WVC offers the pre-licensure nursing program as a career ladder with curriculum designed as an associate degree program. The nursing faculty of WVC view nurses as knowledgeable workers who possess unique skills and specific competencies. The nursing curriculum enables students in the program to achieve the knowledge and competencies that will lead to successful careers in the ever-changing healthcare system.
The WVC Nursing Program is approved by the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission and accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (formerly known as the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission) (www.acenursing.org), 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30326, 409-975-5000).
The nursing program is one of several limited-enrollment programs at WVC and as such adheres to specific entrance criteria. Access the nursing program’s website at www.wvc.edu for the latest information regarding entry. The website contains up-to-date application dates and vital information about admission packets. Students may also call a WVC Allied Health Educational Planner for information on entering the program, 509-682-6844. Clinical courses in the nursing program may require attendance during day and evening shifts and some weekends. Students are also given out-of-town assignments for short periods of time and are responsible for living expenses and transportation to all clinical sites.
Completion of this degree prepares students for a pathway to the Bachelor of Science - Nursing upper division coursework but does not guarantee students admission to the major.
Note: Conviction of certain crimes may prevent completion of the clinical course requirements of the program and may prevent future licensure and employment in the healthcare field. A criminal record check is required prior to any clinical training experience or clinical field trips. Students who have a criminal record should meet with the nursing program administrator to determine if the criminal history would prevent access to a healthcare facility.
Prerequisites
Complete all prerequisites by the end of spring quarter with a grade of “C” (2.0) or higher. See course descriptions for prerequisites and corequisites:
Students should start by taking the courses they placed into. Transfer students should talk to an educational planner to determine which courses to take first.
- CHEM& 121 Intro to Chemistry (5 credits)
- BIOL& 211 Majors Cellular (5 credits)
- BIOL& 241 Human Anatomy & Physiology 1 with lab* (5 credits)
- BIOL& 242 Human Anatomy & Physiology 2 with lab* (5 credits)
- BIOL& 260 Microbiology with lab* (5 credits)
- ENGL& 101 Composition: General (5 credits)
- MATH& 146 Introduction to Statistics (5 credits)
- PSYC& 100 General Psychology (5 credits)
- PSYC& 200 Lifespan Psychology (5 credits)
- One of the following:
- Nursing Assistant Certificate of Completion from an approved program (www.wvc.edu/cna)
- Current Washington State NA-C License
Corequisites
These courses can be completed after applying to the nursing program but try to complete these as early as possible.
- Communication Course (5 credits): Choose from ENGL 201, 202, 203 or 235
- Humanities Courses (10 credits): Choose two 5-credit courses from American Indian Indigenous Studies, Art, Chicano Studies, Communications, Drama, English (literature, creative writing, poetry, or fiction), Humanities, Music, Philosophy, Theater Arts or World Languages
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Maximum five credits from World Languages in Humanities distribution.
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Only five credits of Performance courses allowed in Humanities.
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*Repetition of these courses (or equivalent) due to (a) earning a grade lower than a “C” (2.0), (b) withdrawal, or (c) changing from credit to audit mid-quarter will result in a deduction of points. Each repetition will result in additional deductions and deductions negatively affect the probability of success score. The deduction policy only applies to courses repeated since 2004.
For additional nursing program admission information, visit www.wvc.edu/Nursing
Curriculum Updates are occurring to Second Year courses that will be implemented in the 2025-2026 Academic Year.
| Course | Title | Credits | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NURS 201 | Health and Illness II | 1 | ||
| NUTR 202 | Nutrition in Healthcare IV | 1 | ||
| PSYC 203 | Psychosocial Issues in Healthcare III | 3 | ||
| NURS 231 | Health Promotion in Nursing | 1 | ||
| NURS 241 | Skills Lab II | 1 | ||
| PHIL 201 | Ethics and Policy in Healthcare II | 1 | ||
| NURS 251 | Nursing Clinical IV | 4 | ||
| NURS 261 | Nursing Simulation IV | 1 |
Curriculum Updates are occurring to Second Year courses that will be implemented in the 2025-2026 Academic Year.
| Course | Title | Credits | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NURS 202 | Health and Illness III | 3 | ||
| NURS 222 | Transition to Nursing Practice | 2 | ||
| PHIL 202 | Ethics and Policy in Healthcare III | 1 | ||
| NURS 252 | Nursing Clinical V | 4 | ||
| NURS 262 | Nursing Simulation V | 2 |
Curriculum Updates are occurring to Second Year courses that will be implemented in the 2025-2026 Academic Year.
| Course | Title | Credits | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NURS 203 | Advanced Health and Illness Concepts | 3 | ||
| NURS 223 | Senior Seminar / NCLEX Prep Course | 2 | ||
| PHIL 203 | Ethics and Policy in Healthcare IV | 1 | ||
| NURS 253 | Nursing Clinical VI | 5 | ||
| NURS 263 | Nursing Simulation VI | 1 | ||
**Students may complete any remaining corequisites during summer quarter
Application Requirements:
- A completed WVC Application for Admission
- A completed supplemental application for admission to the WVC Nursing Program
- Sealed, official college transcripts from all colleges where the student has earned credit (excluding WVC)
- Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher
- Complete all prerequisites and corequisites with a “C” (2.0) or higher
- Attend an allied health information session (www.wvc.edu/AlliedHealth)
- Earn a qualifying score on the Test of Essential Academic Skills (www.wvc.edu/TEAS)
- Must be 18 by the start of the nursing program
Students must fulfill the following requirements immediately following acceptance into the WVC Nursing Program:
- Pay a non-refundable acceptance fee by the designated deadline.
- Provide a current Healthcare Provider CPR card. Must include but not be limited to first aid/CPR/AED for adults, children and infants. The CPR card must be issued by a person or facility qualified specifically to instruct CPR for healthcare providers.
- Provide documentation of immunizations to the student immunization tracker (for a complete list go to www.wvc.edu/alliedhealth).
- Provide verification of major medical insurance (accident/injury) for participation in clinical learning experiences. Students should expect to pay an additional fee for this mandatory student insurance, unless they are currently covered by an insurance carrier and can provide proof of insurance. Students have the option to purchase the Washington State Community College insurance. Obtain a brochure at the cashier’s office or at www.4studenthealth.relationinsurance.com.
- Provide background check information to provide clearance for participation in required clinical learning experiences. National background checks must go back at least six years and be submitted within 45 days of acceptance into the program through Complio.
- Provide results of a ten-panel drug test from Complio that is not older than 45 days from the start of class.
- Complete the allied health packet, which includes a student disclosure form, a child and adult abuse information act disclosure statement, a medical record form, a student release form and a student confidentiality form.
- Liability insurance is calculated into tuition and fees annually at the time of registration.
- Physical requirements include the ability to lift 50 pounds, carry 20 pounds, sit for four hours and stand for eight to twelve hours.
Note: Required documents are to be submitted to the student immunization tracker.
Note: Admission application deadlines to baccalaureate programs may vary and students must meet the deadline for the potential transfer institution(s) to which they plan to apply for transfer admission.