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(read information below this box for complete details)
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Make sure Hepatitis B series has been started (February 15 for Fall Admission) and will be .
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If you have previously had varicella (chicken pox), a positive IgG serologic confirmation from a physician is required. If you have never had chicken pox, you will need two doses of varicella vaccine at least 6 weeks apart. Start on this now so that it will be complete prior to entering the program.
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Have official transcripts sent to the Registrar's Office and fill out Application to the college if not enrolled at NCTC.
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Fill out a Degree Audit/Transcript Evaluation form and submit to Registrar's Office (may take 6-8 weeks or more to process) (See details below to find the Degree Audit form)
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Degree Audit & transcripts will be mailed back to you.
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Figure your priority points. For the Spring 2011 generic program, only applicants with 9 or more points should apply. (Transition applicants [already LVN's] may apply with fewer than 9 points since there is usually not as much competition for that track) For instructions on how to figure priority points, click on BACK and then on the link "Other Information" for instructions and samples. The typical "9" applicant has a minimim of "B" in one of the A & P's and an"A" in the other A & P, is missing 6 hours or less of non-nursing courses at the end of the summer, and has a minimum of 3.0 GPA for the courses that are a part of the NCTC nursing curriculum. It took a minimum of 10 points ("A" in both A&P's or an "A" in one of them and a "B" in the other with a GPA of 3.5 or better) to get into the testing pool for the Fall 2010 and it may take that again for the Spring 2011 but we want the 9's to apply just in case we do not have as many high applicants as we had this Fall. Due to the economy, we are seeing more applicants so it is much more competitive and we expect to continue seeing the high priority points for a while.
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Bring copies of transcripts (including High School transcript) and Degree Audit with you when you come in to the Nursing Office (Room 202 at the Gainesville campus) to fill out the Intent Form between
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Await letter stating whether or not you are scheduled to test.
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Applicants with prior convictions need to carefully read the information listed below regarding Criminal Background Checks before applying to the program.
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KAPLAN Test will be scheduled end of October. (No longer using HESI exam - see testing information below)
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If you will have completed Anatomy & Physiology I & II no later than Summer 2010 and Chemistry, Computer Literacy, and Elementary Statistics or College Algebra no later than Fall 2010 (all coursework must be completed with a "C" or better), you may apply for admission to the Spring 2011 class. Courses taken during the Fall semester will not be counted in the priority points. Completing Microbiology prior to the Spring semester is highly recommended. (NCTC does not have a time limit on any of the required non-nursing courses except that Computers should have been completed after 1990.) The GPA is figured on courses required for the nursing program - not the GPA listed on the Degree Audit. (Note: High School Chemistry and/or Computers will not show up on the degree audit. Just bring copies of your high school transcript with you when you come in to fill out the Intent Form.)
Immunizations:
The Hepatitis B vaccination series is administered over a 6 month time period. The series of 3 vaccines requires that the first dose be given, then one month later the second dose is to be given. The third dose is administered 6 months after the first dose. The third dose must be completed prior to beginning the Fall Semester. The first dose must be obtained no later than July 6th for Spring admission (February 15th for Fall admission) in order to have the series completed prior to beginning the program. If you were planning to apply but did not have the first dose prior to the above dates, you will not be eligible to apply for the next class. Check with your physician, pharmacist, or other health care facilities to obtain the series. Hepatitis A is strongly recommended. If you have not yet had Hepatitis B, you may want to take the combination Hepatitis A & B at the same time as Hepatitis A may be required in the future.
If you have previously had varicella (chicken pox), a positive IgG serologic confirmation from a physician is required. If you have never had chicken pox, you will need two doses of varicella vaccine at least 6 weeks apart. Start on this now so that it will be complete prior to entering the program.
Most clinical sites now require serologic confirmation for immunizations so go that route rather than repeating vaccines (for MMR, Varicella, Hepatitis B) if you cannot find records. Be sure to keep copies of all immunization records in a safe place as you will need them throughout your nursing career.
There are two types of background checks required before entering the Associate Degree Nursing Program.
The first one is for graduates to be eligible to take the State Board Licensing Exam. All students will need to submit fingerprints to the Board of Nursing prior to entering the program. Instructions will be included in the acceptance letter.
Students with offenses: If a prospective student has ever had any kind of criminal offense (other than Class C misdemeanor traffic violations), it must be reported to the Texas Board of Nursing. The student must get clearance from the Board before applying to the nursing program. Go to the Board of Nursing web site for additional information: www.bon.state.tx.us Click on Download Other Paper Applications and Forms. Under Candidates for Licensure, click on Declaratory Order Form. Read through all of the information listed and proceed with submitting forms as required. Do not apply to the program unless you have received a letter from the Board regarding the Declaratory Order stating that you are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN Exam. Keep this letter in a safe place for future reference.
The second type of background check is required for students to be eligible to participate in clinical rotations. The instructions for this background check will also be included in the acceptance letter.
For eligibility to participate in clinicals, criminal background checks will review a person's criminal history seven years back from the date of application. The following histories will disqualify an individual from consideration for clinical rotations:
- Felony convictions.
- Misdemeanor convictions or felony deferred adjudications involving crimes against persons (physical or sexual abuse)
- Misdemeanor convictions related to moral turpitude (prostitution, public lewdness/exposure, theft under $1500, computer crimes of fraud, etc.)
- Felony deferred adjudications for the sale, possession, distribution, or transfer of narcotics or controlled substances
- Registered sex offenders
- OIG, GSA and Medicaid Sanctions
- Terrorist Suspect List
- Pending charges and warrants for arrest
If a clinical facility does not allow a student in their facility due to convictions, the student would not be able to continue in the nursing program.
If not enrolled at NCTC, fill out an Application to the College and submit it to the Registrar’s Office. Note: Granting of admission to the college does not guarantee admission to the Nursing Program. (International students must see the International Advisor in the Gainesville Registrar's Office several months in advance to insure all paperwork is complete for acceptance into the college.) The Degree Audit will not be processed unless an application to the college is on file.
Have all official transcripts from other colleges sent to the Registrar’s Office and fill out a request for a Degree Audit preferably This form may be filled out in the Registrar's Office at any of the NCTC campuses or click on the link below and print the form from the college's web site
North Central Texas College
(Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the words "degree audit" (in blue letters.) This is the form. Print it off and submit it to the Registrar's Office.) The Degree Audit may take 6 - 8 weeks or more to process if transfer courses are involved so complete this step by March 1st to have it back before May 1st. Degree Audits are processed on a first come, first served basis. If you have previously requested a Degree Audit containing courses from other colleges and then took additional classes at NCTC, you may print an updated Degree Audit by accessing Campus Connect. You will need the student ID number and pin number that you used to on-line register. (or through MyNCTC)
(Figure your priority points. Only applicants with or more points should apply. For instructions on how to figure priority points, click on BACK and then on the link "Other Information" for instructions and samples.)
Bring unofficial copies of all of your transcripts and a copy of your Degree Audit with you when you come to fill out your Declaration of Intent Form at the Gainesville Nursing Office (Room 202) between (May 1st - June 1st for Fall Admission). The nursing office does not have access to your transcripts in the Registrar's Office from other colleges; therefore, you will need to bring unofficial copies for your nursing file (including High School transcript if using High School Chemistry or High School BCIS Computer course - High School Chemistry and High School BCIS must be one full year with a "C" or better). You will not need an appointment to fill out your Declaration of Intent Form. The nursing office is open Monday through Thursday 8:00am - 4:30pm and Friday 8:00am - 3:00pm. It will only take about 10 minutes to fill out the form while you are at the college. We will attach your transcripts and degree audit to the form.
Between all applications will be processed and ranked according to Priority Point Scores and Grade Point Average. Points and GPA’s required to be allowed to test may vary semester to semester depending on the number of applicants and how their points fall. (Priority Point cut-off for Fall 2009 and Spring 2010 fell at a minimum of 9 priority points for generic students and 10 points for the Fall 2010. Priority Point Scores are figured as of October 1st. If you are taking any non-nursing courses in the Fall, those courses will not be figured in your Priority Point Score.
All applicants will be notified by mail of their status. Letters are expected to be mailed by October 17th. Please wait patiently for your letter. If the web site has posted that letters have gone out but you have not received your letter by October 22nd, please contact the nursing office immediately. Top applicants will receive a letter stating when they are scheduled to take the pre-nursing entrance test. (There were 115 Fall 2010 Generic Applicants with the top 60 scheduled to test. There were 38 Transition applicants. Twenty-one were sent letters to test for Fall 2010. Spring 2010 had 85 generic applicants (with 8 or more points) with 60 scheduled to test and 25 transition applicants with 20 scheduled to test.)
The pre-nursing entrance test for Spring Admissions will be administered end of October. If scheduled to test, your status letter will give you detailed information including the date and time you are to take the Kaplan Exam.
Hint: You do not want to leave a question blank while taking the test. If you are spending a lot of time on one question, mark your best guess and write the number of the question down on your scratch paper. Continue with the test and then if you have time before you get to the last question of that section, go back and look at it again. If you answer the last question of the section, it assumes you are done with that section and moves on so go back before you get to the last question.
Students will not be able to use test scores from exams taken previously at other schools but will need to take the exam at the scheduled time.
Generally, the Associate Degree Nursing Program accepts 36 students in the Generic program and 12 in the Transition from Vocational to Professional Nursing at the Gainesville campus.
The Nursing Office will receive the KAPLAN test results and process all applicants who tested. Letters are usually mailed by November 21st, if there are no unforeseen problems. We appreciate your waiting patiently for your letters rather than calling and wanting your results as every interruption delays getting the results to you. You will receive a letter as soon as possible. The cut-off score for the Generic students fell at 74% with an 81% on the Critical Thinking Score for the Fall 2010 class. The cut-off score for the Fall 2010 Transition class fell at 75% with an 81% on the Critical Thinking Score.
Everyone who tested will receive a status letter. Applicants with the highest test scores will receive acceptance letters. Several applicants will be placed on an Alternate List so that slots can be filled as openings occur. Alternates will receive complete packets so that they will have everything they need if a space becomes available for them.
Acceptance letters will provide information regarding Orientation, CPR, Nursing Student Association, Physical Exam form, Degree Plan, Criminal Background Check instructions and an order form for your nursing kit. The kit needs to be ordered as quickly as possible after receiving the acceptance letter in order to prevent the $10 late charge.
Spring nursing classes will begin Monday, January ___. Orientation is scheduled for Tuesday, January ___ . You will need to be here for orientation so do not plan out of area trips that include that day.
Good luck and we look forward to seeing you in our Associate Degree Nursing program.
Students are not able to choose their schedules while in the nursing program. All students are assigned to classes and clinicals throughout the program. There are many factors involved, particularly in first semester, in the nursing department's decision of assigning sections. We have to take into consideration how sections fit together to accomodate all of the different labs, clinicals, transition student schedules since they also take some of the same classes, if Microbiology must be taken along with nursing, distance driven, etc. It is not possible to work around students' work or personal schedules. Students need to be flexible and be able to make arrangements to fit around college classes. There will be times when schedules are different from the norm, especially the first week or two of each semester when we have orientations to the hospitals. After the first semester, all students in the same level will be in the same lecture course. For clinicals, we try to take into consideration where students live. We try not to schedule a student from Ardmore, for instance, to a clinical in Carrollton or a student from Dallas to Gainesville if there are other sites available for that particular semester. (First semester, all generic students are tentatively scheduled to come to Gainesville for clinical. Transition clinical is tentatively scheduled for Lewisville.) Your acceptance letter will list your particular schedule. This is the one you should go by. Faculty will be able to keep you informed of other changes through ANGEL once the semester begins (or just before the semester begins).
(start gathering some of these items ahead of time -
If accepted, please be sure the following have been completed:
- Application to the college and official transcripts are on file in the Registrar's Office (including updated transcripts containing courses just completed). Be sure major is listed as Nursing. (International students must see the International Advisor in the Gainesville Registrar's Office several months in advance to insure all paperwork is complete for acceptance into the college.)
- Copies of all transcripts (including updated transcripts containing courses just completed) have been turned in to the Nursing Office.
- Order Nursing Kit. Form and instructions will be included in acceptance letter. This kit contains items you will need when being checked off in the nursing lab such as gloves, syringes, catheters, IV tubing, bandaging material, etc. It does not include your stethoscope or bandage scissors.
- Criminal Background check. There will be instructions included in the acceptance package for your Criminal Background Check. Follow these instructions carefully. This is a two-part process. There will be one form to complete to do the Fingerprints for the Board of Nursing and another form to complete the Background Check for clinicals at the hospitals. Be sure to complete both steps.
- Personal Major-Medical Health and/or Accident Insurance. A copy of the face sheet or insurance card must be submitted upon acceptance into the program. If you do not have insurance, the college does have an inexpensive accident policy for students which will meet the requirements. The nursing office will have copies of the policy and order form. If you order the school policy on-line, print a receipt for the nursing office. The accident policy may be obtained at www.k12StudentInsurance.com Minimum requirement is the At-School Accident (Students & Employees) Without Extended Dental. It must be renewed prior to each Fall semester. On-line information for more optional insurance coverage may be obtained at http://www.nationalinsurancestore.com/student-insurance.
- CPR (Health Care Provider) certification. The Student Nurse Association will offer a course for new students on the same day as the Nursing Orientation (the week before school begins). Information will be included in the acceptance letter. If accepted or on the alternate list, fill out the form included in the packet and submit it to the nursing office to reserve a slot for this class. Do not take the on-line CPR class as it is not accepted by the hospitals. If you have previously received a CPR card, the nursing office will need a copy of both the front and the back.
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A physical examination. Form included in acceptance letter.
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Proof of TB test within one year or chest x-ray within 2 years.
- Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR): (including 2 doses of measles vaccine or serologic confirmation of measles immunity.)
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Tetanus-diphtheria toxoid (Td) within 10 years.
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Hepatitis B vaccine series - This series of 3 doses is administered over a six month period. First dose must have been acquired by (February 15th for Fall admission) in order for the series to be complete prior to beginning the program.
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Varicella (chicken pox).
- Photo for file - Submit a clear, fairly recent photograph with name on the back. If there is more than one person in the photo, be sure to mark which one is you. (No hats or obstructions next to your face, please.)
- Signed Degree Plan - Two copies of your degree plan will be included in your acceptance letter. You will sign the white copy and return it to the nursing office.
- Turn in all paperwork to the nursing office at least 5 days prior to the first class day. (Transition students should turn in all paperwork at least 3 weeks in advance as they will begin clinicals immediately at the beginning of the semester.) The original copy of the physical form and a copy of your immunization information must be submitted to the nursing secretary.
Note: Please place all of your immunizations, insurance card, CPR card, etc. on a copier or scanner and copy everything on as few sheets of paper (front and back, sideways, if necessary), as possible. A copier is available for student use in the library. Keep the originals of all of your immunizations and your copy of the physical form in a safe place. You will need them again later. Turn in everything at once, if possible, rather than a piece at a time.
- Attend the nursing orientation as listed on the flyer in the acceptance letter. Read both sides of the flyer. If an emergency arises and you do not attend orientation, we will make an effort to contact you to determine a legitimate reason for your absence and if it is determined that you are no longer interested in the program, your slot will be filled with the next alternate. You will receive information regarding uniforms at this meeting.
- Beginning reading assignments are usually posted about 2-3 weeks prior to the beginning of the semester for all levels of nursing under Current Students link on the main Nursing Web Page. (Usually ANGEL is closed out after each semester and does not come back up until just a couple of days before the semester begins so we post it on the nursing web site so that it is accessible to all students.) If you do not yet have all of your syllabi but you have textbooks, you will still be able to get a head start on reading.
• Malpractice insurance of $12.00 for Spring Admission (added to your tuition and fees bill). (Renewable in the Fall of each year - $18.00)
• A Drug Screen will also be conducted ($39 fee added to your tuition and fees bill).
The nursing office will take care of making arrangements for these items. You do not have to do anything at this time.
• Testing Package fees will be added to your tuition and fees bills. These include Integrated Testing with Remediation, exit exams, practice tests, case studies and an NCLEX-RN Review Course. Total cost of the Kaplan package is $450 and a portion of this fee will be paid each semester.
APPROXIMATE COSTS
Required textbooks for the first semester appear to be approximately $1200?? at the Gainesville NCTC Bookstore. Most of these books will be used throughout the nursing program with only a few additions in other semesters. It is best to not buy optional textbooks until you speak with an instructor or you are certain that you really want them.
- Estimated cost for first nursing semester (including tuition, fees, nursing books, uniforms, physical, immunizations, CPR, background checks, nursing kit, testing package, etc.) should be between $3500-$4200.
- 2nd Semester - Approximately $1250 - $2075.
- Mini-mester Psych - Approximately $100 - $150 (tuition, fees)
- 3rd Semester - Approximately $1125 - $2300.
- 4th Semester - Approximately $1375 - $1925.
This is an approximate cost from the time you are admitted to nursing. The first number is the approximate cost for nursing and the second number includes tuition and fees for co-requisite non-nursing courses. In addition, prerequisite courses may cost up to approximately $2500 for tuition and books, depending on the number of courses that have not been previously completed.
Check out the website for your area. They may be able to provide some
financial assistance while attending college. For those in Cooke, Fannin or Grayson counties, the web site is www.workforcesolutionstexoma.com
For those who live in other counties, do an internet search for Workforce Solutions and the name of the county in which you live.
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