Admission

Students are admitted to the Helena-West Helena and Stuttgart campuses every year. Students who wish to be considered for admission to the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program must meet the following criteria:
  1. Fulfill all college admission requirements.
  2. Complete all required developmental education courses prior to making application to the nursing program. 
  3. Submit ACT score, if taken, and official transcripts from all previously attended colleges to the Registrar's Office and the Department of Nursing on the Helena-West Helena campus. These documents must be received in the Nursing Department Office on the Helena-West Helena campus by June 1st.  
  4. Document a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average in all courses taken at PCCUA.
  5. Students who transfer required nursing curriculum support courses must have a "C" or better and equivalent credit hours per course to receive PCCUA credit.
  6. Complete BY 154 (BIOL 2404), Anatomy and Physiology I,  within the past five (5) years with a grade of “C” or better. Applicants who repeat any required science course more than one (1) time within the past five (5) years to remove a grade of "W", "EW", "D", or "F" will NOT be considered for admission.
  7. Complete MS 123 (MATH 1103), College Algebra, and EH 113 (ENGL 1013), Composition I, with a grade of "C" or better. Applicants who repeat a required math or English course more than one (1) time within the past five (5) years to remove a grade of "W", "EW", "D", or "F" will NOT be considered for admission.
  8. Document a total 10th grade reading level on the Nelson-Denny Reading Test by June 1st. The Nelson-Denny Reading Test must be taken at PCCUA within three (3) months of: (1) the ADN program application deadline for regular applicants, or (2) submission of a late application to the program. Students on the Helena-West Helena campus should contact the Advising Center to schedule a time to take the Nelson-Denny Reading Test. Students on the Stuttgart campus should contact the Learning Center Coordinator on the Stuttgart Campus to schedule a time to take the Nelson-Denny Reading Test. The Nelson-Denny Reading test may only be taken once per application year.
  9. Document a minimum score of 55 on the ATI Critical Thinking Exam by June 1st. This exam must be taken at PCCUA within three (3) months of: (1) the ADN program application deadline for regular applicants or (2) submission of a late application to the program. Students on the Helena-West Helena campus should contact the Advising Center to schedule a time to take the ATI Critical Thinking Exam. Students on the Stuttgart campus should contact the Learning Center Coordinator on the Stuttgart campus to schedule a time to take the ATI Critical Thinking Exam. The ATI Critical Thinking Exam may only be taken once per application year. 
  10. Students who speak English as a second language must also take the NG ACCUPLACER ESL Exam to prove proficiency in English. The following scores are required in each category:
    • Listening: A minimum score of 106
    • Reading: A minimum score of 116
    • WritePlacer ESL: A minimum score of 5
  11. Submit a completed application to the ADN Program on the Helena-West Helena campus. The application must be received in the Nursing Department Office on the Helena-West Helena campus by June 1st.  Incomplete applications will not be considered.
  12. Rare exceptions for individuals seeking admission may be made by the Promotion and Graduation Committee.

All students who meet minimum admission criteria will be accepted unless the number of qualified applicants exceeds space available. This means MEETING THE MINIMUM CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION OR TAKING COURSES REQUIRED FOR THE NURSING DEGREE DOES NOT GUARANTEE ADMISSION TO THE ADN PROGRAM.

When the number of qualified applicants exceeds space available, the selection process will be implemented and admission will become competitive.

Selection Process for ADN Traditional Track

  1. Qualified applicants will be ranked from highest to lowest by the score earned on the ATI Critical Thinking Exam.
  2. When two (2) or more traditional track applicants have an equal score on the ATI Critical Thinking Exam, applicants will be admitted according to the date and time the application was received in the Nursing Department Office on the Helena-West Helena campus.
  3. Students initially not selected, will be placed on a waiting list from highest to lowest by the score earned on the ATI Critical Thinking Exam, and the date and time the application was received. Spaces that become available before the first day of fall classes will be filled from the waiting list.
  4. Applicants not selected for admission and/or applicants who elect not to enroll in the fall nursing class must repeat the entire admission process which includes, but is not limited to, submitting a new application to the ADN program as well as repeating the Nelson-Denny Reading and ATI Critical Thinking Exams within three (3) months of the application deadline. 

Admission After Application Deadline

When space is available, qualified applicants who submit an application and transcripts from all colleges attended after the published deadline will be considered for admission on a first-come, first-served basis. A percentage of this available space is reserved for late applicants enrolled in one (1) or more PCCUA summer semester prerequisite science, English, and/or math courses. Reserved space is only for PCCUA late applicants who successfully complete required prerequisite science, English, and/or math courses the summer semester immediately before the fall semester the applicant is seeking admission to the ADN program. 

Enrollment Process

Before enrolling in the ADN courses, the student must provide the following documents:

  1. Completed Health Statement
  2. Proof of immunization compliance
    • Current Td or Tdap
    • Two (2) Varicella or positive titer
    • Two (2) MMRs, if born after 1957 or positive titer
    • Initiation of Hepatitis B series or positive titer
  3. Proof of a TB skin test must be valid for the entire fall and spring academic year
  4. Signed Communicable Disease Statement
  5. Current US federal or state issued photo ID, examples include:
    • US passport
    • US military ID
    • State driver's license
  6. Proof of professional liability insurance must be valid for the entire fall and spring academic year
  7. Attend scheduled mandatory orientation session for nursing the week of fall registration
  8. Rare exceptions may be made by the Promotion and Graduation Committee for late applicants

No late enrollment is allowed.

After Enrollment

Proof of Influenza (flu) immunization is required by November 1st of each academic year.

To comply with clinical affiliation agreements, every student must fulfill these expectations BEFORE attending orientation for affiliated clinical agencies:

  • Have a negative RT-PCR Test for COVID-19 within fourteen (14) days of the student’s scheduled orientation to the clinical facility 
  • Complete a PCCUA COVID-19 education seminar
  • Demonstrate correct donning and doffing of personal protective equipment
  • Demonstrate correct hand washing technique

Any student who does NOT meet each expectation will NOT be allowed to attend clinical in an affiliated agency and may NOT be able to meet respective course requirements. This policy is effective for students enrolled in fall 2020 allied health and nursing courses until further notice.

Any student testing positive for COVID-19 will follow PCCUA’s and the clinical agency’s protocol BEFORE being allowed to return to class and the clinical setting.

Students admitted to the ADN program on the distance Stuttgart campus are expected to come on occasion to the Helena-West Helena campus to participate in scheduled program activities.

Transfer Students Seeking Admission to ADN Traditional Track

Transfer students are those students who left another nursing program and are seeking to enroll in Level II of the PCCUA traditional track ADN program.  Students seeking admission to the traditional track by transfer must meet all program admission requirements as well as all Level I progression requirements. 

Qualified transfer students will not receive an application for admission to the ADN program until the Dean of Allied Health receives a letter of good standing from the Director, Chair, or Dean of the program from which the student is transferring. Good Standing is defined as being eligible for enrollment in the program from which the student is transferring.

The completed application for admission to the traditional track by transfer must be received in the Nursing Department Office on the Helena-West Helena campus by October 1st to be considered for the spring semester. Applications received after October 1st will not be considered.

Students seeking admission to the traditional track by transfer will be ranked from highest to lowest by the score earned on the ATI Critical Thinking Exam. Transfer students will be admitted by ranking to the program after all students seeking readmission and/or advanced placement have been admitted and/or until space available is exhausted.

Skill Competency Exam

Demonstration of skill competency is a prerequisite for all students seeking admission to Level II by transfer. Skill competency evaluation times will be posted on the program webpage. A maximum of two (2) opportunities will be offered to demonstrate competency. Any missed skill competency evaluation will be counted as a "fail". Applicants who fail to demonstrate skill competency will not be eligible for enrollment. 

Drug Dosage Calculation Exam

The Drug Dosage Calculation Exam is a prerequisite for all students seeking admission to Level II by transfer. The applicant must pass the exam before enrollment. A maximum of three (3) opportunities are offered to score 90% or above on the exam. Only a basic calculator with the capacity to add, subtract, multiply, and divide can be used. No calculators with advanced functions are allowed.  Any missed exam will be counted as a fail. Applicants who fail to score a minimum of 90% on the Drug Dosage Calculation Exam will not be eligible for enrollment.