensure vary by state. A social security number is required for licensure in the State of Georgia.
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Readmission Policy
If students withdraw from the program for any reason, they must follow the steps detailed under Life Sciences Programs Readmission. In addition, students seeking readmission will abide by all policies and procedures in place at the time of their request for readmission.
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Residency Policy
Only in the event that the program slots cannot be filled with Georgia residents who meet the minimum admissions criteria can out-of-state students be admitted to the Nursing program.
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The Accelerated Option
Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) may be eligible to enroll in an accelerated option that requires a minimum of three semesters to complete the nursing courses. LPNs may apply for the generic nursing program as described in the Nursing section, or they may apply for the accelerated option to bridge into the second year of the nursing curriculum. Interested LPNs should contact the Admissions Office and request information on the accelerated option in addition to the regular admission packet. Accelerated students are admitted each summer semester if space is available. Prospective students may gain admission to the college initially as Healthcare Science program students/applicants to the Nursing Accelerated Option in order to complete any learning support classes and required general education courses. The application deadline for the Nursing Accelerated Option is February 1 of the year the applicant is seeking admission to the program. Applicants must:
- Submit completed and signed application for admission and a $20 nonrefundable application fee
- Submit official high school or GED transcripts and/or official college transcripts from all colleges attended in the past (see General Admission Requirements)
- Submit NLN Pre-admission RN Examination, AD Composite Score of no less than the 85th percentile that is less than five years old at the anticipated date of enrollment in the program (see Selective Admission Examinations)
- Submit valid COMPASS or ASSET test scores (see COMPASS and ASSET Placement Tests)
- Submit documentation of an unencumbered LPN license valid in the State of Georgia
- Submit documentation showing a two year work experience (minimum of 1,000 hours) as a licensed practical nurse
- Submit completed and signed Intent form (blank forms are available in the Admissions Office and online at www.athenstech.edu-select Prospective Students and then Competitive Health Pgms)
- Complete English (ENGL 1101), mathematics (MATH 1101 or MATH 1111), human anatomy and physiology I and II (BIOL 2113, BIOL 2113L, BIOL 2114, and BIOL 2114L), introductory microbiology (BIOL 2117 and BIOL 2117L), and introductory psychology (PSYC 1101) or equivalent courses with a grade of C or better by January 1 of the year in which admission is sought (applicants transferring from other colleges must confirm the transferability of credit for these courses with the college's director of registration and records by the February 1 admission application deadline)
- Complete COMP 1000-Introduction to Computers and PSYC 2103-Human Development prior to the start Summer Semester
- Attend a mandatory pre-admission orientation session if invited (failure to attend or to make alternate arrangements to obtain necessary information will result in the forfeiture of admission to the program)
To ensure that AASN students complete the required program clinical hours, applicants to the AASN program must have completed a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program curriculum that includes a minimum of 160 clinical hours in medical-surgical nursing and 20 clinical hours in mental health nursing.
Applicants to the Nursing Accelerated Option must take the NLN Pre-admission RN Examination no later than January to receive consideration for admission to the program. After applicants submit the required documentation to the Admissions Office, the Nursing faculty will offer the NLN Acceleration Challenge Exam (ACE I) to those applicants who meet the Nursing program requirements. Qualified applicants will receive information regarding the ACE I testing procedures. Entry into the Nursing Accelerated Option is contingent upon:
- The applicant achieving a decision score of the 70th percentile or above on the ACE I exam; the existence of an opening in the accelerated option; and completion of all requirements
- Students must complete the 18 hours of prerequisite coursework prior to gaining admission to the accelerated program; they must complete an additional 15 hours of general education and nursing core coursework to graduate from the program
Applicants who achieve a decision score of 70th percentile or above on the ACE I and are admitted to the AASN program will receive eight (8) semester hours of credit (didactic and clinical) for RNSG 1920 (Foundations of Nursing) upon completion of the ATC Credit by Examination Request and payment of the non-refundable testing fee (25% of the course tuition). The Credit by Examination Request can be found on the college website at the following link; Athens Technical College ? Registration and Records
After gaining admission to the Nursing Accelerated Option and prior to enrolling in the first nursing course, students must have the following current official documents on file in the Nursing Office:
- Certification in Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers
- Verification of health and malpractice insurance (see Malpractice Insurance)
- Record of physical exam that is less than six months old and a physician statement that student is in satisfactory health
- Results of tuberculin skin test and/or chest x-ray
- Evidence of immunity to rubella, rubeola, mumps, varicella, and Hepatitis B
- Documentation of current TDAP (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) immunization
- A signed document acknowledging that the commission of a felony before or during their enrollment in this program may prevent or impede graduates from obtaining licensure as registered nurses and that they may be required to complete drug testing and/or background checks at their own expense prior to participating in internships, practicums, or clinical activities at certain host sites for these activities (see Drug Testing/Background Checks) (blank documents are available from the program chair or the Admissions Office and online at www.athenstech.edu-select Prospective Students and then Competitive Health Pgms)
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Program Expenses
The Higher Education Act requires all colleges and universities to notify students and prospective students of all program costs for which they will be responsible. Students will be responsible for the following expenses each semester (unless otherwise noted):
- Tuition ($75 per credit hour)
- Registration fee ($39)
- Student activity fees ($30)
- Accident insurance fee ($6)
- Instructional and technology supply fee ($55)
- Program supply fee (Varies - see course descriptions for exact amounts)
- Assessment Technologies Incorporated (ATI) Content Mastery Series ($281.25 for the first semester and $253.25 per semester for each of the remaining semesters)
- Background check and drug screen (Approximately $95 per required check)
-
- Basic life support for healthcare providers (Approximately $75)
- Cogent ID ($52.50)
- Georgia Board of Nursing application fee ($40)
- Immunizations (From approximately $40 to $400)
- Malpractice insurance ($11 per year)
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) application fee ($200)
- Physical examination (Approximately $300)
- Required laboratory tests (From approximately $100 to $750 once admitted to the program)
- Textbooks (Approximately $1,500 for entire program)
- Uniforms and lab coat (Approximately $200)
- School pin ($50 - $170; optional, prices subject to current price of gold)
These expenses are based on costs in effect at the time this catalog was published. Prices are subject to change.
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Readmission Policy
If students withdraw from the program for any reason, they must follow the steps detailed under Life Sciences Programs Readmission. In addition, students seeking readmission will abide by all policies and procedures in place at the time of their request for readmission.
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Residency Policy
Only in the event that the program slots cannot be filled with Georgia residents who meet the minimum admissions criteria can out-of-state students be admitted to the Nursing program.
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