Nursing Colleges in Virginia: Programs and Requirements
A career in nursing offers rewarding opportunities for professional advancement in areas such as research, advanced practice nursing, teaching, and health policy. Several nursing programs in Virginia offer various pathways to becoming a Registered Nurse (RN). Let's explore some of these programs and their requirements.
Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) Programs
Tidewater Community College (TCC)
Tidewater Community College’s Beazley School of Nursing offers a nationally accredited Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Nursing program. This program is designed to prepare students for a high-paying career as a registered nurse.
Program Highlights:
- Semesters: 4
- Credits: 64
- Locations: Portsmouth Campus
- State-of-the-art classrooms, small class sizes, simulation labs, and dedicated faculty.
Paramedic/RT to RN Program Option:
TCC also offers a Paramedic/RT to RN program option at the Portsmouth campus for licensed paramedics and registered respiratory therapists.
- Application Period: January 15 - February 15
- Students begin in the summer semester with courses like NSG 116 Concepts for Health Professions Transition, NSG 200 Health Promotion and Assessment, and NSG 130 Professional Nursing Concepts.
- Upon successful completion, students move into the second semester of the program.
Accreditation:
The associate degree nursing program at Tidewater Community College at the Portsmouth Campus is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
Admission Requirements:
- A separate application is required in addition to general admission to the college.
- Application Periods: June 15 to August 15 for spring admission and December 15 to February 15 for fall admission.
- Applicants must familiarize themselves with the admissions requirements and procedures in the program packet.
- Attendance at a mandatory information session is required.
LPN to RN Role Transition Path:
- Applicants accepted for the LPN to RN role transition path will receive 106 direct patient care hours as prior learning credit.
- They will complete the remaining 386 direct patient care hours and additional simulation experience required in the curriculum.
ECPI University
ECPI University’s College of Nursing Program offers an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program designed to prepare students to become Registered Nurses (RNs).
Read also: WV Nursing School Requirements
Virginia Western Community College
Virginia Western Community College offers an AAS Nursing Program that prepares students to work in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, schools, homecare, and doctor’s offices.
Program Mission:
- To provide affordable, community access to quality nursing education.
- To prepare qualified students to provide safe, competent, entry-level nursing care in 21st-century healthcare environments.
Core Values:
- Caring and compassionate patient-centered care.
- Ethical standards, respect for individual dignity, and consideration of cultural context.
- Advocacy for patients and families.
- Collaboration with the patient, family, and healthcare team.
- A spirit of inquiry to improve the quality of care and patient outcomes.
- Nursing judgment for safe and effective nursing care.
Accreditation:
The AAS Nursing Program at Virginia Western Community College is accredited by the ACEN Board of Commissioners.
Program Outcomes:
- Educate graduates to deliver safe, patient-centered nursing care to a diverse population.
- Achieve a high NCLEX-RN exam pass rate among first-time test takers.
- Ensure a significant percentage of students complete the program within the specified timeframe.
- Attain a high employment rate for graduates as registered nurses.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Students completing the AAS in Nursing will be expected to:
- Provide client-centered care promoting therapeutic relationships.
- Coordinate client-centered care delivery with sensitivity and respect.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of teaching plans and outcomes.
- Promote client self-determination in healthcare decisions.
- Integrate therapeutic communication skills.
- Advocate independently for diverse individuals, families, and communities.
- Practice safe nursing care that minimizes risk of harm.
- Evaluate human factors and safety principles.
- Participate in the analysis of errors and designing system improvements.
- Incorporate client safety initiatives into the plan of care.
- Demonstrate nursing judgment through clinical reasoning and evidence-based practice.
- Evaluate an individualized plan of care.
- Independently prioritize changes in client status and intervene appropriately.
- Apply the nursing process to guide care.
- Evaluate existing practices and seek creative approaches to problem-solving.
- Practice professional behaviors within the legal/ethical framework.
- Assume responsibility and accountability for delivering safe client care.
- Deliver nursing care within the scope of nursing practice.
- Evaluate professional behaviors in interactions with clients and healthcare providers.
- Engage in reflective thinking for the purpose of improving nursing practice.
- Develop a plan for lifelong learning in the nursing profession.
- Manage client care through quality improvement processes and information technology.
- Evaluate the use of technology and information management to promote quality.
- Evaluate fiscally responsible client care.
- Demonstrate principles of collaborative practice within the nursing and healthcare teams.
- Compare and contrast the effectiveness of the members of the interdisciplinary team.
- Participate in the interdisciplinary plan of care.
- Evaluate communication strategies inclusive of various communication and cultural differences.
- Evaluate management skills and principles of delegation.
Performance on Licensure/Certification Examination:
The program aims for a high percentage of students passing the NCLEX-RN exam on the first attempt. The expected level of achievement (ELA) is 80%.
Performance on Program Completion:
The program aims for a significant percentage of graduates completing the program within the specified timeframe.
Read also: Your Guide to Nursing Internships
Occupational Objectives:
Graduates are prepared for staff positions in hospitals, extended care facilities, physicians’ offices, clinics, and other structured healthcare settings.
Wytheville Community College (WCC)
Wytheville Community College offers a nursing program with specific admission requirements.
Admission Requirements:
- Mandatory Criteria:
- High School Diploma or Equivalent
- High School Chemistry with a "C" Grade or Better
- High School Biology with a "C" Grade or Better
- Cumulative GPA ≥ 2.5
- Completion of Prerequisite Semester Requirements with a "C" Grade or Better in:
- BIO 141
- ENG 111
- PSY 230
- SDV 100
- PHI 220
- Overall ATI TEAS Score (Composite Score) ≥64% or Higher
- Science ATI TEAS Score ≥45% or Higher
- Students who do not meet the high school prerequisites may gain proficiency through the college’s developmental courses.
- Students must possess the technical skills required for the nursing program.
- Students are required to attend a formal orientation program.
- Applicants must be in good standing at their previous college with a “C” average or better.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Programs
Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing (BSMCON)
The traditional BSN degree at Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing is for students seeking to become a Registered Nurse.
Program Length: 5 semesters, 2.5 years
Pre-Licensure BSN Program Admission Requirements:
- Graduation from an accredited high school or higher or General Educational Development (GED) certificate.
- Achievement of a 2.5 prerequisite GPA.
- Provision of official transcripts.
- Any applicant who has previously enrolled in or is currently enrolled in a nursing program is required to provide a letter from the director of the program verifying academic standing and clinical competence.
- Essay(s) are required.
- $75 non-refundable application fee.
- Graduates with a Bachelors degree from specific Virginia Universities, with a 3.0 GPA and a B in the required pre-requisite courses, will have guaranteed admission based on space availability.
General Education Requirements:
- The program consists of 52 general education credits.
- 46 of the 52 credits must be completed prior to entry.
- Specific courses are required for applicants who do not have a bachelor's degree or will not complete a bachelor's degree prior to entry.
- Applicants who hold a bachelor's degree prior to entry also have specific course requirements.
Online Learning:
BSN students have classes that are both on-site and online, including general education requirements and electives.
Read also: Getting Into Nursing School
Application Deadlines:
- Spring Admission - Apply by August 1
- Fall Admission - Apply by March 1
Essay Questions:
- Question #1: When you see yourself as a "nurse", what do you see? What excites you about this profession?
- Question #2: Richmond has multiple options for schools of nursing, why are you interested in BSMCON?
- Question #3: In one sentence, describe a challenge you have faced. Explain how you responded to the challenge.
- Question #4: How have personal values guided and sustained you in your life?
Securing Practicum Sites:
The Nursing Program is responsible for securing all required practicum site placements for students.
Incentives for Bon Secours Employees:
Bon Secours’ Human Resources Department offers 100% paid tuition and fees for Bon Secours employees who agree to work as a Registered Nurse for a minimum of 18 months after successful completion of the program.
Clinical Instruction:
Students complete 500 hours of clinical instruction during the program, gaining hands-on experience at local healthcare facilities.
Financial Requirements:
In addition to tuition, fees, and textbooks, the program has additional costs for criminal background checks, drug screens, medical examinations, immunizations, CPR certification, uniforms, instruments, transportation to clinical sites, testing resources, and licensure fees.
Advanced Nursing Degrees
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
Earning a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) can lead to advanced practice roles such as a Family Nurse Practitioner, allowing nurses to treat, diagnose, prescribe medication, and practice independently. An MSN can also prepare nurses to become nurse educators, sharing their experience and clinical knowledge with the next generation of nurses.
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