TRINITY VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE HEALTH OCCUPATIONS Vocational Nursing 2015-2016
2015-2016 VOCATIONAL NURSING PROGRAM The Vocational Nursing Program of Trinity Valley Community College is a one-year, 49 credit hour curriculum leading to a certificate in Vocational Nursing. Graduates will be recommended to the Texas Board of Nursing to be approved to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) to qualify as a licensed vocational nurse. VOCATIONAL NURSING PROGRAM APPLICATION PROCEDURE ADMISSION TO TVCC 1. Apply on-line at ApplyTexas.org or download the admission application from the main TVCC website. For VN Program in Palestine for fall 2016, the application to the college must be completed before December 1, 2015. For the VN Program in Kaufman for spring 2017, the application to the college must be completed before August 15, 2016. This is one of two applications that must be completed to apply for the VN program. 2. Request that official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended be sent to the Registrar s office at 100 Cardinal Drive, Athens, TX 75751 before December 1, 2015 for Palestine and August 15, 2016 for Kaufman. International credits are not accepted at TVCC. * Acceptance to TVCC does not guarantee acceptance to a health occupations program. * ADMISSION TO TVCC VOCATIONAL NURSING PROGRAM 1. Read the brochures on-line for the programs you are interested in. 2. Make appointment with HSC Counselor (972) 932-5721 if you have any questions. 3. Complete the Health Occupations program application on-line through Cardinal Connection at www.tvcc.edu between September 15, 2015 and December 1, 2015 for VN Palestine fall 2016 and between April 1, 2016 and August 15, 2016 for VN Kaufman spring 2017. Applications will not be accepted in person. Make sure you carefully read and follow all directions and complete the entire application. Students who apply to more than one program will be asked to rank order their preferences. 4. After completing the VN application, the student should receive a copy of the application in an e-mail. Print a copy of the e-mail as proof of application. Students who do not receive an e-mail should contact the HSC counselor within 24 hours. 5. Applicants for VN Palestine must submit official transcripts of courses taken in the fall of 2015 to the registrar s office and send unofficial copy of fall 2015 transcripts to the HSC Counselor at 800 Ed Hall Drive, Kaufman, TX 75142 before January 31, 2016. Applicants for VN Kaufman must submit official transcripts of courses taken in summer 2016 to the registrar s office by September 15, 2016 and send unofficial copy of summer 2016 transcripts to the HSC Counselor. -1-
MAKE SURE YOU MEET OR WILL MEET ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS BELOW BY THE DEADLINES: 1. ADMISSION TESTING -To be eligible for selections students must have successfully passed the HESI Admission Assessment (Reading >79%; Math >75%; Grammar >75% before completing the online application to the program. a. All sections must be passed on the same test b. If students tested at TVCC we have the scores. c. If students tested elsewhere they will need to contact Evolve at 1-800-950-2728, ext. 6918 or 6947, and ask for Transcripts. Request a testing transcript to be sent to the HSC counselor in Kaufman. d. The HESI A2 consists of reading, math, and grammar sections as well as learning style, personality profile, and behavioral inventory sections. These additional sections will provide valuable information should you get selected into a health occupations program. e. Students are encouraged to take the Anatomy & Physiology section to assess current A&P knowledge. f. The HESI Admission Assessment will be offered at TVCC through the Testing Center. The test will cost $50. The testing dates, locations and sign-up procedures will be posted on the TVCC Testing Center website at www.tvcc.edu/ testing. The testing registration form can be downloaded from the Testing Center web site and mailed or submitted in person to the Testing Center in Athens or the counseling offices at the other TVCC campuses. g. At TVCC, students may take the HESI Admission Assessment only 2 times in an academic year between September 1st and August 31st (first-time and one re-test). The student must wait at least 2 months before re-testing at TVCC. Keep this and the application deadlines in mind when scheduling to take the test for the first time. Students may take the test more often at other colleges. h. Once minimum scores are earned, they will be good for 5 years. Scores must be five years or less on the first day applications are accepted (April 1 or Sept. 15). i. TEAS V scores may be substituted for HESI A2 scores if the following minimums are met: Reading - 65; Math - 64; Grammar - 64. Official scores must be sent directly from ATI to the TVCC HSC counselor. 2. TSI COMPLETE a. To be eligible for selections, students must be TSI complete in reading, math and writing before completing the on-line application for health occupations programs or anticipate being TSI complete by the end of the semester (deadline of December 1, 2015 for VN Palestine and August 15, 2016 for VN Kaufman). b. See www2.tvcc.edu/testing, click on TSI Assessment for New Students for details about current TSI exemptions and requirements. 3. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS -To be eligible for selections, international students must send a letter from TVCC s Vice-President for Student Services to the HSC Counselor at 800 Ed Hall Drive, Kaufman, TX 75142 by December 1st (VN Palestine) or August 15th (VN Kaufman) stating they are cleared to attend TVCC. -2-
4. PROOF OF HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION OR GED To be eligible for the vocational nursing program, students must have graduated from high school graduation or completed a GED. Send proof to the HSC Counselor at 800 Ed Hall Drive, Kaufman, TX 75142 by the application deadline of December 1, 2015 for VN Palestine or August 15, 2016 for VN Kaufman. 5. PRE-REQUISITES - To be eligible for selections, one of the two required general education courses must be completed with a grade of C or better (Human Growth & Development and Intro to Anatomy & Physiology). BIOL 2404 Intro to A & P must be completed before starting VNSG courses. 6. TRANSFER STUDENTS -Students who have successfully completed one or more semesters of vocational nursing courses at another school and want to transfer in the middle of a program must meet the same admission requirements as other vocational nursing students, must apply to the college, submit a letter to the Health Science Center Provost requesting transfer and must attach a letter of recommendation from their last vocational nursing clinical instructor. Transfer students must successfully demonstrate pharmacological math competence and selected skills before being approved for acceptance. 7. REVIEW AND PROCESSING OF APPLICATIONS - Applications will be reviewed as they are received. A checklist regarding the status of the application will be e-mailed to the e-mail address on the application. If you have not received this checklist within 3 weeks, contact the HSC counselor. Applicants who do not meet the minimum qualifications to apply will NOT be considered. PROCESS FOR SELECTION OF STUDENTS 1. PRIORITY SELECTION a. All applicants who have submitted a completed application with required documentation (TSI complete, transcripts and passing entrance exam scores submitted, and 2.5 GPA or better on a 4.0 scale for ALL previous college courses) will be considered for priority selection according to the point system. Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) is based on grade points earned from all colleges. b. If all qualified applicants with at least a 2.5 GPA are selected (and spaces are still available), applicants with at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA will be considered. 2. POINT SYSTEM FOR SELECTION a. A point will be given for each of the required general education courses in the VN certificate program completed with a grade of C or better (PSYC 2314 and BIOL 2404) =2 points. b. A point will be given if the student received a grade of A on the first attempt of Anatomy & Physiology I (BIOL 2401 or SCIT 1407). A W counts as a first attempt. c. A point will be given if at least 15 semester credit hours have been successfully completed at TVCC (does not include CLEP hours). -3-
d. Points will be given based on cumulative GPA: Two points will be given for cumulative GPA between 3.5 and 4.0. One point will be given for cumulative GPA between 3.0 and 3.49. e. The MAXIMUM NUMBER of points for selections is 6. f. The MINIMUM NUMBER of points for selections is 1 (one of required general education courses). 3. HOW SELECTIONS ARE MADE a. Applicants with the highest number of points will be selected for the program. b. If all applicants from the highest category (6) are selected, students will be chosen from the next category (5) and so on. c. In the event that there are more applicants in one category than the number of spaces available, the applicant s current TVCC course load will be the first tie breaker and number of required core courses completed will be the second tie breaker. d. In case of further ties, random selection will be used. 4. NOTIFICATION OF SELECTED APPLICANTS a. All qualified applicants will be sent an e-mail regarding their acceptance status by late March for Palestine and mid October for Kaufman. Applicants will be asked to send a return e-mail with written acceptance or non-acceptance of their position (either selected or alternate) by a specified date. Applicants who don t respond by the deadline will be removed from the list and the applicant will have to re-apply to be considered for the next year s process. b. If a student has applied to the Vocational Nursing program and has not received notification regarding acceptance into the program by April 5th for Palestine or October 31st for Kaufman, it is the student s responsibility to contact the HSC Counselor in Kaufman before April 10th for VN Palestine or November 5th for VN Kaufman to clarify the situation. c. In the event of open positions, eligible applicants will be moved up the list and these candidates will be notified. The alternate list will be maintained until the program begins. d. Applicants who are not selected and those who decline a position must re-apply the next year in order to be considered in the next year s selection process. e. Students who are selected for the Vocational Nursing program will be required to attend an orientation session in Palestine in late April or May or in Kaufman in December. Failure to attend may result in forfeiture of place in the program. f. The selections procedure may change as the situation warrants. Because of the way the selections process works, we cannot estimate or guarantee how long it will take to be selected. This will vary each year according to the number of applicants, their progress on the general education courses, the number of courses taken at Trinity Valley, and their cumulative GPA. -4-
OTHER INFORMATION Students who have any questions regarding the application and selection processes or general information regarding any of the health occupations programs should contact the Health Science Center Provost. Students who don t have any healthcare experience should seek out volunteer opportunities at a local hospital and observe nurses to get a better idea of what nursing will entail. Due to computerized charting in clinical facilities, students must have good keyboarding skills. Students who hunt and peck are encouraged to take a keyboarding course. Students must be able to read cursive writing. It is the student s responsibility to notify the Health Science Center if there is any change in name, email address, address or telephone number. Applicants will be given instructions for obtaining fingerprints for an FBI criminal background check for the Texas Board of Nursing. These must be done at least 90 days prior to the start of nursing classes. The student must have a blue card, a positive outcome letter or an eligibility letter (declaratory order) before starting classes. Any nursing applicant who has been arrested, convicted of a crime other than a minor traffic violation, diagnosed with, treated, or hospitalized in the past five years for schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, paranoid personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, or borderline personality disorder, or addicted to or treated for the use of alcohol or any other drug within the past five years, must petition the Texas Board of Nursing for a declaratory order concerning their eligibility to take the licensing examination, the NCLEX-RN. The Texas Board of Nursing can be reached at (512) 305 7400. The application for a declaratory order can be downloaded from the BON website at www.bon. texas.gov/olv/forms.html. This declaratory order must be completed and the eligibility letter received before the student starts nursing courses. If the case must be sent to the enforcement division, the processing may take 6-24 months, so applicants must apply early. If a student is not able to start nursing courses due to waiting for a declaratory order, a space will be reserved for the following year pending positive outcome from the Texas Board of Nursing. Prior to starting clinical experiences the student must have a current American Heart Association healthcare provider CPR card, provide a completed physical exam and negative TB test (or chest x-ray if student has a positive TB test), and submit documentation of immunizations or immunity to specific diseases as required by law amd clinical sites including tetanus/diphtheria/acellular pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, hepatitis B and influenza. Current immunization requirements and the physical form can be downloaded from the TVCC -5-
HSC website, www.tvcc.edu/health-science-center, under miscellaneous/forms. Because the Hepatitis B series of three vaccinations takes several months, applicants are encouraged to get started as soon as possible. New students under 22 will be required to have the meningitis vaccine before registering at TVCC. Students will be given instructions during orientation on how to submit documents electronically to the Student Immunizaton Tracker through Certified Background. All students enrolled in a health occupations program are required to have a negative criminal background and registry checks and drug screen prior to beginning clinical rotations. Details about the requirements for background check and drug screens will be provided in orientation. Applications are taken for various student scholarships to be awarded for the next semester. Submit a completed scholarship application before the designated deadlines to the HSC Provost, TVCC, 800 Ed Hall Drive, Kaufman, TX 75142. If all qualified applicants have been selected and there are still available positions in the VN program, students will be notified on the HSC website if late applications will be accepted. SCHEDULE The Vocational Nursing Program in Palestine begins each August. The Vocational Nursing Program in Kaufman begins each January. Classes are conducted Monday through Friday approximately 6 8 hours per day. Some clinicals may be 12 hours. Clinical experiences for the Palestine program are offered in Palestine and Athens. Clinical rotations for the Kaufman program are located in Terrell, Kaufman, or Athens. Transportation to these locations is the responsibility of the student. -6-
ESTIMATED VOCATIONAL NURSING PROGRAM EXPENSES Tuition & Fees (for certificate program only - includes liability insurance, drug testing, background fees & testing program) IN-DISTRICT OUT-OF DISTRICT General Ed Courses...$ 576.00 $ 989.00 Level I... 1,708.00 2,770.00 Level II...K 1,206.00 K 1,973.00...P 1,284.00 P 2,110.00 Level III...K 1,045.00 K 1,694.00...P 942.00 P 1,532.00 Books, Handbook and Syllabi... 1,283.00 1,283.00 Skills Lab Kit... 96.00 96.00 Uniforms (two)... 170.00 170.00 Shoes (white nursing type)... 70.00 70.00 Scissors & Stethoscope... 55.00 55.00 Blood pressure cuff (Palestine only)... 30.00 30.00 Lab Coat... 30.00 30.00 Watch with Second Hand... 40.00 40.00 Nursing Pin... 30.00 30.00 State Board Application and Licensure Examination fees and pictures... 360.00 360.00 General Class Fund (Palestine only)... 20.00 20.00 Patches... 15.00 15.00 Scrubs... 60.00 60.00 Immunizations/Physical/Tb... 290.00 290.00 Mock Trial (Kaufman only)... 30.00 30.00 Criminal Background Check & Immunization... 61.40 61.40 Fingerprint Fee... 41.25 41.25 Review course (Palestine only)... 165.00 165.00 Additional Diagnostic Testing Module (Palestine only)... 186.00 186.00 Miscellaneous Supplies/Expenses... 150.00 150.00 TOTAL (Kaufman)...$7,316.65 $10,207.65 TOTAL (Palestine)...$7,662.65 $10,553.65 Monies should also be budgeted for other items such as gas, Xeroxing, etc. -7-
VOCATIONAL NURSING PROGRAM CURRICULA CERTIFICATE KAUFMAN GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES Credit Hours PSYC 2314 Human Growth & Development... 3 BIOL 2404 Intro to Anatomy & Physiology*... 4 Total... 7 SPRING SEMESTER LEVEL I VNSG 1116 Nutrition... 1 VNSG 1136 Mental Health... 1 VNSG 1122 Vocational Nursing Concepts... 1 VNSG 1400 Nursing in Health & Illness I... 4 VNSG 1402 Applied Nursing Skills I... 4 VNSG 2413 Applied Nursing Skills II... 4 VNSG 1160 Clinical I... 1 VNSG 1231 Pharmacology... 2 Total... 18 SUMMER SEMESTER LEVEL II VNSG 1409 Nursing in Health & Illness II... 4 VNSG 1230 Maternal/Neonatal... 2 VNSG 1234 Pediatrics... 2 VNSG 1361 Clinical IIB... 3 VNSG 2214 Applied Nursing Skills III... 2 Total... 13 FALL SEMESTER LEVEL III VNSG 1510 Nursing in Health & Illness III... 5 VNSG 1462 Clinical IIIB... 4 VNSG 1119 Professional Development... 1 VNSG 1126 Gerontology... 1 Total... 11 Grand Total... 49 * The BIOL 2404 must be completed before enrolling in VNSG courses. -8-
VOCATIONAL NURSING PROGRAM CURRICULA PALESTINE GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES... Credit Hours PSYC 2314 Human Growth & Development... 3 BIOL 2404 Intro to Anatomy & Physiology*... 4 Total... 7 FALL SEMESTER LEVEL I VNSG 1116 Nutrition... 1 VNSG 1136 Mental Health... 1 VNSG 1122 Vocational Nursing Concepts... 1 VNSG 1400 Nursing in Health & Illness I... 4 VNSG 1402 Applied Nursing Skills I... 4 VNSG 2413 Applied Nursing Skills II... 4 VNSG 1160 Clinical I... 1 VNSG 1231 Pharmacology... 2 Total... 18 SPRING SEMESTER LEVEL II VNSG 1409 Nursing in Health & Illness II... 4 VNSG 1230 Maternal/Neonatal... 2 VNSG 1234 Pediatrics... 2 VNSG 1461 Clinical IIA... 4 VNSG 2214 Applied Nursing Skills III... 2 Total... 14 SUMMER SEMESTER LEVEL III VNSG 1510 Nursing in Health & Illness III... 5 VNSG 1362 Clinical IIIA... 3 VNSG 1119 Professional Development... 1 VNSG 1126 Gerontology... 1 Total... 10 Grand Total... 59 * The BIOL 2404 must be completed before enrolling in VNSG courses. 1. The general education courses are the ones for which a point is given for selection. 2. BIOL 2401 and 2402 or SCIT 1407 and 1408 may substitute for BIOL 2404. Both courses must be completed to substitute. For example, BIOL 2401 by itself will not substitute for 2404. 3. All vocational nursing curriculum courses must be completed with a grade of C or better for graduation. The general education courses use the numerical grading scale listed in the catalog. The nursing theory courses use the following -9-
grading scale: A = 90-100; B = 80-89; C = 75-79; D = 65-74; F = Less than 65. The clinical courses use grading scales as outlined in each syllabus. 4. Selected classroom and clinical courses must be passed concurrently in order to progress to the next semester. Concurrent courses are outlined in the College catalog. 5. Previous college credits may be acceptable toward program requirements. The course numbers listed for the general education courses use the Texas Common Course Numbering System. The nursing courses come from the Workforce Education Course Manual (WECM). If there are any questions about the transferability of courses, the student should contact their counselor. Attention DCCCD Students: For BIOL 2401 we will accept DCCCD BIOL 1470 or SCIT 1407 For BIOL 2402 we will accept DCCCD BIOL 1472 or SCIT 1408 FOR MORE INFORMATION TVCC Health Science Center (972)932-4309 TVCC Athens (903)675-6385 TVCC Palestine (903)729-0256 TVCC Terrell (972)563-9573 e-mail: vn@tvcc.edu TVCC is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution which provides educational and employment opportunities on the basis of merit and without discrimination or harassment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability. -10-
Trinity Valley Community College 800 Ed Hall Drive Kaufman, TX 75142