Nursing, ADN, Two-Year Option

The Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program prepares graduates to sit for the licensure exam for registered nurses. It is a balanced curriculum including both nursing and general education courses. Course content includes the role of the registered nurse, health care concepts, and technical observations and skills. Supervised clinical laboratory experiences are planned to focus on care of patients with well-defined health problems where probable outcomes of nursing interventions are predictable. Nursing courses must be taken in sequential order.

It is the goal of Shelton State Community College to graduate well prepared nurses who are strong practitioners both clinically and academically. To that end, ADN students should plan for twelve to sixteen hours per week of clinical experience. Although class and clinical hours will be planned as conveniently as possible, there may be evening or weekend assignments. Because of the clinical time involved and the preparation time for some of the nursing courses, students are encouraged to consider completing all the academic requirements (non-nursing courses) prior to admission to the ADN program.

The program offers two options for admission into the ADN curriculum. Students who have no nursing background may be admitted to the two-year option. Admission occurs during the fall semester and twenty-one (21) months, or five (5) consecutive semesters, are required to complete this option of study. Students who complete an approved PN program and hold a PN license may apply for admission to the career mobility option. Twelve (12) to fifteen (15) months or three (3) to four (4) consecutive semesters are required to complete this option of study with selection for admission occurring during fall semester.

Admission to the ADN program is a competitive process; the number of applicants may exceed the number of spaces available. The space available at clinical sites and student-teacher ratios required by the Alabama Board of Nursing limit the number of applicants accepted each year.

Transfer students in the ADN program must complete all required courses in the prescribed sequence. Academic credits will transfer as usual, however, Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II (BIO 202  and BIO 201 ) credits must have been completed within the past five (5) years. If not, at least one of the two courses must be repeated for credit. Nursing transfer credits are evaluated on an individual basis. Verification of knowledge and skills may be required (See Transfer Policy).

The Associate Degree Nursing program is approved by the Alabama Board of Nursing (ABN), RSA Plaza, Suite 50, 770 Washington Avenue, P.O. Box 303900, Montgomery, AL 36130-3900; telephone 334.293.5200 or 800.656.5318. Visit their website at www.abn.alabama.gov. The ADN and PN programs are also accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. (ACEN).  Please contact ACEN at 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326, call telephone 404.975.5000, or visit www.acenursing.org to learn more about Shelton State’s accreditation.

Note: At the date of this publication, there are statewide revisions taking place in the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education Nursing programs that may necessitate changes in the admission criteria, curriculum, policies, and procedures.

General Admission Procedure

1. Make application and be accepted to Shelton State Community College. Application must be completed online.
2. Submit copies of official transcripts of all colleges and universities attended to the Office of Enrollment Services. All transcripts must be evaluated by the Office of Enrollment Services for determination of course credits and GPA calculations.
3. Meet all academic requirements and complete any program admission requirements (listed below).
4. After successful completion of all academic and admission requirements, the student may submit the online application for admission to the nursing program. Applications are accepted between May 1 and June 1 for fall admission, and between September 1 and October 1 for spring admission for standard two year program. Applications for the ADN Health Transition program are accepted between June 1 and July 1 for fall admission, and between October 1 and November 1 for spring submission.
5. Complete application checklist provided after submission of the online nursing application.

Minimum Admission Standards for the ADN Program:

1. Applicant must have unconditional admission to the College.
2. Applicant must complete and submit application packet for the ADN Nursing program by June 1 for fall admission and October 1 for spring admission. Applications are completed online and accepted between May 1 and June 1 for fall admission and September 1 and October 1 for spring admission.
3. Applicants must have a minimum 18 composite ACT score on national or residual test.
4. Applicants must have a minimum 2.50 GPA in academic courses required for the nursing program and minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA at current, native institution, or institution from which student is transferring. An official SSCC transcript with all transfer credit must be available by the application deadline.
5. Applicant must have a minimum of 2.50 cumulative high school GPA (for students without prior college course work).
6. An official high school transcript or GED certificate must be available by the application deadline.
7. Applicant must be eligible to enroll in or have completed the following:
   1. ENG 101 and MTH 100 or higher as determined by College placement
   2. BIO 201 during the first term of nursing courses (BIO 103 is a pre-requisite to BIO 201.)
8. Applicant must be in good standing with the College.
9. Applicant must meet the essential functions or technical standards required for nursing.

Admission to the ADN Nursing program is competitive, and the number of students is limited by the number of faculty and clinical facilities available.  Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the program.

Information for Admission:

Calculation of Points for Students Meeting Minimum Associate Degree Nursing Program Admission Standards:

After meeting all minimum requirements, applicants are rank-ordered using a point system based on the following:

1. Official ACT score. There is a maximum of 36 points with no time limit on when the test was taken.
2. Points from required academic courses for the nursing program (i.e., ENG 101, MTH 100 or higher, BIO 201, and BIO 202).
3. Points for grades are as follows: A = 3 points, B = 2 points, C = 1 point.
4. An additional 10 points may be awarded as follows:

		Points		Criteria
		3		Shelton State Community College students who completed 18 hours of required academic courses for the nursing program.
		3		Students who have completed 18 hours of required academic courses for the nursing programs with a 3.0 or higher GPA.
		4		Six (6) months of work experience in a health-related field with direct patient care or the completion of a health-related program.
	A total of 70 points is possible with these selection criteria.
	Note: The nursing curriculum may change to meet the requirements of institutional, state, or national approval/accrediting agencies.