Nursing | Admissions Criteria & Process
Would you like to be a nurse? It takes a special kind of person to be a nurse. You have to be passionate about helping people. Would you like to make the difference between life and death, well-being and discomfort, hope and fear, independence and helplessness? Nurses make these differences every day.
Nurses are essential members of the contemporary health team, providing nursing care to a diverse society. Nurses gain a great deal of personal satisfaction from the care they provide, which ranges from infants in the newborn nursery to the elderly in nursing homes. This care is taught in a variety of rural, acute, chronic, and home care settings. The growing need for nursing care assures a continued demand for skilled, compassionate nurses.
Nursing students at Northern Wyoming Community College District are educated in both classroom and clinical settings. Sheridan College & Gillette College offer an Associate of Applied Science Degree (AAS Degree) with an optional Practical Nursing exit (certificate) after the first year. The associate degree nursing program prepares the graduate to function as a Registered Nurse in providing care to clients with complex health care needs. Upon successful completion of this program, students are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
Associate Degree
The Associate Degree Nursing Program is approved by the Wyoming State Board of Nursing and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.
About The Program
The nursing courses consist of two parts: classroom study and supervised clinical experience. Both classroom and clinical components must be completed for students to progress in the program. Clinical components are scheduled on various days and times based on agreements with clinical facilities.
The nursing courses are sequential and must be completed in the identified order. The non-nursing courses may be completed prior to or concurrent with the identified nursing courses. Students need to maintain grades of “C” or better in all nursing and science courses to continue in the program.
Science courses, including Nutrition, Anatomy & Physiology I & II, and Microbiology, must have been completed no longer then 5 years prior to admission. Students are responsible for purchasing required uniforms, selected laboratory supplies, and transportation to clinical experiences.
The Associate Degree Nursing program is approved by the Wyoming State Board of Nursing (1810 Pioneer Avenue, Cheyenne, WY 82002 - 307-777-7601) and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (61 Broadway, New York, NY 10006 – 212 363-5555).
RN/BSN Degree
After completion of the first year of the associate degree program, students may begin to take upper level nursing courses required for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). These courses are available through the University of Wyoming RN/BSN Leap program.
Associate Degree Program Admission
All requirements for acceptance to the Associate Degree Nursing Program (items 1-9 below) must be submitted to the Nursing Department office no later than March 1st to be considered for the Fall semester.
Requirements for Acceptance
All requirements for acceptance (items 1-9 below) to the Associate Degree Nursing Program must be submitted to the Nursing Department office no later than March 1st to be considered for the Fall semester.
- Application for general admission to NWCCD.
- Application for admission to the Gillette College or the Sheridan College Nursing Program.
- Official high school transcript or GED certificate.
- Official transcript from colleges previously attended.
- Cumulative GPA of 2.5. All courses applicable to the Associate of Applied Science in Nursing will be used to compute GPA. If more than one college has been attended, all courses applicable to the Associate of Applied Science in Nursing will be used to compute GPA.
- Completion of ENGL*1010-English I or transferable English Composition I course with a grade of “C” or better.
- Completion of a college level math course with a grade of “C” or better.
- Completion of BIOL* 1010, CHEM* 1000, or ZOO*2010 & 2012 or transferable Biology, Chemistry, or Anatomy & Physiology I course with a “C” or better.
- TEAS exam category “Proficient” or above. Minimum Adjusted Individual Total Score of 58.7%. (TEAS V and above)
A limited number of students are accepted into the nursing program. Once a student has met the above criteria and receives conditional acceptance based on total points earned, full admission will be awarded pending successful completion of a background check, drug screen, DFS Check and documentation of the following: health examination and required immunizations, Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers (CPR), and liability insurance.
Prerequisite Requirements
BIOL 1010- General Biology I -OR CHEM 1000- Introduction to Chemistry -OR ZOO 2010 & 2012- Human Anatomy & Physiology I (& lab) ..... 4-5
ENGL 1010-English I ..... 3
Math Requirement ..... 3
Total Credit Hours.....10-11