Nursing

The Nursing Program offers the opportunity to earn an Associate of Science Degree in Nursing, in preparation for the licensing exam (NCLEX-RN) to become a Registered Nurse. This Nursing program has the full approval of the New Hampshire Board of Nursing. Access to the New Hampshire Board of Nursing’s website is found at www.state.nh.us/nursing.

The associate degree nursing program at Lakes Region Community College meets the state education requirements for a Registered Nurse license in the state of New Hampshire. Lakes Region Community College has not determined if the associate degree nursing program at Lakes Region Community College meets the state education requirements in any other state, any U.S. Territory, or the District of Columbia. Contact the state regulatory agency for nursing in any other state for which this information is needed.

The Associate Degree Nursing Program is approved by the New Hampshire Board of Nursing (NHBON). Upon satisfactory completion of the program, the graduate is eligible to apply to the New Hampshire Board of Nursing (NHBON) and Pearson VUE NCLEX Candidate Services for the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The New Hampshire Board of Nursing’s licensing regulations may restrict candidates who have been involved in civil or criminal legal proceedings. Questions about licensing restrictions should be addressed to the New Hampshire Board of Nursing, 7 Eagle S, Concord, NH 03301.

The Associate Degree Nursing Program at Lakes Region Community College located in Laconia, New Hampshire is accredited by the:
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 975-5000 www.acenursing.org.

The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the Associate Degree Nursing Program to continue LRCC’s accreditation can located and viewed for public information disclosure by ACEN at http://www.acenursing.us/accreditedprograms/programSearch.htm

Program Mission

The nursing department accepts and aligns itself with the mission of Lakes Region Community College. The mission of the Lakes Region Community College Associate Degree Nursing Program is to prepare compassionate health care professionals whose practice is holistic, scientifically based and technically competent. The mission is to provide all students with a quality education that affords each graduate the opportunity to enter the healthcare profession in their community and have the ability to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing.

End-of-Program Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the LRCC nursing program will be prepared to achieve the following Learning Outcomes:

1. Deliver safe, legal, and ethical patient-centered care to the culturally and developmentally diverse patients using the nursing process.
2. Practice collaboratively throughout the healthcare system on a multi-professional healthcare team to achieve shared goals using principles of communication, leadership, and management.
3. Support a culture of continuous evidence-based quality improvement by using data to monitor outcomes and identify and report actual or potential problems.
4. Use health care system resources and technology to coordinate and deliver individual and/or population-focused care that is safe, effective, and efficient.
5. Demonstrate professional accountability using legal, ethical, and regulatory guidelines.
6. Participate in activities that contribute to life-long learning.

The New Hampshire State Board of Nursing may restrict licensing of candidates who have been involved in civil or criminal legal action. Address questions about licensing restrictions to the Board of Nursing. Satisfactory completion of the A.S. in Nursing does not guarantee RN Licensure.

Students admitted into the Nursing Program must achieve a minimum grade of C in all pre-requisite and co-requisite courses, and B- in all nursing courses.

Graduates of the program are encouraged to pursue a Bachelor and/or Master of Science in Nursing. Graduates of the LRCC nursing program have the opportunity to pursue further nursing education through the RN to BSN pathway with Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) and Colby Sawyer College. Students planning to continue their education toward the bachelor or Master of Science in Nursing should plan their program of study with an academic advisor from the Department of Nursing.

Admission Requirements for Level I applicants:

• Meet all general college admissions requirements
• Provide Documentation of completion of high school or college algebra, chemistry with lab and biology with lab classes all with a minimum grade of “C” or higher
• Submit a completed college application for admission.
• Early notification applicant’s deadline is December 15. If the applicant is not admitted through the early action process, their application will be reconsidered with the other regular decision applications after the February 1 application deadline.
• Applications completed after February 1 may only be considered on a space available basis, if the program is not at capacity. Applications are considered complete only when the LRCC Admissions Office receives all required documentation prior to the above deadlines.
• Complete the ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS)* with a Total Score of 66% or higher
  • The TEAS may be taken four times in one year starting with the date of the first exam
  • Each attempt must be at least four weeks apart
  • TEAS scores are valid for two years
  • Registration and payment for the TEAS is done at https://www.atitesting.com/
• Submit a 300 to 500-word essay to the admissions office. Directions for completing the essay can be found on the LRCC website.
• All science courses required to complete a degree in Nursing must be taken in person. Online science courses will not be accepted.
• Applicants who have completed all of the admission requirements are strongly encouraged to meet with their nursing advisor or the nursing department chair.

Nursing courses must be completed within three years from the date of entry. Students who leave the program in good standing may be re-admitted only once.

Students may be required to do an evening clinical rotation depending on clinical site and/or clinical faculty availability

All students accepted into the Nursing Program will:

• Attend a designated summer orientation session
• Obtain and maintain current Basic Life Support for the Professional Rescuer certification
• Pass a criminal background check
• Complete a Department of Health and Human Services NH Child Abuse Central Registry Name Search
• Submit proof of immunizations
• Submit results of a two-step Tuberculosis (TB) test
• Submit proof of current health insurance
• Submit a completed Health Exam form
• Pass a drug screen
• Purchase the required uniform.
• Make up all clinical and class hours missed for any reason at the discretion of the faculty

Transfer into the LRCC Nursing Program

To qualify for acceptance into the Nursing Program a prospective transfer student must meet the following criteria:

• All nursing courses must have been completed with a grade of B- or better.
• All required science courses must have been completed within the 5 years of starting the nursing program with a grade of C or better.
• If any required science courses have been completed greater than 5 years before entry into the nursing program, applicants can must re-take the course.
• A science course that is being repeated must be completed by the end of the semester in which it is designated as a co-requisite.
• All pre-requisite and co-requisite courses must be completed with a grade of C or better.
• The program hours for each nursing course being transferred in to LRCC must meet the minimum number of required program hours determined by the LRCC nursing program.

Transfer into the LRCC Nursing Program is available on a space available basis. Transfer credit will be based on course content, program hours, and credits earned. Prior to applying for transfer into the Nursing Program, potential transfer students must first meet with the Chair of the Nursing department. Based on the results of the meeting and/or additional review by the Chair, students may then be advised to apply for admission and for what semester.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to have official transcripts from all previously attended high school and college institutions sent to the LRCC Admissions Office as soon as possible. A student who has been accepted for transfer into the Nursing Program must complete the program within 2 years. A student who has transferred into the Nursing Program and does not complete course work within 2 years may not reapply for readmission to the Nursing Program.

If during the application/admissions timeframe, more qualified students applying to transfer into the Nursing Program, than there is available space, the final decision regarding acceptance into the program will be made by the Nursing Faculty. A student who has exited from another nursing program for unsafe practice or unprofessional behavior is not eligible for transfer into the Nursing program at LRCC.

LPN to ADN Pathway

A Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) may apply to the Lakes Region Community College nursing program to earn an Associate degree in nursing. Prior to applying to the Nursing Program, an LPN applicant must first meet with the Chair of the Nursing department. Based on the results of the meeting and/or additional review by the Chair, the applicant may then be advised to apply for admission. To apply to the nursing program, the LPN applicant must meet the following criteria:

• Meet all pre-requisites for the RN program excluding completion of the TEAS exam.
• All nursing courses must have been completed with a grade of B- or better.
• Meet all the co-requisite requirements for the first semester of the nursing program.
• Hold an unencumbered New Hampshire LPN license
• Complete the NLN NACE I exam with a minimum grade of 74%
• Meet all admission criteria by December 15 for admission in to the spring semester.

NACE I test scores are valid for a period of two years. Contact the National League for Nursing Testing Services for information about the NACE I exam

LPN applicants who successfully meet all of the admission requirements may be eligible for admission into the RN program beginning the spring semester of Level 1 on a space available basis.

Technical Standards

The following technical standards are to guide students to make an informed decision regarding a career in nursing. These standards are required to complete the nursing curriculum and to enter nursing practice as a Registered Nurse. The skills are as follows:

Auditory: Each student must possess auditory ability to monitor, and assess health needs, including (but not limited to)

• hear and interpret information a client is communicating verbally
• hear auscultory sounds using a stethoscope
• hear auditory signals from equipment
• communicate over the telephone

Visual: Each student must possess visual ability sufficient for observation, and assessment necessary to provide nursing care, including (but not limited to)

• observe drainage on dressings and drainage of body fluids
• note fluid levels in supplies and equipment
• read gauges that monitor clients
• see to administer treatments
• observe changes in client skin color
• observe client’s behavior and movement

Tactile: Each student must possess tactile ability sufficient to perform a physical assessment, and procedures on clients, not limited to)

• perform palpation, and other functions necessary for physical exam
• assess texture, shape, size, temperature, and vibration
• perform therapeutic procedures
• collect specimens

Sense of Smell: It is desirable that each student possess a sense of smell acute enough to detect strong odors that may indicate a change in a client’s condition, including (but not limited to);

• a purulent wound
• ketones on a person’s breath
• body fluids that have a strong odor
• smoke or other indicator of danger

Communication: Each student must be able to communicate in English effectively with clients, families, and other health care professionals. This includes expressive, and receptive modes of verbal, nonverbal, and written communication, including (but not limited to);

• explain procedures, and treatments
• initiate health education
• document nursing assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of nurse and client actions, and responses
• read client documentation, and medical literature
• give an accurate report of client information to other health care providers

Motor Function: Each student must have sufficient motor function, neuromuscular strength, and coordination to effectively perform nursing functions, including (but not limited to)

• transfer clients to/from wheelchair to bed, and bed to/from stretcher
• gather assessment data by palpation, auscultation and percussion
• manipulate instruments to perform physical assessment
• apply pressure (to stop bleeding). Gross and Fine Motor Coordination: Each student must have sufficient
• gross and fine motor coordination to
• move around in the health care environment
• perform treatments, and procedures
• calibrate, and use equipment
• navigate stairs or other client settings

Stamina: Each student must have sufficient stamina to sit, stand, and move within the classrooms; skills lab, nursing units, operating room, and community settings, for periods of time as long as eight hours at a time. Each student must be able to lift 20 lbs.

Behavioral: Each student must possess the ability to establish, and maintain, appropriate professional relationships, including the following factors

• act ethically
• exercise sound clinical judgment
• be compassionate
• develop mature, and effective relationships with clients
• complete all responsibilities required for client care

Emotional Health: Each student must possess the emotional health required for full utilization of his/her intellectual abilities, including (but not limited to)

• prioritize competing demands
• function in stressful situations
• tolerate physically taxing workloads
• adjust to changing circumstances