Nurse Education - FAQs

Please download the appropriate packet from the Nurse Education Department Page and read it carefully. It contains a great deal of information about the Program and the admissions process. Included in the admissions packet is a schedule of information sessions. Candidates should attend a session. You do not need to make a reservation. The information sessions are set up to give candidates a strong sense of the Program and have specific questions answered. Attendance at an information session is required for candidates to the LPN to RN option.

We encourage students who are interested in starting this program in the future to apply and begin to take the Core and Pre-requisite classes.

1. High school transcript or GED score report.
2. High school biology with a C grade or better within five years of admission to the Program is required to take Anatomy and Physiology 1, a first semester nursing course.
3. Chemistry at the high school level or higher with a C grade or better within five years of admission is required.
4. Successful level of achievement on the entrance exam, TEAS

For additional information, download the appropriate packet from the Nurse Education Department Page.

All applicants must have these courses completed prior to acceptance into Program. You can take these courses at the High School or college level. Individuals must consider their own learning styles when selecting Pre-admission courses.
The recommended courses at North Shore Community College are:

• Algebra - MAT 091
• Biology - BIO 101 or BIO 108
• Chemistry- CHE 114, CHE 101, or CHE103

Comparable courses may be transferred in from other colleges if the core course objectives are similar and grade achievement is a C or better. The Enrollment & Student Records office makes the determination of eligibility for course transfer with the exception of courses designated as Nursing or NSG. The Department Chairman of Nursing determines if nursing courses are eligible for transfer. Pass/ Fail courses may not be transferred.

Some students choose to take High School level courses at their community high school during evening or adult sessions. Peabody High School offers chemistry in the evenings.

Candidates are encouraged to answer these questions carefully. There are no right or wrong answers. Answers should be well thought out and reasoned. Correct grammar, spelling and punctuation are important. Additional sheets of paper may be attached. Candidates are encouraged to use word processing.

Complete information about the entrance test is in the admissions packet. The TEAS test is divided into four sections: Reading, English, Math and Science. The TEAS study manual from ATI is available at the NSCC Bookstore in Lynn and Danvers or online at www.atitesting.com. An online practice test is also available on the ATI web site.

A minimum score of the following sections must be achieved:

• Reading 85%
• English 75%
• Math 60%
• Science 60%

The Program is a full-time intensive two-year experience with theoretical courses and practice-based experiences. Students who have other commitments such as part-time work or childcare may want to consider taking some of the non-nursing courses (e.g. psychology, biology, English etc.) in advance. Many students take the required non-nursing courses in advance to help them manage their schedules and increase available time to study for the nursing courses.

The Program is set up to be completed in four semesters. This design is for the full-time non-working student. Classes and clinical learning experiences are scheduled Monday - Friday. Classes start at 8:00 am and may finish as late as 4:00 PM depending on the individual students course load. Clinical experiences start as early as 7:00 AM and generally finish between 4:00 and 4:30 PM. There may be a clinical experience that is outside of these hours. Students are made aware of these circumstances in advance so they can make the appropriate schedule adjustments. During the first academic year the clinical learning days are Thursdays and Fridays. The second year students have clinical learning experiences on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Students who have completed some of the non - nursing courses have a lighter course load and may only have classes or clinical experiences 4 days a week during some semesters.

The Program utilizes a variety of different clinical learning environments. Students rotate to many different settings depending on the course objectives and individual learning needs. Some of the clinical agencies are: Addison Gilbert Hospital, Beverly Hospital, North Shore Medical Center, Tewksbury State Hospital, Partners Home Care, Lynn Community Health Center, American Home Care, and Union Hospital.

Registered Nurses work to promote health, prevent illness and help patients manage health problems. They are health educators for patients and larger groups. In Patient care setting RNs assess patient's health status, provide direct care to manage or control health problems, administer treatments and medications and evaluate the effectiveness of patient care.

Registered Nurses work in a variety of different settings and the role and responsibilities will vary with the different locations. Common places of employment include Hospitals, Medical officers, Rehabilitation Hospitals, Visiting Nurse Associations, Nursing Homes and Schools.

There is a specific advanced standing option for eligible Licensed Practical Nurses. LPN's can download the appropriate packet from the Nurse Education Department Page to determine their eligibility for this entry into the Program. All LPN candidates are required to attend an information session.

There are three educational paths to becoming a registered nurse. Associate Degree Programs, Bachelor's Degree Programs and Diploma Programs. Students graduating from all of these programs take the same exam to earn their registered nurse license. Bachelor Degree Programs prepare students for the broader scope of nursing practice. Many Associate in Science Degree graduates continue their education and go on to earn higher degrees in nursing.