Advanced Placement and Transfer Policy for Nursing Education Programs

The advanced placement and transfer policy for students entering NUR courses is congruent with the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College academic policy and procedure for transfer of credits and RCCC Policy and Procedures (see RCCC Catalog and Nursing Education Programs Competency Standards in the Nursing Student Handbook). In addition to the general college requirements, students applying for advanced placement to the PN/ADN program will complete the following:

1. Notify the Director of Nursing Education of this request in writing.
2. This policy is in accordance with RCCC course residency requirements. A student must complete 25% of the required total number of credit hours for RCCC graduation (see RCCC Catalog). To meet residency requirements, the 25% must be courses within the program of study.
3. Provide the Director of Nursing Education with the following information for college transfer applicants:
   1. Only students within the North Carolina Community College System may apply to transfer NUR courses due to the NCCCS mandated concept-based PN and ADN curriculums. All out of state students will have to apply to the nursing programs with the general student population.
   2. Entry or re-entry is based on availability of space.
   3. Recommendation from the Director of the nursing program validating the applicant’s status of good academic standing with eligibility to return back to their previous nursing program.
   4. Official transcripts from an approved school of nursing. Transcripts will be evaluated by the RCCC Lead Records Analyst.
   5. A grade of “C”, 70-79 is required for non-nursing courses, (BIO, PSY, ENG and Humanities. Satisfy competency standards of a grade of “B”, 80-89 or better in all NUR courses required for the program. If an applicant is transferring from a nursing program where the grading scale is not a 10-point scale, transfer-ability will be determined based on a grade of 80% or better in all NUR courses.
   6. Placement in the NUR course sequence will be determined by the Director of Nursing Education after reviewing transcripts and NUR course records.
   7. Be prepared to demonstrate competency assessment for entry. Competency assessment will involve:
      • Completion of a comprehensive final exam including questions from all previous NUR courses. A minimum of 20 questions from each prior NUR course will be included on the comprehensive final exam. The applicant must achieve 80% in order to progress in the application process.
      • Completion of all nursing laboratory skills at a satisfactory level including physical assessment, trach suction and care, Foley insertion, sterile dressing change, and medication administration. The applicant will have 3 attempts for a satisfactory achievement per the Nursing Programs Laboratory Policy. (Evaluation criteria will be made available. Directives for competency assessment testing and lab skills performance will be provided).
      • Completion of a medication calculation test with a score of 100%. The applicant with have 3 attempts for a 100% score per the Nursing Programs Laboratory Policy. (Evaluation criteria will be made available. Directives for competency assessment testing and lab skills performance will be provided).
   8. The applicant must meet with the Health Programs Administrative Assistant to discuss the completion of the Nursing Health Packet which includes a background check, drug screen, physical examination, CPR, CNAI, and other program documents.
   9. The applicant must complete the Novant Healthcare Portal packet and the Carolinas Healthcare System Student Packet prior to beginning the program.
   10. Transfer students are only allowed 1 opportunity for success in the NUR course sequence.
4. RCCC re-entry applicants will:
   1. Be required to demonstrate competency assessment testing as determined by program placement.
   2. Demonstration of competency assessment for entry. Competency assessment will involve:
      • Completion of a comprehensive final exam including questions from all previous NUR courses. A minimum of 20 questions from each prior NUR course will be included on the comprehensive final exam. The applicant must achieve 80% in order to progress in the application process.
      • Completion of all nursing laboratory skills at a satisfactory level including physical assessment, trach suction and care, Foley insertion, sterile dressing change, and medication administration. The applicant will have 3 attempts for a satisfactory achievement per the Nursing Programs Laboratory Policy. (Evaluation criteria will be made available. Directives for competency assessment testing and lab skills performance will be provided).
      • Completion of a medication calculation test with a score of 100%. The applicant with have 3 attempts for a 100% score per the Nursing Programs Laboratory Policy. (Evaluation criteria will be made available. Directives for competency assessment testing and lab skills performance will be provided).
5. Satisfy related course requirements for designated semester of entry.
6. A grade of “C”, 70-79 is required for non-nursing courses, (BIO, PSY, ENG and Humanities. Satisfy competency standards of a grade of “B”, 80-89 or better in all courses required for the program.
7. Satisfy nursing admission criteria and graduation requirements in effect at the time of entry/re-entry.
8. Entry or re-entry is based on availability of space.
9. Students re-entering the program must follow the competency standards.
10. The student will be required to sign a contract outlining all requirements of the advanced placement agreement with the course coordinator.

Revised: July 2016