Nursing

Centralia College offers a highly competitive two-year RN program to prepare graduates for the licensure examination to become a licensed registered nurse.

nursing group

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Purpose

Students who successfully complete all six quarters of the nursing program will receive an Associate in Applied Science-Transfer degree, and be eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nursing (NCLEX-RN).

In addition to preparing students for the nursing profession, the AAS-T degree provides science and general education courses appropriate for students planning to transfer into selected four-year bachelor's degree programs.

Accreditation 

Centralia College Associate Degree in Nursing program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA) located at 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20032, 202-909-2526.

Apply for Fall 2024

2024-25 Applications Now Open

Centralia College is currently seeking applicants for the fall cohort of nursing students in 2024. If you are new to Centralia College or if you've been gone for more than three quarters, follow the Steps for New Students and submit a new online admission form (you will need a ctcLink/student ID to submit the nursing program application).

The fall cohort will start classes on Sept. 23.  Fall cohort applicants have until April 15 to submit their application and fee. The deadline to submit all supporting documents is June 30.

Admission Requirements

  • Official scores from the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) showing overall proficiency.
  • Percentages are only used for tie-breaker purposes

Visit www.atitesting.com for testing options. Scores must be earned within the previous 3 years. Retakes are limited to three times in a 2-year period, taken no sooner than 30 days apart.

Required Courses

Successful completion of the following courses is REQUIRED for admission consideration:

  • Introduction to Chemistry (CHEM& 121) or equivalent
  • English Composition I (ENGL& 101) or equivalent
  • Lifespan Psychology (PSYC& 200) 
  • Human Anatomy/Physiology (BIOL& 241 and 242) or equivalent
  • Probability and Statistics (MATH& 146) or equivalent

Nursing Assistant Certification

  • Applicant MUST have tested and uploaded PENDING NA-C Certification status listed on the Washington State Department of Health Licensing/Credentials website by the June 30 deadline.
  • Proof of ACTIVE NA-C Certification status listed on the Washington State Department of Health Licensing/Credentials website must be uploaded by Sept. 1 to be fully accepted.
  • Recommend current AHA (American Heart Association) BLS for healthcare with application : HLSV 110 or https://www.cascadetraining.com/courses/index.cfm?cid=101  www.cprlearningcenter.com

Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification

An American Heart Association BLS for Healthcare Providers certification is required for students to attend clinical rotations. Accepted students should have their AHA BLS for HCP completed by the date of orientation, if possible, or by the first the day of the quarter.

Vaccinations

Clinical rotations are necessary for successful completion of the nursing program. Vaccination is an important part of healthcare and, as such, vaccines are required for all students.

However, some facilities are now providing a pathway to complete the nursing program by offering an option to decline vaccines. Students who choose this route will be restricted to those facilities for their clinical rotations.

Important Note: Declining vaccination and thereby limiting clinical options may affect the student’s opportunity for a well-rounded clinical learning experience. The college does not guarantee clinical hours or control future changes in facility/state requirements.

Additionally, students need to be aware that facilities continue to require masks in all patient care areas regardless of vaccination status.  

  • Covid 19 (boosters are not required, but recommended at this time)
  • Influenza
  • Hepatitis B (series or titer will be accepted – please note, if you have not begun the series, it is recommended to start when you submit your application)
  • MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)
  • Tdap (Tetanus/Dipththeria/Pertussis)
  • Varicella (Chickenpox)
  • Annual TB test (must be a two-step TST or QuantiFERON blood test / or clear chest x-ray)

Successful completion of the following courses are RECOMMENDED for admission consideration, and must be completed before graduation:

  • Microbiology (BIOL& 260) or equivalent
  • Sociology (SOCI& 101) or Cultural Anthropology (ANTH& 206) or equivalent
  • Speech Communication (CMST& 220 or CMST 250) or equivalent
  • Health and Fitness (3 credits with H/F designation) or equivalent (not used for scoring applications)

Note: Completion of all recommended courses is highly encouraged to assure being a competitive applicant.

Student-Faculty Handbook

Download the Student-Faculty Handbook (pdf).

Grade Requirements

  • All required and recommended courses must be taken for a grade at a regionally accredited college or university.
  • Applicants must earn a grade of at least 2.0 in each course.
  • It is the student’s responsibility to provide official letter or decimal grades from all college/s that have a non-traditional grading system. Contact the learning institution attended for information regarding grade conversion. Applications submitted without letter or decimal grades cannot be processed.
  • Math and science for both required and recommended courses must have been completed within 10 years prior to the application deadline.
  • Courses may be repeated no more than once. The highest grade in each repeated course will be selected for admission purposes. If any course is repeated more than once, the highest grade in the first two course attempts will count. Classes with grades that have been forgiven, according to each college's Grade Forgiveness policy, will not count as an attempt. A maximum of one grade of “W” or its equivalent that appears on your transcript for each required and recommended course will not be counted as an attempted course.

Letter Grade/Decimal Conversion

NOTE: 1.9 is below the 2.0 minimum requirement for program entrance or completion

A 4.0 - 3.5
B, B+ 3.49 - 3.0
B- 2.99 - 2.5
C, C+ 2.49 - 2.0
  • A maximum of 28 first year students are selected each year for the RN program.
  • Second-year Active LPN applicants will be accepted based on cohort availability.
  • Applicants to the Nursing Program are selected after a thorough review of all completed applications, including unofficial transcripts, NAC documentation, and Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) scores.
  • All courses completed through spring quarter will be reviewed as long as the unofficial transcript with posted grade(s) is uploaded by the June 30 deadline.
  • Only students who have completed all steps of the application process and who meet all entrance requirements will be considered.
  • Students are urged to contact Enrollment Services with questions in regards to course eligibility.
  • View the Scoring Rubric (pdf)
  • View Alternative Courses List (pdf)

A maximum of 28 first-year students are selected each year for the RN. Second-year Active LPN applicants accepted based on cohort availability. 

Notification of Admission

Students accepted into the Nursing program are notified by mail before the end of July. A notification email will be sent when the letters are mailed. Immediately email the Assistant Director of Enrollment Services to accept or decline your admittance into the RN program.

Notification of Alternate Status

A list of 10 alternate candidates in ranked order will be assembled. If spaces become available, only students on the alternate list will be offered admission for the current year’s program. Alternate candidates who do not receive an offer of admission by the 2nd class day of fall quarter will be denied admission. A new Nursing Program Application must be submitted to be reconsidered for future admission.

Appeal of Selection

If you wish to appeal your Nursing Program admission decision, you have 10 calendar days from the date of your decision letter to do so. The appeal is a meeting with the Assistant Director of Enrollment Services. If you wish to appeal the decision of the Assistant Director of Enrollment Services, you have five calendar days after the decision to appeal. Write a formal letter of appeal to the Director of Enrollment Services. The Director of Enrollment Services will send a written response within 15 calendar days after receiving the appeal letter. The decision of the Director of Enrollment Services is final.

Mandatory Orientation

Attendance at the orientation is required for all accepted applicants. Orientation for Fall 2023 first-year RN students will be on Aug. 9. Orientation for Fall 2023 second-year LPN students will be on Aug. 10.

Second-year Active LPN applicants must meet all entrance requirements and submit their application by the same method and deadline dates as first-year applicants.

Second-year Active LPN students who have documented successful completion of at least two quarters of nursing classes with grades higher than 3.0 are not required to submit TEAS test scores to be considered for admission. However, TEAS test scores may be used as a tie-breaker for ranking order when applicants have a tied score and are therefore encouraged to do so. 

CENTRALIA COLLEGE (CC) and CENTRALIA COLLEGE NURSING PROGRAM (CCNP)

Associate Degree Registered Nurse Program

Approval, Accreditation, and State Licensure Information

Washington State Approval National Nursing Accreditation

Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission (NCQAC)

310 Israel Road SE

Tumwater, WA 98501

360-236-4700

www.doh.wa

National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA)

CCNP holds accreditation status from the NLN CNEA, located at:

2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20037.

Holding pre-accreditation status does not guarantee that initial accreditation by NLN CNEA will be received.

www.nln.org/accreditation-services/overview

As a Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission (NCQAC) approved pre-licensure Nursing Education Program, Centralia College Nursing Program meets Washington state requirements for licensure/certification as Registered Nurses.  Upon completion of our program, Centralia College Nursing Program (CCNP) has had many graduates successfully license in many other US states, but has not made a formal determination that our Nursing curriculum meets educational requirements for licensure/certification outside of Washington State. We encourage students who plan to work out-of-state to check relevant state licensure/certification requirements with that state’s Board of Nursing and/or Department of Health for their current licensure requirements and processes.

Centralia College Associate Degree in Nursing program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA) located at 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20032, 202-909-2526.

NCLEX Pass Rate

Nursing Completion Rate

Nursing Employement Rate

Centralia College Nursing Program Outcomes**

Maintaining Belief

Provides patient-centered care to facilitate spiritual, mental and physical health with sensitivity and respect for the diversity of the human experience.

Knowing

Uses clinical judgement and evidence-based practice as the basis for decision making in the provision of safe, comprehensive patient-centered care.

Being With

Practices compassionate, competent, holistic, high quality patient-centered care in all situations.

Doing For

Uses critical thinking to promote holistic health while performing technical skills in an efficient, competent manner.

Enabling/Informing

Coordinates, collaborates and communicates with diverse patient populations, families and interdisciplinary health care teams to plan, deliver and evaluate care which promotes quality of life and empowers the patient through education.

** Adopted from Swanson’s Theory of Caring – a theory used to guide research, education, and practice.
Swanson, K.M. (1993). Nursing as Informed Caring for the Well-Being of Others. Image: Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 25 (4), 352 – 357.

Nursing Education Plan

Degree: Associate in Applied Science - Transfer

  • BIOL& 241 Human Anatomy & Physiology I - 5 credits
  • BIOL& 242 Human Anatomy & Physiology II - 5 credits
  • CHEM& 121 Introduction to Chemistry - 5 credit
  • ENGL& 101 English Composition I - 5 credits
  • MATH& 146 Introduction to Statistics - 5 credits
  • PSYC& 200 Lifespan Psychology - 5 credits

The following courses are recommended prior to admission to the Nursing program:

  • ANTH& 206 Cultural Anthropology OR SOC& 101 Introduction to Sociology - 5 credits
  • BIOL& 260 Microbiology - 5 credits
  • CMST& 220 Public Speaking OR CMST 250 Intercultural Communication - 5 credits
  • Health and Fitness Distribution - 3 credits

Fall Quarter 

  • NURS 101 Basic Nursing Care Concepts - 12 credits

Winter Quarter

  • NURS 102 Common Alterations I - 12 credits

Spring Quarter

  • NURS 103 Common Alterations II - 12 credits

Fall Quarter 

  • NURS 201 Mental Health and Lifespan- 10 credits
  • NURS 220 Management and Leadership - 2 credits

Winter Quarter

  • NURS 202 Complex Alterations - 12 credits

Spring Quarter

  • NURS 203 Complex Management - 8 credits
  • NURS 222 Transition to Practice - 4 credits

CONTACT

For Questions about the Nursing Program

360-623-8922
ccnursing@centralia.edu

For Questions about Applications and Credit Transfers

Kelly Worthey, Director of Enrollment Services
360-623-8664
Email Kelly Worthey