Associate Degree Nursing

Olympic College offers a two-year curriculum designed to prepare qualified candidates to become Registered Nurses. The two-year curriculum is approved by the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission (www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/ProfessionsNursing), and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (www.acenursing.org). The Program includes a balance of general education courses, nursing theory, and nursing practice. Following acceptance, most students will complete the program in six academic quarters. NURSE 151 , Dosage Calculations, requires a minimum 3.7 grade point. All other nursing courses require a minimum 2.2 (80%) grade point or above to progress in the Nursing Program. Graduates are prepared for employment as Registered Nurses in home health care, hospitals, long-term care, and community-based care agencies. The graduate of the Nursing Program will receive the Associate in Technical Arts Degree which qualifies the candidate (for eligibility) to take the NCLEX examination for licensure as a Registered Nurse. The license permits the nurse to use the legal title of Registered Nurse in the State of Washington.

Additional costs:

• Uniforms, including regulation shoes, laboratory coat, name pin, Olympic College patch for uniform and laboratory coat, and Nursing Skills laboratory packets.
• Wristwatch with sweep second hand and stethoscope.
• Nursing student general liability insurance.
• Malpractice insurance.
• Personal health insurance.
• Student Nurse Association dues (optional).
• State license application fee.
• NCLEX-RN fee.
• Transportation to and from clinical facilities.
• Nurse Legislative Day.
• Criminal background check and Immunization Tracker.

The Olympic College Nursing Program values a foundation of information technology upon entry into the Associate Degree Nursing program. This foundation of information technology includes word processing, accessing information and communicating through email and on-line teaching and learning tools, such as textbook resources or CANVAS. Performance of searches using Internet and intranet resources (electronic course reserves and library searches) is expected of students in the ADN program.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Professional Values/Lifelong Learning/ Global Perspectives (Member of the Profession) Definition: Professional values are demonstrated by providing direct care for clients across the life span, collaborating with nursing colleagues and other caregivers, and accepting accountability and responsibility for one’s practice within a legal and ethical framework. Lifelong learning is a commitment to developing an awareness of one’s current knowledge and formulating a plan to increase knowledge to positively impact client care. Global perspectives is recognizing diversity of ideas, points-of-view, opinions, and backgrounds and demonstrating the ability to develop a mutually respectful working environment that will benefit client care.
2. Communication (Member of Profession, Manager of Care, and Provider of Care) Definition: Communication is an interactive sharing of information (verbal, nonverbal & written) that can be demonstrated by continuity of quality care for the client and their family. Effective communication is an ongoing and dynamic process that includes the use of therapeutic skills and health education strategies in the promotion, maintenance, and/or restoration of health that has clarity, purpose, and sensitivity.
3. Clinical Reasoning (Provider of Care, Manager of Care) Definition: Clinical reasoning uses the skills of clinical judgment and decision making, which requires solid theoretical knowledge and the ability to notice clinical signs, interpret observations, respond appropriately, and reflect on actions taken. It is the process used to assimilate information, analyze data, and make decisions regarding client care. (Noticing, Interpreting, Responding, Reflecting)
4. Nursing Informatics/Information Literacy (Provider of Care) Definition: Nursing informatics integrates nursing science, computer science, and information science to manage and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom into nursing practice. (ANA, 2009)

Program Learning Outcomes

• Program completion rates: number of students who complete the program within 150% of the time of the stated program length.
• Job placement rates: number of graduates, one year after graduation, employed in a position for which the program prepared them.
• Licensure pass rates: performance on the licensure examination for first time writers.
• Program satisfaction: perceptions of the graduates and employers as to the adequacy and effectiveness of the program.