College of Lake County Nursing Program Review

The College of Lake County (CLC) serves the northeastern suburbs of Chicago, offering associate degrees, certificates, and continuing education programs. Each semester, over 18,000 students take classes at the college, which is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In addition to its main campus in Grayslake, students attend classes at the satellite campuses in Waukegan and Vernon Hills.

Not all programs, however, are available on all three campuses. Students who wish to enroll in the nursing program at the College of Lake County must attend classes at Grayslake. The nursing program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Here is a review of the program:

Associate Degree in Nursing

Prospective students for the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program must begin by completing a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) training course. This can be done through the College of Lake County, at any one of the three campuses. The course takes eight weeks. In addition, they must take prerequisite courses in chemistry (high school chemistry is acceptable), biology, and anatomy/physiology. Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) who are applying to the program do not have to take the CNA training course, but they do have to fulfill the other prerequisites. Once accepted to the program, students spend four semesters taking nursing courses and general education courses simultaneously.

An LPN may only need three semesters to complete the program; this is determined in consultation with an advisor, based on the LPN’s education and work experience. The program begins each fall and each spring, and sixty students are accepted each semester. Forty students are admitted to the daytime program, and twenty students are admitted to the evening program. By the end of the program, students are eligible to take the National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX_RN). If they are successful, they may begin working as Registered Nurses (RN).

Certified Nurse Assistant Training Program

The Certified Nurse Assistant Training Program is the necessary first step for a student who wishes to enroll in the ADN program, but it can also be a first step directly into the nursing profession. Students in this program will learn to care for patients’ basic needs, through classroom instruction and clinical practice. The College of Lake County offers the CNA course at multiple times, in order to accommodate varied schedules. Students may enroll in a daytime, evening, or weekend course. The course of study lasts eight weeks and is available at Grayslake, Lakeshore, and Southlake. Graduates are eligible to take the Illinois licensing exam for CNAs.

Other Options – Continuing Education

A full Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree will provide an RN with more career opportunities than an associate degree. While the College of Lake County does not offer any degree higher than an associate degree for its nursing students, it does cooperate with four other universities to provide its ADN graduates with an easy transition into a BSN program. ADN graduates can choose between programs on the campus of the College of Lake County, programs that are offered online, and programs that are partly online and partly on-site. Northern Illinois University cooperates with the College of Lake County to offer a BSN completion program on the College of Lake County’s campus.

Students can also enroll in the BSN completion program through Olivet Nazarene University, which is hybrid in format (partly on-site and partly online). Classes meet at various clinical sites in the area. The University of St. Francis cooperates with the College of Lake County to provide a fully online BSN completion program. Likewise, the BSN completion program through the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay takes place online.

Contact:
College of Lake County
19351 West Washington Street
Grayslake, IL 60030

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