Nursing (R.N.), A.S.
Associate in Science
Health SciencesContact Information
(850) 558-4500
healthedu@tcc.fl.edu
Explore this Program:
Career and Technical Education (CTE) is an exciting and affordable option to the traditional university pathway. Powered by the Florida Department of Education, Get There connects your interests to your local college to help you get to work faster, affordably, and with an in-demand credential. Visit GetThereFL.com for more information on Florida’s Workforce Education Initiative.
About this Program
The Nursing (R.N.), A.S. degree prepares students to function effectively and safely in entry-level registered nursing positions and for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
This is a limited-access and limited enrollment program. See all Healthcare Program requirements.
For more information about this program including student achievement outcome data, click here.
Total Credit Hours:
72
Estimated Time to Complete Program:
5 terms*
*based on 15 credit hours per term
Estimated Tuition Cost:
$7,259.76*
Eligible for Financial Aid:
Yes
Eligible for Veteran's Aid:
Yes
*based on current in-state tuition rate of $100.83 per credit hour
Program Overview & Requirements
Program Purpose:
To prepare students for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) and to function effectively and safely in entry-level registered nursing positions.
This program meets all requirements of the Florida Department of Health’s Board of Nursing standards and has full national accreditation by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326; 404-975-5000; fax: 404-975-5020.
Employment Types:
Registered nurses are employed in a variety of settings, including hospitals, home health, public health, schools, physician’s offices, nursing homes, educational organizations and other settings.
Program Length:
72 credit hours
Admission Requirements:
Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and meet all admission requirements of the College.
Prior to submitting the application for admission, students must complete all prerequisite courses and the Health Education Systems, Inc. Admission Assessment (HESI A2 ).
- Grade Point Average (GPA for Nursing ). Students must earn a grade of C or better in each prerequisite course and have an overall minimum prerequisite GPA of 2.5. Points are earned by multiplying the GPA x 10. For example, a student earning a 3.2 GPA would earn 32 points towards admission (e.g., 3.2 x 10=32). The maximum number of points granted for GPA is 40.
- HESI A2. A minimum score of 75% on each subtest of the HESI A2 is required to be considered for admission. The test scores are translated into points. For example, a score of 81% provides 81 points toward admission. Only scores on the following subtests are considered for admission: reading, vocabulary, grammar, and math.
Students may earn additional points by achieving certain subtest scores. The score ranges required to earn additional points for a subtest are as follows:
o 80.0-89.99% = 3 additional points
o 90.0-100% = 5 additional points
A total of 20 additional points toward admission may be earned in this manner.
The total number of possible points = 120
The points earned from the HESI A2 and GPA are added together, and this total determines who is offered admission. The total maximum points possible = 160.
If two or more students have an equal number of points, residents of TCC’s service district, veterans and students who have completed all the corequisite non-nursing courses will receive first consideration. Corequisites include one General Education Humanities State Core course, plus MCB2004 General Microbiology and MCB2004L Microbiology Laboratory .
Program Application:
The program accepts students for each Fall and each Spring semester. This is a limited-access program with a limited number of seats per class; applicants are accepted based on the admission requirements point system described above. There is no waiting list for this program.
Applicants must submit a TCC admission application (www.tcc.fl.edu/apply) and a separate healthcare program application by the published application deadline. Applicants may access the healthcare application here.
See Additional Healthcare Degree Requirements for important information.
View Healthcare Program Application Deadlines.
Academic Division:
Healthcare Professions, Ghazvini Center for Healthcare Education
Contact:
(850) 558-4500 or healthedu@tcc.fl.edu.
View Information about Graduation Requirements and Year of Entry .
General Education (21 credit hours)
- ENC1101 College Composition 3 credit hour(s) *
- BSC2085 Anatomy and Physiology I 3 credit hour(s) *
- DEP2004 Human Development: Birth to Senescence 3 credit hour(s) *
- MCB2004 General Microbiology 3 credit hour(s)
- PSY2012 General Psychology 3 credit hour(s) *
- Any General Education Mathematics State Core course 3 credit hour(s) *
- Any General Education Humanities State Core course 3 credit hour(s)
Program Courses (51 credit hours)
- BSC2085L Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory 1 credit hour(s) *
- BSC2086 Anatomy and Physiology II 3 credit hour(s) *
- BSC2086L Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory 1 credit hour(s) *
- HUN1201 The Science of Nutrition 3 credit hour(s) *
- MCB2004L Microbiology Laboratory 1 credit hour(s)
- NUR1021C Nursing Process I 10 credit hour(s)
- NUR1241C Nursing Process II 8 credit hour(s)
- NUR1421C Reproductive Health 4 credit hour(s)
- NUR2243C Nursing Process III 9 credit hour(s)
- NUR2350C Pediatric Health 4 credit hour(s)
- NUR2818C Nursing Process IV 7 credit hour(s)
Know Before You Go
- This program is limited access, and begins each fall and spring. Check all healthcare program requirements.
- Submit a TCC admission application and a healthcare program application by the deadline!
First Semester
- Make an appointment to meet with an advisor & declare a meta-major
- Check on the Course Requirements
- Club participation can boost your GPA! Consider joining these:
- Maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 to apply to program
- Check with advisor for the program application deadline
Having trouble with writing, math, or Anatomy & Physiology?
FREE tutoring available!
The Learning Commons
Main Campus
(850) 201 – 8193
Learningcommons@tcc.fl.edu
By 23 credit hours
- Check with advisor to apply to program
- Take HESI A2 Test at the Testing Center
Looking for a faster option to get into the workforce?
Consider one of these certificates:
- Nurse Assistant, Long Term Care PSAV Certificate (120 clock hours)
By 34 credit hours
- Visit Career Center
Student Union, 2nd Floor, Student Support Services - Make an appointment to meet with an advisor
- Check on the Course Requirements
- Review your degree audit in TCC EagleNet
By 44 credit hours
- Meet with Career Placement Coordinator in Career Center
By 62 credit hours (75% completion)
- Complete graduation check workshop online.
(You will receive an email notification when you are eligible.) - Want to Walk? Commencement ceremonies only take place once a year, so check the deadline!
- Review your degree audit in TCC EagleNet
Last semester
- Review your degree audit in TCC EagleNet
- Review Graduation Checklist
- You Must Apply for Degree (for instructions, click here)
Contact information
Healthcare Professions
P: (850) 558-4500
E: healthedu@tcc.fl.edu
Advising
TCC Main Campus
Student Union Building, Second Floor
P: (850) 201-8440
E: advisingcenter@tcc.fl.edu
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Sample Daily Tasks
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Nurse Anesthetist
Administer anesthesia, monitor patient's vital signs, and oversee patient recovery from anesthesia. May assist anesthesiologists, surgeons, other physicians, or dentists. Must be registered nurses who have specialized graduate education.
2Annual Openings
Sample Daily Tasks
- Manage patients' airway or pulmonary status, using techniques such as endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, pharmacological support, respiratory therapy, and extubation.
- Select, prepare, or use equipment, monitors, supplies, or drugs for the administration of anesthetics.
- Monitor patients' responses, including skin color, pupil dilation, pulse, heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, ventilation, or urine output, using invasive and noninvasive techniques.
- Select, order, or administer anesthetics, adjuvant drugs, accessory drugs, fluids or blood products as necessary.
- Perform pre-anesthetic screenings, including physical evaluations and patient interviews, and document results.
- Respond to emergency situations by providing airway management, administering emergency fluids or drugs, or using basic or advanced cardiac life support techniques.
- Develop anesthesia care plans.
- Obtain informed consent from patients for anesthesia procedures.
- Assess patients' medical histories to predict anesthesia response.
- Select, order, or administer pre-anesthetic medications.
- Perform or evaluate the results of diagnostic tests, such as radiographs (x-rays) and electrocardiograms (EKGs).
- Perform or manage regional anesthetic techniques, such as local, spinal, epidural, caudal, nerve blocks and intravenous blocks.
- Prepare prescribed solutions and administer local, intravenous, spinal, or other anesthetics, following specified methods and procedures.
- Administer post-anesthesia medications or fluids to support patients' cardiovascular systems.
- Evaluate patients' post-surgical or post-anesthesia responses, taking appropriate corrective actions or requesting consultation if complications occur.
- Select and prescribe post-anesthesia medications or treatments to patients.
- Calibrate and test anesthesia equipment.
- Discharge patients from post-anesthesia care.
- Insert peripheral or central intravenous catheters.
- Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.
- Request anesthesia equipment repairs, adjustments, or safety tests.
- Insert arterial catheters or perform arterial punctures to obtain arterial blood samples.
- Instruct nurses, residents, interns, students, or other staff on topics such as anesthetic techniques, pain management and emergency responses.
- Disassemble and clean anesthesia equipment.
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Medical and Health Services Manager
Medical and Health Services Manager
Plan, direct, or coordinate medical and health services in hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations, public health agencies, or similar organizations.
43Annual Openings
Sample Daily Tasks
- Develop and maintain computerized record management systems to store and process data, such as personnel activities and information, and to produce reports.
- Direct, supervise and evaluate work activities of medical, nursing, technical, clerical, service, maintenance, and other personnel.
- Direct or conduct recruitment, hiring, and training of personnel.
- Develop and implement organizational policies and procedures for the facility or medical unit.
- Conduct and administer fiscal operations, including accounting, planning budgets, authorizing expenditures, establishing rates for services, and coordinating financial reporting.
- Maintain awareness of advances in medicine, computerized diagnostic and treatment equipment, data processing technology, government regulations, health insurance changes, and financing options.
- Plan, implement and administer programs and services in a health care or medical facility, including personnel administration, training, and coordination of medical, nursing and physical plant staff.
- Prepare activity reports to inform management of the status and implementation plans of programs, services, and quality initiatives.
- Establish work schedules and assignments for staff, according to workload, space and equipment availability.
- Maintain communication between governing boards, medical staff, and department heads by attending board meetings and coordinating interdepartmental functioning.
- Establish objectives and evaluative or operational criteria for units they manage.
- Review and analyze facility activities and data to aid planning and cash and risk management and to improve service utilization.
- Manage change in integrated health care delivery systems, such as work restructuring, technological innovations, and shifts in the focus of care.
- Develop instructional materials and conduct in-service and community-based educational programs.
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Acute Care Nurse
Acute Care Nurse
Provide advanced nursing care for patients with acute conditions such as heart attacks, respiratory distress syndrome, or shock. May care for pre- and post-operative patients or perform advanced, invasive diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.
234Annual Openings
Sample Daily Tasks
- Perform emergency medical procedures, such as basic cardiac life support (BLS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), and other condition stabilizing interventions.
- Manage patients' pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions, monitoring patients' responses, and changing care plans accordingly.
- Document data related to patients' care including assessment results, interventions, medications, patient responses, or treatment changes.
- Diagnose acute or chronic conditions that could result in rapid physiological deterioration or life-threatening instability.
- Assess urgent and emergent health conditions using both physiologically and technologically derived data.
- Administer blood and blood product transfusions or intravenous infusions, monitoring patients for adverse reactions.
- Assess the impact of illnesses or injuries on patients' health, function, growth, development, nutrition, sleep, rest, quality of life, or family, social and educational relationships.
- Interpret information obtained from electrocardiograms (EKGs) or radiographs (x-rays).
- Obtain specimens or samples for laboratory work.
- Refer patients for specialty consultations or treatments.
- Collaborate with patients to plan for future health care needs or to coordinate transitions and referrals.
- Set up, operate, or monitor invasive equipment and devices such as colostomy or tracheotomy equipment, mechanical ventilators, catheters, gastrointestinal tubes, and central lines.
- Distinguish between normal and abnormal developmental and age-related physiological and behavioral changes in acute, critical, and chronic illness.
- Discuss illnesses and treatments with patients and family members.
- Collaborate with members of multidisciplinary health care teams to plan, manage, or assess patient treatments.
- Assess the needs of patients' family members or caregivers.
- Perform administrative duties that facilitate admission, transfer, or discharge of patients.
- Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in acute care.
- Provide formal and informal education to other staff members.
- Treat wounds or superficial lacerations.
- Participate in patients' care meetings and conferences.
- Participate in the development of practice protocols.
Wages
See the range of wages earned in this career, ranging from new workers ($43,373.76) to highly-experienced workers ($82,085.24). View by annual salary or hourly wage.
Employment Projections
A view of employment levels for the last 3 years, and projections for the next 7 years.
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Clinical Nurse Specialist
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Plan, direct, or coordinate the daily patient care activities in a clinical practice. Ensure adherence to established clinical policies, protocols, regulations, and standards.
234Annual Openings
Sample Daily Tasks
- Collaborate with other health care professionals and service providers to ensure optimal patient care.
- Develop or assist others in development of care and treatment plans.
- Provide consultation to other health care providers in areas such as patient discharge, patient care, or clinical procedures.
- Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.
- Develop and maintain departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or patient care standards, based on evidence-based practice guidelines or expert opinion.
- Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice or organizational systems.
- Develop, implement, or evaluate standards of nursing practice in specialty area such as pediatrics, acute care, and geriatrics.
- Design evaluation programs regarding the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice or organizational systems.
- Plan, evaluate, or modify treatment programs, based on information gathered by observing and interviewing patients or by analyzing patient records.
- Instruct nursing staff in areas such as the assessment, development, implementation and evaluation of disability, illness, management, technology, or resources.
- Direct or supervise nursing care staff in the provision of patient therapy.
- Monitor or evaluate medical conditions of patients in collaboration with other health care professionals.
- Design patient education programs that include information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions.
- Provide specialized direct and indirect care to inpatients and outpatients within a designated specialty, such as obstetrics, neurology, oncology, or neonatal care.
- Maintain departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or infection control standards.
- Make clinical recommendations to physicians, other health care providers, insurance companies, patients, or health care organizations.
- Present clients with information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions.
- Perform discharge planning for patients.
- Observe, interview, and assess patients to identify care needs.
- Identify training needs or conduct training sessions for nursing students or medical staff.
- Participate in clinical research projects, such as by reviewing protocols, reviewing patient records, monitoring compliance, and meeting with regulatory authorities.
- Write nursing orders.
- Lead nursing department implementation of, or compliance with, regulatory or accreditation processes.
- Chair nursing departments or committees.
- Develop nursing service philosophies, goals, policies, priorities, or procedures.
- Coordinate or conduct educational programs or in-service training sessions on topics such as clinical procedures.
- Teach patient education programs that include information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions.
- Prepare reports to document patients' care activities.
Wages
See the range of wages earned in this career, ranging from new workers ($43,373.76) to highly-experienced workers ($82,085.24). View by annual salary or hourly wage.
Employment Projections
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Nurse Practitioner
Nurse Practitioner
Diagnose and treat acute, episodic, or chronic illness, independently or as part of a healthcare team. May focus on health promotion and disease prevention. May order, perform, or interpret diagnostic tests such as lab work and x rays. May prescribe medication. Must be registered nurses who have specialized graduate education.
22Annual Openings
Sample Daily Tasks
- Analyze and interpret patients' histories, symptoms, physical findings, or diagnostic information to develop appropriate diagnoses.
- Diagnose or treat acute health care problems, such as illnesses, infections, or injuries.
- Prescribe medications based on efficacy, safety, and cost as legally authorized.
- Recommend diagnostic or therapeutic interventions with attention to safety, cost, invasiveness, simplicity, acceptability, adherence, and efficacy.
- Educate patients about self-management of acute or chronic illnesses, tailoring instructions to patients' individual circumstances.
- Prescribe medication dosages, routes, and frequencies, based on such patient characteristics as age and gender.
- Order, perform, or interpret the results of diagnostic tests, such as complete blood counts (CBCs), electrocardiograms (EKGs), and radiographs (x-rays).
- Maintain complete and detailed records of patients' health care plans and prognoses.
- Develop treatment plans, based on scientific rationale, standards of care, and professional practice guidelines.
- Recommend interventions to modify behavior associated with health risks.
- Detect and respond to adverse drug reactions, with special attention to vulnerable populations such as infants, children, pregnant and lactating women, or older adults.
- Counsel patients about drug regimens and possible side effects or interactions with other substances, such as food supplements, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, or herbal remedies.
- Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.
- Diagnose or treat chronic health care problems, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
- Treat or refer patients for primary care conditions, such as headaches, hypertension, urinary tract infections, upper respiratory infections, and dermatological conditions.
- Consult with, or refer patients to, appropriate specialists when conditions exceed the scope of practice or expertise.
- Provide patients with information needed to promote health, reduce risk factors, or prevent disease or disability.
- Diagnose or treat complex, unstable, comorbid, episodic, or emergency conditions in collaboration with other health care providers as necessary.
- Schedule follow-up visits to monitor patients or evaluate health or illness care.
- Perform routine or annual physical examinations.
- Supervise or coordinate patient care or support staff activities.
- Maintain current knowledge of state legal regulations for nurse practitioner practice, including reimbursement of services.
- Provide patients or caregivers with assistance in locating health care resources.
- Maintain departmental policies and procedures in areas such as safety and infection control.
- Perform primary care procedures such as suturing, splinting, administering immunizations, taking cultures, and debriding wounds.
- Advocate for accessible health care that minimizes environmental health risks.
- Keep abreast of regulatory processes and payer systems, such as Medicare, Medicaid, managed care, and private sources.
Wages
See the range of wages earned in this career, ranging from new workers ($45,345.44) to highly-experienced workers ($107,821.43). View by annual salary or hourly wage.
Employment Projections
A view of employment levels for the last 3 years, and projections for the next 7 years.
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