Mar 28, 2024  
2021-2022 Academic Catalog 
    
2021-2022 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Nursing (AAS)


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Degrees and Certificate Programs

  Health Services  

(Limited-Entry Program)

Intended Program Outcomes:

This two-year AAS degree in nursing will prepare the student for eligibility for the national licensing examination and licensure as a registered nurse and to be effective in the workplace in the following areas:

  • Base personal and professional actions on a set of shared core nursing values, including social justice, caring, advocacy, protection from harm, respect for self and others, collegiality, and ethical behavior; notice, interpret, respond and reflect on ethical dilemmas using ethical principles and frameworks as a guideline.
  • Develop insight through reflection, self-analysis, and self-care.
  • Engage in intentional learning, developing self-awareness of learning and effects on client care, seeking new, relevant knowledge and skills.
  • Demonstrate leadership in nursing and health care to meet client needs, improve the health care system, and facilitate community problem solving.
  • Collaborate as part of a health care team, receiving, using and giving constructive feedback.
  • Practice within, utilize, and contribute to the broader health care system.
  • Practice relationship-centered care, based on empathy and caring, deep understanding of the care experience, and mutual trust and respect for the autonomy of the client.
  • Communicate effectively and therapeutically, with attention to elements of cultural influences, and using appropriate modalities and technologies.
  • Make sound clinical judgments through noticing, interpreting and responding, using best available evidence, frameworks and systems to organize data and knowledge; accurately perform skills while maintaining patient and personal safety.
  • Locate, evaluate, and use the best available evidence.

Registered nurses (RNs) use their knowledge, skills, and problem-solving abilities to help individuals, families, and groups with health needs.  RNs care for and work with people to help them become healthier or to regain health after illness or surgery.  Nurses teach health practices to clients and other health care providers and frequently supervise the work of nursing assistants and practical nurses.  RNs also administer medications and perform treatments for patients.  Nurses work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, long-term care, schools, industry, clinics, and patients’ homes.

About the Program

BMCC is a member of the Oregon Consortium for Nursing Education (OCNE) and offers a competency-based curriculum jointly developed by nursing faculties from the OCNE member community colleges and Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU).  The core competencies address the need for nurses to be skilled in clinical judgment and critical thinking; evidence-based practice; relationship-centered care; interdisciplinary collaboration; assisting individuals and families in self-care practices for promotion of health and management of chronic and acute illness; end-of-life care; and teaching, delegation, leadership and supervision of caregivers.

Acceptance to the program allows for co-admission to BMCC and OHSU nursing programs.  The program may be completed with four years of full-time study, with the first year devoted to prerequisite/preparatory courses required for admission to the limited entry nursing program.  The completion of the prerequisite and preparatory courses may take longer than one academic year.  Successful completion of the second and third years leads to an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Nursing degree offered by BMCC.  Completion of the AAS degree at BMCC provides the educational eligibility for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The OCNE curriculum continues for at least three additional terms leading to a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree with a major in Nursing offered by OHSU.  See the BMCC Nursing Sample Program of Study at http://www.bluecc.edu/nursing.

As an OCNE partner graduate, students who complete the AAS degree at BMCC can seamlessly transition to the OHSU School of Nursing for the final year of nursing coursework to receive the Bachelor of Science (BS) with a major in nursing degree.  There are two delivery options-in person or online.  The OHSU RNBS Completion in-person option requires transition within the first year after graduating with an AAS and is available full-time (three terms) on the Portland Campus only.  The OHSU RNBS Completion Online option is available to all associate degree graduates and can be completed full-time (three terms) or part-time (6 terms).  Information on baccalaureate completion can be found at https://www.ohsu.edu/school-of-nursing/admissions-requirements-and-application-instructions.

The nursing program is fully approved by the Oregon State Board of Nursing.

Entry Requirements

As part of their training, students must begin with the courses within their skill levels as determined by placement test scores.  In addition, students may also be required to enroll in classes that would increase their success.

Program admission occurs once per year.  The deadline for fall term 2022 admission and submission of program application materials is February 15, 2022, or the first business day thereafter.   BI 231, Anatomy and Physiology I, and MTH 95, Intermediate Algebra, must be completed by the end of fall term, 2021.  Applicants must complete a minimum of 30 prerequisite credits by the end of fall term, 2021 in order to be eligible to apply for admission to our 2022-2024 program.  All prerequisite/preparatory courses must have been taken with a letter grade and completed with a “C” or better.  Consortium partner schools use a shared point system and a set of core criteria for evaluation and selection of candidates to the consortium curriculum, but selection processes, acceptance decisions, and admissions occur at individual schools.  Application to the nursing program requires a minimum GPA of 3.0 for all completed prerequisite/preparatory courses.  Contact the Registrar or see BMCC’s nursing program website for information regarding the application and selection process.

If an applicant has taken an equivalent course elsewhere which has a course number, title, or credit hour different from the BMCC course, the applicant must contact BMCC’s Registrar’s office for a transcript evaluation as far in advance of the application deadline as possible.  To be admitted into nursing courses, students must complete all required prerequisite and preparatory courses and be accepted into the nursing program.

Accepted students must comply with  Administrative Requirements for Health Profession Student Clinical Training (OAR 409-030-0100 to 409-030-0250) prior to clinical placement.  BMCC contracts with American DataBank to manage required documentation.  Information is available on the nursing program’s website and is provided to students before fall nursing classes begin. 

Students should understand that although co-admitted to the OHSU School of Nursing, those who choose to transition from the BMCC Nursing Program to OHSU will have to undergo a criminal background check for OHSU at the time of transition and ability to enroll in OHSU courses may be negatively impacted by any criminal history in their background.

Internet and email access are integral parts of all nursing courses and access to a computer will be required on a daily basis.  Nursing students attend classes at the BMCC campus in Pendleton and clinical practica in northeastern Oregon and need reliable transportation. 

Graduation Requirements

These requirements apply only to nursing students admitted to the program during the 2022-2023 academic year.  The program of study, graduation requirements, and courses are under constant review and are subject to revision.  Students contemplating admission in a later year may have different requirements and must obtain the advising guide or catalog for that year.  If required courses are graded only on a pass/no pass basis, a grade of “P” for these courses indicates a student earned a “C” or better grade.

Students must complete all courses on this advising guide with a grade of “C” or better to continue in and complete the program, receive their degrees, and meet the educational requirements to apply to take the NCLEX-RN.  The OSBN screens all applicants for licensure and may deny licensure to or place on probation applicants with convictions for certain crimes. 

Prerequisites/Required Preparatory Courses


Note:


All prerequisite/preparatory credits to be completed before admission to nursing courses, minimum of: 48

Program Curriculum


First-Year Nursing Course Requirements


Total credits-1st Fall Term: 12

Total credits-1st Winter Term: 12

Total credits-1st Spring Term: 9

Second-Year Nursing Course Requirements


Total credits-2nd Fall Term: 9

Total credits-2nd Winter Term: 9

Total credits-2nd Spring Term: 9

Note:


1A genetics course or genetics module within a course is required.  BI 112 is highly recommended.  BI 112, or BI 101, or BI 149, or BI 211 meet this requirement.

2 BI 112 is a prerequisite to BI 231, BI 232, and BI 233. The courses within the human anatomy and physiology sequence (BI 231, BI 232, and BI  233) may be taken in any order. Course(s) including cell biology, histology, and chemistry may substitute for BI 112 (BI 211). Enrollment is also possible with an Instructor Override form if you have taken a combination of BI101 + CH104 or higher. BI231 must be completed by the end of fall term 2020 for fall 2021 admission. 

3 MTH 95 or higher must be completed by the end of fall term, 2020, for fall 2021 admission.  Competency may be demonstrated by a math placement test or by successful completion of Math 95 or other course that leads to statistics.  MTH 95, MTH98, MTH105, MTH 111, MTH112 or MTH 243 are acceptable courses. For students demonstrating MTH95 competency through a placement test, student may take 0-5 elective credits (100 or 200 level) if needed to satisfy the 45 credit minimum prerequisite requirements. 

4 PSY 201 is a prerequisite to PSY 237.  

5 A minimum of nine credits total of social sciences (inclusive of PSY201 and PSY237) are required. 

6Writing series must include a research component:  WR 121, WR 122, & WR 123 (or WR 227) at 3 credits each, or WR 121, WR 122 (or WR 227) at 4 credits each.  If WR 121 and WR 122 at 3 credits each are completed, WR 227 may be taken during the first year in the program to complete the series (completing the series prior to program entry is highly recommended due to scheduling concerns).  Completion of a Bachelor’s degree at an English-speaking accredited college or university is considered equivalent to completion of the writing series. 

Students who plan to transition to OHSU must be aware that to earn the bachelor’s degree from OHSU, they must have two years of the same high school-level language, or two terms of college-level language, or pass a language proficiency examination.  College-level foreign language (including American Sign Language) credits count toward degree requirements.  A minimum of 9 credits of humanities is required for the OHSU degree.  Students planning to transition to OHSU must have 132 credits of prerequisite and program required courses by the completion of the AAS degree in order to meet the 180 credit requirement by the completion of the Bachelor’s Degree with a major in Nursing from OHSU.  Students planning to earn a bachelor’s degree are encouraged to complete MTH243 Probability and Statistics soon after the prerequisite math course.                                                                                                                                        

This advising guide is for advising purposes only.  Please see current college catalog for additional information on specific college policies and graduation requirements. 

It is the policy of the Blue Mountain Community College Board of Education and School District that there will be no discrimination or harassment on the grounds of age, race, gender, marital status, religion, sexual preference, national origin, or disability in any educational programs, activities or employment. 

Total Nursing Credits: 60


Total Prerequisite Credits: 48


Total Credits Required for AAS Nursing: 108


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Degrees and Certificate Programs