San Antonio College Schedule/Catalog 2016-2017 [Archived Catalog]
Nursing Education
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Stella Cirlos M.S.N., R.N., Director
NAHC 378B, 210-486-1852
Main phone number: 210-486-1144
www.alamo.edu/sac/nursing
Gwendolyn Diggs Ed.D., R.N., Program Coordinator
NAHC 378C, 210-486-1196
Main phone number: 210-486-1144
www.alamo.edu/sac/nursing
Mission: The faculty members of the Department of Nursing Education uphold the mission of San Antonio College in supporting the educational and lifelong learning needs of culturally, ethically and socially diverse communities. The mission of the Department of Nursing Education is to prepare professional nurses who, as members of an interdisciplinary health care team, use nursing judgment to provide safe, evidence-based, patient-centered care to promote quality patient outcomes.
The Department of Nursing Education offers two education tracks terminating in an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree in Nursing. Upon successful completion of the nursing education program, graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) authorized by and administered through the Texas Board of Nursing. Students attending the San Antonio College nursing program come primarily from the Bexar County Metropolitan area. Nurse graduates from the programs fill nursing positions within many acute and long‐term health care facilities in the area.
The Department of Nursing Education offers a generic nursing program and a mobility nursing program with two tracks, including a licensed vocational nurse mobility track, and a military mobility track. The associate degree generic nursing program at San Antonio College admitted its first class of students in 1967. The career mobility program for licensed vocational nurses was started in 1991 at the San Antonio campus. Subsequently, distance sites for the vocational nurse career mobility program were established in Kerrville (1997) and then in Eagle Pass (1998). The Kerrville program is still administered by the San Antonio campus nursing program. The Eagle Pass program was eventually absorbed by its local community college system.
The nursing program is accredited by the Texas Board of Nursing and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. (ACEN). The contact information for both governing bodies is:
Texas Board of Nursing (BON)
333 Guadalupe #3-460, Austin, Texas 78701
Phone: (512) 305-7400 fax: (512) 305-7401
Email: webmaster@bon.texas.gov
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. (ACEN)
3343 Peachtree Road NE Suite 850, Atlanta Georgia, 30326
Phone (404) 975-5000 fax: (404) 975-5020
Email: info@acenursing.org
Department of Nursing Education Program Tracks
Generic Track
The Generic Track serves the education needs of students who want to become nurses but who have no prior medical or healthcare education background. The generic track nursing course work is planned to be completed in a four-semester time frame. A student entering this track has five years from initial enrollment date to complete degree requirements.
The Generic Track degree curriculum plan is located on the website: Nursing: Generic, A.A.S.
Career Mobility Track
The Career Mobility Track serves the education needs of students with prior education and work experience in the medical field who wish to become registered nurses. The Mobility Track requires a one-year time frame, to include three (3) consecutive semesters. Course work is done on-line, although all clinical labs are supervised by nursing faculty in local healthcare facilities. Students admitted to the Kerrville campus have both course work and clinical laboratory work provided in that area unless some optimum learning experiences can only be provided through the San Antonio campus or San Antonio clinical facilities.
The Career Mobility Track offers a nursing study option for (1) Licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) or licensed practical nurses (LPNs) with a current Texas nurse license and a practice record in good-standing with the Texas Board of Nursing; or (2) Military service members and U.S. military veterans who completed training within the last ten years as Army Combats Medics, Navy Corpsmen, or Air Force Medics.
The Career Mobility curriculum plan is located on the website: Nursing: Career Mobility - LVN to RN, A.A.S. / Military to RN, A.A.S.
Nursing Program Admission
Admission to the nursing program occurs twice each academic year: students are admitted to begin studies in the fall or spring semesters. In order to coordinate admissions with the Texas Board of Nursing, application deadlines for either a fall or spring admission are set to accommodate Board review.
The steps for admission to the nursing program include the following:
(1) Applicants for nursing studies must apply first to San Antonio College (SAC). Applications are submitted at ApplyTexas.
(2) Once admitted to SAC, the three degree-requirement courses essential for admission (BIOL 2401, 2402 & 2420 or 2421), if completed at other colleges or universities, must be transferred to San Antonio College and posted to the student’s academic record by the Office of Admissions & Records. Allow up to six weeks for the processing of transfer credit. Having all course work posted to the applicant record will allow nursing program admissions officials to access course grades for the consideration of the applicant. Lack of grades for required course work means the applicant will not be considered for admission. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make certain all transcripts reflecting degree-requirement courses are evident in the admissions record.
(3) Applicants will need to complete and submit an on-line application to the nursing program. Click HERE to apply to the Nursing Program
(4) Admission to the nursing program is competitive, with applicants providing evidence of previous successful educational accomplishments awarded higher standing in admission consideration. Applicants need to provide evidence of successful high school completion, satisfactory scores on the Testing of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) entrance examination (effective for Spring 2016 admissions), successful completion of the BIOL 2401, 2402, and 2420 or 2421 college science courses, and documented previous work experience in health care occupations. Successful completion of other degree requirements (ENGL 1301, PHIL 2306, PSYC 2301 & 2314) is also considered an advantage for nursing program admission.
Students requesting to enroll in BIOL 2420 Microbiology & Pathology/BIOL 2421 without completing the Chemistry I prerequisite will be allowed. The Chemistry will be waived for one semester. If the student does not pass the Microbiology course (or withdraws from the course), the student will be required to complete the Chemistry prerequisite prior to enrolling in Microbiology again.
Chemistry 1405 or Chemistry 1305 & Chemistry 1105 may be required by transfer Universities for completion of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
(5) Applicants to the Career Mobility Track will need to provide evidence of current Texas vocational nurse licensure or certification of medical military specialties. Military mobility applicants must provide official military training transcripts indicating completion of programs for Army Combat Medics, Navy Corpsmen, or Air Force Medics within the last ten (10) years. In addition, official documents which validate clinical experiences in military medical-technical roles advantage the applicant for consideration.
(6) Applicants meeting nursing program academic and other requirements will have their records forwarded to the Texas Board of Nursing for further consideration. The Texas Board of Nursing requires applicants to all nursing programs in Texas to have a criminal background screen completed through a Board-designated vendor. Only those applicants whose criminal background check is cleared through the Board will be offered admission to the nursing program. If the applicant fails the criminal background screen, the applicant can file declaratory orders with the Board of Nursing, and after an investigation that results in successful resolution, the applicant can seek admission in a subsequent time frame.
(7) After clearing the Board of Nursing criminal background screen, applicants will be asked to provide proof of good health (current immunization status and proof of no active tuberculosis), holding a current Health Care Provider cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) card, proof of a negative drug screen, and proof of current medical insurance coverage.
Educational Opportunities after Completion of the SAC Nursing Program
Consortium ADN to RN-BSN PATHWAY 1+2+1
San Antonio College Department of Nursing Education has joined a statewide consortium that provides a “1+2+1 degree plan” for transition from the AAS in Nursing to Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) studies. Upon successful completion of the AAS in Nursing degree and passing the NCLEX-RN examination, the nursing graduate may seek admission and transfer to a participating University nursing program with the intention of completing the BSN degree in a two-semester time frame. To be eligible to enter this education pathway, students must maintain a grade point average of 2.5 in all general education courses completed during nursing studies while also working to complete the AAS in Nursing. If interested in BSN, the student must contact the desired University of choice for college specific requirements.
Programs and Courses - Nursing Education Nursing Education
Associate of Applied Science
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