Nursing

Program Description

General Information

The Merritt College Nursing Associate in Science (AS) degree, also known as the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing (CA BRN) and is designed to prepare students for entry-level registered nursing positions. Upon successful completion of the ADN program, students are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) and upon passage become registered nurses.

The minimum time for completion of the nursing subjects for this program is 2 years/4 semesters done in a cohort model. Start time and progressing through the nursing courses of the program is in a set sequence known as the Total Curriculum Plan approved by the CA BRN. The course of study includes instruction in applied nursing sciences, related natural and social/behavioral sciences, and clinical nursing experience in hospitals and healthcare facilities located in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements must be satisfactorily completed at an accredited college or university prior to submitting the application. Upper division coursework will not be accepted. All coursework must be documented by official transcripts and included in the application packet. Applications will not be considered if any pre-admission courses are in progress.

To confirm that courses taken outside of Peralta Community College District (PCCD) are equivalent to admission requirements, it is highly recommended that applicants meet with a college counselor prior to submitting the application packet.

Applications for the program open each spring for fall admission. All admission requirements must be completed with a grade of C or higher:

BIOL 20A – Human Anatomy and Physiology* AND BIOL 20B – Human Anatomy and Physiology*

OR

BIOL 2 – Human Anatomy* AND BIOL 4 – Human Physiology*

AND

BIOL 3 – Microbiology*

AND

ENGL C1000 – Academic Reading and Writing OR ENGL C1000E – Academic Reading and Writing

* These science courses must have a lab component as required for licensure by the BRN. There is also a seven-year recency requirement for all science coursework.

Additionally, all General Education (GE) courses must be completed with a letter grade of C or higher at the time of the application. In-progress and “pass/no pass” courses will not be considered.

• COMM C1000 – Introduction to Public Speaking OR COMM C1004 – Interpersonal Communication

  • *For BSN admission, it is suggested to take COMM C1000.

• ENGL C1001 – Critical Thinking and Writing OR ENGL C1002 – Introduction to Literature

  • *An additional Arts or Humanities course from Local AA/AS GE is required if ENGL C1001 is taken.

• PSYC C1000 – Introduction to Psychology

• SOC 1 – Introduction to Sociology

• STAT C1000 – Introduction to Statistics

• Ethnic Studies

  • *Select one Ethnic Studies course for 3 units from Local AA/AS GE. It is suggested for BSN admission, to select a course from Cal-GETC Area 6. Please see a counselor for more information.

Please note that an overall cumulative GPA from all college level English courses and core Biology GPA (Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology) must be a minimum of 2.5. Please refer to Phase 2 for more information.

For more information about program prerequisites and admission to the Merritt College Nursing AS degree program, please see a Merritt College Counselor or email ADNadmissions@peralta.edu to request a program handbook.

Selection Procedure All application packets will be processed using the following procedure:

Phase 1. Admission Requirements – All applications submitted by the deadline will be reviewed for completion.

Phase 2. Chancellor’s Advisory Model Prerequisites for Enrollment – Merritt College Nursing AS degree program has instituted the Chancellor’s Advisory Model Prerequisites for Enrollment in Associate Degree Nursing Programs to determine admission into the program. The model uses a formula that takes into consideration four key areas:

1. Overall cumulative GPA from all colleges attended (minimum of 2.5 required)

2. Overall cumulative GPA from all college level English courses (minimum of 2.5 required)

3. Core Biology GPA (Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology) (minimum of 2.5 required)

4. Core biology course repetitions. (Core Biology course repetitions will adversely affect your overall score. Each repetition deducts from your Chancellor’s Score, and three repetitions eliminate your chance of receiving the required 80%. ALL repetitions count, regardless of the grade, A, B, C, D, F, or W (“withdraw”).

   Each application is assessed using the Model formula to yield a percentage score. Applicants who receive 80% or above, will be considered eligible to continue in the application process.

   RECENCY REQUIREMENT: Merritt College AS degree program requires that all science program prerequisite courses be taken within 7 years of the application date.

Phase 3. Notification of Application Status – The program will inform students of their application status.

Phase 4. Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS), current version – A score of 62% or higher on the first attempt is required. Applicants who do not receive a passing score will be referred for remediation to retake the TEAS, and, if they then achieve a score of 62% or higher, may reapply to the Nursing AS degree Program for a future decision.

Phase 5. Lottery – Qualified applicants will be entered into a lottery to determine the admitted class.

Phase 6. Mandatory ADN Orientation – All students selected for admission will be required to attend a mandatory orientation for the program. Failure to attend will result in immediate disqualification of the applicant. There will be 10 wait-listed students to replace any disqualified applicants. If not admitted, the wait-list students will be admitted into the next accepted cohort.

For more information about deadlines and application and selection procedures, request an Associate Degree Nursing Program Admissions Brochure by emailing ADNadmissions@peralta.edu

Career Opportunities

Upon successful completion of the program, students are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) to become registered nurses.

Learning Outcome(s)

1. Apply professional and theoretical concepts of nursing theories related to evidenced-based nursing practice when working with the healthcare team in caring for patients, families, and communities.
2. Develop and implement safe and skillful nursing care for patients, families, and communities.
3. Participate effectively as a member of a health care team by applying their knowledge of the nursing process.
4. Develop an awareness of him/herself as a person and as a practitioner with respect to his/her abilities, needs, motives culture, values and attitudes.