Nursing, A.S. Admission Requirements
Application due February 15
Admission Requirements
- Completion of required prerequisite courses.
- Licensed as an LPN by July 15.
- Cumulative prerequisite GPA of 3.0 in BIOL 2201 (Anatomy), BIOL 2202 (Physiology), ENGL 1101 (Composition I), and PSYC 1150 (Lifespan Developmental Psychology).
- No grade lower than a C is accepted in any course required for the A.S. nursing program (including prerequisites).
- Three general courses required for the nursing programs have a time limit of 5 years (Anatomy, Physiology, and Developmental Psychology). Review the currency of courses with a nursing advisor.
- Complete the Declaration of Intent form.
- Licensed as an LPN by July 15.
- Cumulative prerequisite GPA of 3.0 in BIOL 2201 (Anatomy), BIOL 2202 (Physiology), ENGL 1101 (Composition I), and PSYC 1150 (Developmental Psychology).
- No grade lower than a C is accepted in any course required for the A.S. nursing program (including prerequisites).
- Three general courses required for the nursing programs have a time limit of 5 years (Anatomy, Physiology, and Developmental Psychology).
- Review the currency of courses with a nursing advisor.
Program Outcomes
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The Professional (Associate Degree of Science in Nursing) Program began in 1996 and the first graduates completed in 1997. |
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Job placement by 2023 graduates in the AS Nursing Program was 94.7% of students reporting working as a Registered Nurse (RN). |
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Student Satisfaction: Graduates of the program in 2024 reported 99.59% overall satisfaction with their education and the AS Nursing Program. |
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National licensure examination pass rate (NCLEX) for the AS Nursing Program students from 2024 is 100%, above the state and national averages for NCLEX-RN first time test takers. |
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Program Completion (students start and complete the degree program in 1 year) for the AS Nursing Program in 2024 was 38.2%. |
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Small class sizes are important for student success. The program instructor to student ratio for 2023-2024 was 1:14. Clinical courses are 1:8. |
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The AS Nursing Program holds accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). |
Student Learning Outcomes
NLN and QSEN Student Learning Outcomes – Associate Degree in Nursing Program
| NLN | QSEN | |
|---|---|---|
|
1. NLN Human Flourishing
NLN
Graduate will advocate for patients and families in ways that promote their self-determination,
integrity, and ongoing growth as human beings.
QSEN
1A. QSEN: Patient Centered Care Graduate will recognize the patient or designee as the source of control and full partner in providing compassionate and coordinated care based on respect for patient's preferences, values, and needs. |
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2. NLN Nursing Judgment
NLN
Graduate will make judgments in practice, substantiated with evidence, that integrate
nursing science in the provision of safe, quality care and that promote the health
of patients within a family and community context.
QSEN
2A. QSEN: Safety Graduate will minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance. 2B. QSEN: Informatics Graduate will use information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision making. |
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|
3. NLN Professional Identity
NLN
Graduate will implement one's role as a nurse in ways that reflect integrity, responsibility,
ethical practices, and an evolving identity as a nurse committed to evidence-based
practice, caring, advocacy, and safe, quality care for diverse patients within a family
and community context.
QSEN
3A. QSEN: Teamwork and Collaboration Graduate will function effectively within nursing and inter-professional teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decisionmaking to achieve quality patient care. |
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4. NLN Spirit of Inquiry
NLN
Graduate will examine the evidence that underlies clinical nursing practice to challenge
the status quo, question underlying assumptions, and offer new insights to improve
the quality of care for patients, families, and communities.
QSEN
4A. QSEN: Quality Improvement Graduate will use data to monitor the outcomes of care processes and use improvement methods to design and test changes to continuously improve the quality and safety of health care systems. 4B. QSEN: Evidence Based Practice Graduate will integrate best current evidence with clinical expertise and patient/family preferences and values for delivery of optimal health care. |
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| 1. NLN Human Flourishing | Graduate will advocate for patients and families in ways that promote their self-determination, integrity, and ongoing growth as human beings. |
1A. QSEN: Patient Centered Care Graduate will recognize the patient or designee as the source of control and full partner in providing compassionate and coordinated care based on respect for patient's preferences, values, and needs. |
| 2. NLN Nursing Judgment | Graduate will make judgments in practice, substantiated with evidence, that integrate nursing science in the provision of safe, quality care and that promote the health of patients within a family and community context. |
2A. QSEN: Safety Graduate will minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance. 2B. QSEN: Informatics Graduate will use information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision making. |
| 3. NLN Professional Identity | Graduate will implement one's role as a nurse in ways that reflect integrity, responsibility, ethical practices, and an evolving identity as a nurse committed to evidence-based practice, caring, advocacy, and safe, quality care for diverse patients within a family and community context. |
3A. QSEN: Teamwork and Collaboration Graduate will function effectively within nursing and inter-professional teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decisionmaking to achieve quality patient care. |
| 4. NLN Spirit of Inquiry | Graduate will examine the evidence that underlies clinical nursing practice to challenge the status quo, question underlying assumptions, and offer new insights to improve the quality of care for patients, families, and communities. |
4A. QSEN: Quality Improvement Graduate will use data to monitor the outcomes of care processes and use improvement methods to design and test changes to continuously improve the quality and safety of health care systems. 4B. QSEN: Evidence Based Practice Graduate will integrate best current evidence with clinical expertise and patient/family preferences and values for delivery of optimal health care. |
Mission & Philosophy
Mission
The Minnesota West Associate of Science (A S.) program is dedicated to providing nursing education using a variety of affordable, accessible, delivery methods to a diverse population with the goal of preparing graduates who practice safe, entry-level professional nursing.
Philosophy
Nursing draws on a broad and integrated knowledge base. It is a unique discipline in and of its own and is both an art and a science.
- We believe the essence of nursing and nursing education involves therapeutic relationships, priority setting, critical thinking, and the valuing of individuals with unique needs. Physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual, social and cultural dimensions of individuals and communities create a whole that is greater than its parts.
- We place a high value on caring and respect for human beings, and on interpersonal relationships in nursing – the interaction between nurse and client, between student and faculty, and among members of the health care team.
- We enthusiastically support health promotion and the empowerment of individuals and families across the lifespan to meet their own health needs.
- We believe faculty are responsible for designing, directing, and guiding the learning of students. Faculty role-model process skills include ethical decision-making, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, creativity, and self-care. Faculty advocates mutual understanding and respect between scopes of practice and commit themselves to prepare safe, competent practitioners who value a life of learning.
- We believe students are responsible for their learning and must be actively engaged in it.
The Practical Nursing and Associate Degree Nursing programs at the Worthington, Pipestone,
and Granite Falls campuses of Minnesota West Community and Technical College, located
in Worthington, Pipestone, and Granite Falls, Minnesota, are accredited by the:
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 975-5000
https://www.acenursing.org/
The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for
the Associate Degree Nursing Program is Continuing Accreditation.
The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for
the Practical Nursing Program is Continuing Accreditation.