Nursing, Associate of Science 6250, A.S. Transfer

A Two-Year Program Leading to the A.S. Degree

This program satisfies the Nursing Transfer Single Articulation Pathway (TSAP) created under Indiana Senate Enrolled Act 182 passed in 2013. The aim of the Associate of Science in Nursing Program is to prepare graduates who can function with competency to assess, plan, implement, direct and evaluate nursing care of individuals or groups of clients in a variety of settings. Graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) to become Registered Nurses (RNs).

Indiana Code Section 39.IC 25-23-1-11 requires that any person who applies to the board for a license to practice as a registered nurse must not have (a) been convicted of a crime that has a direct bearing on the person’s ability to practice competently; or (b) committed an act that would constitute grounds for a disciplinary sanction under IC 25-1-9. If applicable to you, see the Program Chairperson for further discussion.

The Associate of Science in Nursing Program is accredited by the Indiana State Board of Nursing and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). Information on accreditation status may be obtained by contacting the ACEN. They may be contacted at the following address: ACEN, Inc., 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, Georgia 30326 (1-404-975-5000), or www.acenursing.org.

The curriculum provides a balance between general education and nursing. The nursing faculty provides instruction and guidance in the college learning laboratory, hospitals, community mental health centers,  community agencies, and other healthcare facilities.

Program Outcomes

At the completion of the Associate of Science in Nursing Program, the graduate will:

1. Collaborate with members of the healthcare team incorporating nursing informatics to manage care for patients and families across the lifespan in a variety of healthcare settings.
2. Utilize nursing judgment to provide safe and quality care for patient populations across the lifespans.
3. Provide holistic patient-centered care utilizing cultural sensitivity for diverse individuals, families, and groups.
4. Demonstrate professionalism and leadership skills while adhering to registered nurse practice standards.
5. Provide health promotion and preventative care for individuals, families, and groups. 

Selection Process

The selection process for Vincennes University’s Nursing program is based on the premise that student selection is vital to student success in the program and on the NCLEX licensing exam. The standards of selection will also contribute to the quality of care administered by graduates of this program. In order to complete this program successfully, students must be well motivated and have an academic background sufficient to succeed in the curriculum. A limited number of students will be selected for admission, with cancellations being filled from a waiting list. The number of students admitted to the nursing program is limited by the availability of instructional resources and clinical learning sites. Due to the high number of applicants for this program, selection is competitive in nature. Each applicant is reviewed individually and will be ranked based on a point system. The point system utilized for the program and application deadline information is available at www.vinu.edu/nursing. 

Any falsification of application information will result in denial of admission or removal from the program. Compliance with all criteria does not guarantee acceptance to the program.

Admission Requirements

1. Meet admission requirements of the University.
2. Qualify for placement into MATH 102 , MATH 103 , or higher with no corequisite as determined by the Vincennes University Placement Test (Accuplacer), or receive appropriate transfer credit.
3. Qualify for placement into ENGL 101  with no corequisite as determined by placement test scores (e.g. SAT, ACT, or other standardized placement tests as accepted by Vincennes University), or receive appropriate transfer credit.
4. Submit a recent placement test if required.
5. Completion of one year of high school chemistry with a grade of C or better within 5 years of beginning the Program -or- completion of CHEM 100 /CHEM 100L  or an equivalent course with a grade of C or better.
6. Earn a high school diploma (students may apply to the program during their senior year of high school) or achieve a minimum average standard score of 500 on the High School Equivalency (HSE) test.
7. Possess physical and mental health acceptable for performance in the occupation as determined by the Department of Nursing and evidenced by examination from a licensed practitioner.
8. Hold a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7. For applicants with previous college credit, the GPA utilized will be the most recent cumulative GPA with courses completed that are required or relevant to the program.
9. Hold no current grade less than C in any required general education course. Applicants with current grades less than C in required general education courses are not eligible for admission. Required non-nursing courses may only be repeated one time in order to raise the grade to a C or better. This includes prerequisites to required courses.
10. Hold no grade of F in any nursing course.

Note: Applicants that are not selected for admission directly from high school must complete nine hours of college courses (100 level or higher) with a 2.7 GPA, with no grade lower than a C. These nine hours must come from the Associate of Science in Nursing Program curriculum (non-nursing courses). CHEM 100 - Elementary Chemistry /CHEM 100L - Elementary Chemistry Laboratory  and HIMT 110 - Medical Terminology for Allied Health  may also be used as part of the nine credit hours.

Note: Transfer credits: The Registrar will determine if credit is to be granted for courses taken at other institutions of higher education.

Note: Time limit on previously completed courses:
a. Only MATH taken less than seven years prior to admission to the nursing program will be considered for credit. Students seeking credit for required math courses that were taken longer than seven years prior to admission to the nursing program must receive a score of QAS 255 or higher or AAF 240 or higher on the Accuplacer Next Generation, EA 70 or higher on the Accuplacer Classic, or receive a passing grade on the College Algebra CLEP exam. Students who fail to receive the referenced Accuplacer Classic or Accuplacer Next Generation scores or a passing grade on the College Algebra CLEP exam must complete remedial math courses to demonstrate proficiency in math and readiness for MATH 102 /MATH 103  or higher. The remedial math course(s) will be determined by the Accuplacer Classic or Accuplacer Next Generation scores. The remedial math course(s) must be completed with a grade of C or better prior to being considered for admission.
b. Only BIOL 111 - Anatomy and Physiology I  and BIOL 111L - Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory I ; BIOL 112 - Anatomy and Physiology II  and BIOL 112L - Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory II ; BIOL 208 - Microbiology for the Health Sciences  and BIOL 208L - Microbiology for the Health Sciences Laboratory ; and PSYC 201 - Developmental Psychology , taken less than five years prior to admission to the nursing program will be considered for credit.

Orientation Information

Applicants that are selected for admission should be aware that there will be mandatory orientation sessions that take place prior to classes beginning in the Fall. Applicants must be able to attend the appropriate orientation session in order to begin a nursing program. Students selected for admission will be provided additional detail. More information can be found at www.vinu.edu/nursing.

*Criminal History Policy

Our nursing programs are committed to selecting students for admission who can be guaranteed placement in our affiliated clinical agencies.  As part of the admissions process, applicants selected for admission to the Associate of Science in Nursing Program, Practical Nursing Program, or ASN Completion Concentration for LPNs will be required to complete a criminal history and drug screening. The criminal history report and drug screening results will be used as criterion for admission to and continued enrollment in the programs. Applicants should be aware that any adverse criminal history report or treatment for substance abuse may result in denial of admission or dismissal from the program. 

Directions for submitting the criminal history report from Vincennes University’s approved vendor will be provided to applicants that are selected for admission to the program. Applicants are responsible for the cost of the criminal history report. Results of criminal history reports from our approved vendor automatically release to the Department of Nursing and may be shared with affiliated clinical agencies. 

Information will be shared with our clinical affiliates regarding any applicants with an adverse criminal history report. If a clinical agency deems an applicant ineligible for clinical placement the student will not be eligible for admission/continuation in the program.    

Any applicant or currently enrolled student in any of the nursing programs who has had an arrest or any change in their criminal history since the initial background check was completed must report the information to the Department of Nursing Nurse Administrator or Department Chair prior to the next nursing course day. Failure to report this information violates our clinical agency agreement and is grounds for immediate dismissal from the nursing program. 

Drug Screening Policy

All applicants selected for admission to the Associate of Science in Nursing, Practical Nursing, or ASN Completion Concentration for LPNs are required to submit a 10 panel drug screening prior to beginning courses.  The drug screening includes screening for Amphetamines, Barbiturate, Benzodiazepines, Cocaine, Creatinine, Cannabinoids, Methadone, Methaqualone, Opiates, Phencyclidine, Propoxyphene, and PH. Drug screen results with a dilute negative will not be accepted. Applicants with a dilute negative result will be required to retest within 2 weeks of the original posted results.  A second dilute negative will result in the student either supplying a blood test or hair sample for drug testing.  Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the program.  Please note that use of CBD oil may result in a positive drug screen.  A positive drug screen for any reason will result in denial of admission to the program. Instructions for the drug screening will be provided to applicants that have been selected for admission to the program.

The determination on eligibility to take the licensure exam will be made by the Indiana State Board of Nursing. More information about the Indiana State Board of Nursing Licensure Laws and Regulations may be found on the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency’s website at www.in.gov/pla.

Standards for Progression and Graduation

1. All required courses must be successfully completed concurrently with or prior to the recommended course sequence with the exception of math listed below.
2. MATH 102 , MATH 103 , or higher must be completed prior to Semester III.
3. To obtain an Associate of Science in Nursing Degree, students must complete all required courses with a grade of C or better by the completion of the final nursing courses (Semester IV courses).
4. Students may repeat a required academic course one time.
5. Nursing students must achieve a minimum grade of C in all required courses. Failure to meet this requirement will result in withdrawal from the nursing program at the end of the semester.
   1. When students are enrolled in a nursing course that has a corequisite and earn a grade less than a C, students may complete the remaining nursing corequisite during the current semester. When students are enrolled in a nursing course that has a corequisite and withdraws from the nursing course, this results in withdrawal from the ASN Program and the student may not complete the remaining nursing corequisite during the current semester.

   2. Students who do not pass the first 8 week nursing course have to choose one of the following options:

      1. Continue with the remaining nursing courses after signing a 2nd attempt form. If the applicant does not pass the remaining class(es) with a C or better, the applicant will not be eligible to reapply to the program.

      2. Withdraw from the 2nd eight week course and continue with the 16 week course if offered during the semester and sign a 2nd attempt form. If the applicant does not pass the remaining class with a C or better, the applicant will not be eligible to reapply to the program.

      3. Withdraw from the remaining nursing courses during the semester, sign a 2nd attempt form, and reapply to the nursing program for the appropriate semester.

         Students who were unsuccessful in the ASN Program twice may be eligible to apply for the Practical Nursing Program (see admission criteria for the Practical Nursing Program). Students that were unsuccessful in the ASN Program twice and subsequently become Licensed Practical Nurses may be eligible to apply to the ASN Completion Concentration for LPNs (see admission criteria for the ASN Completion Concentration for LPNs). However, these students can be admitted into the ASN Completion Concentration for LPNs only one time.

   3. Applications are reviewed on an individual basis by the Nursing Department.
   4. Students having extenuating circumstances may petition the nursing review committee for retention in the program.
6. Nursing students who receive an F in a nursing course will not be eligible for readmission to the nursing program for three years regardless of GPA.
7. The effective catalog for ASN students is the catalog of the year when the student was admitted and started the first semester of the program.

Associate of Science in Nursing Readmission Policy

Readmission standards apply to any student that was unsuccessful in passing or withdrew from a nursing course, or any student that did not meet the Standards for Progression and Graduation as listed above.

1. Applicants seeking to reenter the program at the point in which they withdrew, must reenter the program within one year. Otherwise, the student may apply for readmission to begin the program in its entirety.
2. The effective catalog for students readmitted to the program in courses beyond the first semester will be the effective catalog at the time of the first admission.
3. Qualified applicants will be readmitted on a space-available basis. In the event that the number of applicants exceeds available space, positions may be offered to applicants with higher qualifications.
4. Applicants for readmission must submit a readmission application by the deadline established by the Nursing Department.
5. Students who have been unsuccessful in the program twice, or earned an F, are eligible to apply to the program at the NURS 100  level after a period of three years.
6. Applicants that did not successfully complete NURS 100  must reapply for consideration for admission. NURS 100  applicants must meet all admission requirements and will be considered alongside all other applicants for the program.
7. Applications are reviewed on an individual basis by the Nursing Department. Factors that will be considered in the decision to readmit a student include, but are not limited to, space availability, course sequencing, and student performance, which includes grades, professional behavior, and clinical performance.
8. In accordance with the University Grievance Policy, applicants who believe they have extenuating circumstances to these readmission standards may submit a letter of appeal to the Chair of the Program to explain the situation.