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Program Overview
The Nursing Program offers the opportunity to earn an Associate of Science Degree in Nursing, in preparation for the licensing exam, The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN® exam) to become a Registered Nurse.
Accreditation Statement
The associate degree nursing program at Lakes Region Community College (LRCC) meets the state education requirements for a Registered Nurse license in the state of New Hampshire. Lakes Region Community College has not determined if the associate degree nursing program at Lakes Region Community College meets the state education requirements in any other state, any U.S. Territory, or the District of Columbia. Contact the state regulatory agency for nursing in any other state for which this information is needed.
The Associate Degree Nursing Program is approved by the New Hampshire Board of Nursing (NHBON). Upon satisfactory completion of the program, the graduate is eligible to apply to the New Hampshire Board of Nursing (NHBON) and Pearson VUE NCLEX Candidate Services for the NCLEX-RN. The New Hampshire Board of Nursing’s licensing regulations may restrict candidates who have been involved in civil or criminal legal proceedings. Questions about licensing restrictions should be addressed to the New Hampshire Board of Nursing, 7 Eagle Square, Concord, NH 03301.
The Associate nursing program at Lakes Region Community College located in Laconia, New Hampshire is accredited by the:
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 975 – 5000
www.acenursing.org
The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the Associate nursing program is Continuing Accreditation.
View the public information disclosed by the ACEN regarding this program at http://www.acenursing.us/accreditedprograms/programSearch.htm
Program Mission
The mission of the Lakes Region Community College Associate Degree Nursing Program is to prepare compassionate health care professionals whose practice is holistic, scientifically based, and technically competent. The mission is to provide all students with a quality education that affords each graduate the opportunity to enter the healthcare profession in their community and pursue a Bachelor of Science degree
Program Outcomes
Graduates of the LRCC nursing program will be prepared to achieve the following Student Learning Outcomes:
- Deliver safe, legal, and ethical patient-centered care to the culturally and developmentally diverse patients using the nursing process
- Practice collaboratively throughout the healthcare system on a multi-professional healthcare team to achieve shared goals using principles of communication, leadership, and management
- Support a culture of continuous evidence-based quality improvement by using data to monitor outcomes and identify and report actual or potential problems
- Use health care system resources and technology to coordinate and deliver individual and/or population-focused care that is safe, effective, and efficient
- Demonstrate professional accountability using legal, ethical, and regulatory guidelines
- Participate in activities that contribute to life-long learning
Nursing Program Outcomes
| Class of 2021 | Class of 2022 | Class of 2023 |
LRCC NCLEX RN first time pass rate | 100% | 82.35% | 100% |
NH NCLEX RN first time pass rate | 93.35% | 89.7% | TBA |
National NCLEX RN first time pass rate | 82.48% | 79.9% | TBA |
4 Semester Completion Rate (100%) | 45% | 45% | 52% |
6 Semester Completion Rate (150%) | 57% | 59% | 63% |
Course Sequencing
First Year
Admission Requirements for Nursing 1 Students
- Complete high school or college level Algebra, Chemistry with a lab and Biology with a lab with a grade of C or better
- Complete a Nursing application and upload the required essay (Available after September 1)
- Have official transcripts from high school and all colleges attended sent directly to the admissions office
- Meet all general college admissions requirements
- Complete the ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS)* with a Total Score of 66% or higher
- Early application deadline is December 15
- Regular application deadline is February 29 for fall 2024. Applications completed after the deadline will be considered on a space available basis through April 30, 2024.
TEAS
- The TEAS may be taken four times in one year starting with the date of the first exam
- Each attempt must be at least four weeks apart
- TEAS scores are valid for two years
- Registration and payment for the TEAS is done at atitesting.com
- The TEAS exam is offered at multiple locations including LRCC.
TEAS Exam dates at LRCC for admission in Fall of 2024:
8/12/2023
9/9/2023
10/7/2023
11/4/2023
12/2/2023
1/6/2023
1/13/2024-Snow date
Nursing Essay Directions
- Write an essay that addresses each of the following items and upload it to your application.
- Describe an experience(s) that inspired you to become a nurse
- Describe the qualities that you value in a nurse
- The essay should be word processed
- 12 font
- 1 inch margins
- A minimum of 300 words to a maximum of 500 words
- Double spaced
Program requirements for incoming students
- Attend a designated orientation session
- Demonstrate a minimum of a C in all General Education courses
- Obtain and maintain current Basic Life Support for the Healthcare Provider certification
- Pass a national criminal background check, prior to each fall semester of the nursing program
- Complete a Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services(BEAS)State Registry form with no findings
- Pass a Division of Children, Youth and Families Name Search
- Submit proof of immunizations
- Submit proof of a negative result of a two-step Tuberculosis (TB) test or TB blood test
- Submit proof of current health insurance that meets the accepted health insurance criteria set forth by the Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH)
- Submit documentation of a health exam completed within the past 12 months.
- Pass an annual drug screen
- Make up all clinical and class hours missed for any reason at the discretion of the faculty
A Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) may apply to the Lakes Region Community College nursing program to earn an Associate’s degree in nursing. LPN applicants who successfully meet all of the admission requirements may be eligible for admission on a space available basis
Admission Requirements for LPN to ADN Pathway Applicants
- Meet with the nursing department chair
- Meet all of the admission requirements for a Level I student except for completion of the TEAS exam
- All nursing courses must have been completed with a grade of B- or better
- The LPN program must be accredited by ACEN
- Meet all the co-requisite requirements for the first semester of the nursing program
- Hold an unencumbered New Hampshire LPN license
- Complete the NLN NACE I exam with a minimum grade of 74%
- Meet all admission criteria by December 15 for admission in to the spring semester (Nursing II)
NACE I test scores are valid for a period of two years. Contact the nursing department chair at [email protected] for further information about the NACE I exam.
Anatomy & Physiology I, Anatomy & Physiology II, and Microbiology must be completed within five years of starting the nursing program with a minimum grade of a C. If any of these required science courses have been completed greater than five years before starting the nursing program, they must be re-taken.
The Nursing program has established RN to BSN transfer pathways with colleges in New Hampshire. These include but are not limited to Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) and Colby-Sawyer College. Further information can be obtained from the Nursing Department chair.
Technical Standards
Patient safety must be maintained at all times. During learning experiences students are expected to behave in an ethical manner, demonstrate emotional stability and sound judgement. Students must be able to accept direction from a supervisor or faculty member and establish appropriate interpersonal relationships with patients and their families, colleagues, members of the healthcare team at each clinical site, and faculty and staff at LRCC.
The following expectations have been established to provide guidance to students as to what is required to function successfully in the LRCC nursing program and the profession of nursing.
- Sufficient hearing to assess patient needs and to understand instructions, emergency signals, and telephone conversations
- Sufficient visual acuity to observe patients, manipulate equipment and interpret data. Visual acuity must be adequate to ensure a safe environment, identify color changes, read fine print/writing and, content in the electronic medical record (EMR) and calibrations
- Sufficient speech and language ability to express, comprehend and exchange information and ideas, verbally and non-verbally, and to interact clearly and logically with patients, families, colleagues and members of the healthcare team
- Ability to work with frequent interruption, respond to unexpected situations and to cope with variations in workload and stress levels
- Sufficient strength, motor coordination, and dexterity to operate equipment, move and transfer patients, and perform CPR
- Sufficient computer skills to work within the college Learning Management System and an Electronic Medical Record
- Travel Policy: Transportation to and from the college and all clinical sites is the responsibility of the student
Applicants who think they may be unable to meet one or more of these expectations must contact Martha Pasquali, nursing department chair prior to applying to the nursing program.
Transfer into the LRCC Nursing Program
Transfer into the LRCC Nursing Program is available on a space available basis into the Nursing II course. The LRCC curriculum does not allow for transfer into Nursing III or Nursing IV.
Transfer credit will be evaluated based on course content, program hours, and credits earned. A student who has exited from another nursing program for unsafe practice or unprofessional behavior is not eligible for transfer into the Nursing program at LRCC.
Admission Requirements for Transfer students
- Meet with the nursing department chair
- Meet all of the admission requirements for a level 1 student except for completion of the TEAS exam
- Nursing courses being transferred in must be from a program approved by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
- All nursing courses being transferred in must be completed with a minimum grade of B-
- Applicants must submit a letter of good standing to the LRCC nursing department chair from their previous nursing program department chair.
