Walters State Community College Nursing Program Review

Serving the residents of East Tennessee, Walters State Community College (WSCC, WS) was founded in 1970 as an affordable higher education opportunity. WSCC has campuses in Morristown, Greeneville, Sevierville, and Tazewell. There are over 11,000 students enrolled, and the College offers over 100 associate degree and technical certificate options.

WSCC is one of the most technically savvy community colleges in the country. The campus is ranked as the safest in Tennessee, and the 12th safest in the nation. WSCC is also part of the Tennessee Board of Regents program.

Nursing Programs

Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Nursing

This program is for entry level nurses to begin their education and career. Upon graduation, students will be awarded an AAS degree and will be allowed to sit for the Registered Nurse (RN) licensing exam.

To apply, students must be enrolled at WSCC, complete all prerequisites, and the computer competency requirement. They must have a 2.5 GPA in their science courses. Students are admitted to the program during the Fall and Spring semesters.

Students will be ranked for admission into the program based on their Anatomy and Physiology grades, number of courses completed, and GPA in prerequisite courses. Additional ranking points may come from the student’s ACT score and pre-nursing entrance exam score. Students might also be asked to interview.

The prerequisites for the nursing program are Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II. After completing those courses, students are encouraged to complete the general education courses before starting the nursing program. These include English Composition, General Psychology, Fundamentals of Speech Communication, Introduction to Microbiology, and Probability and Statistics.

Once in the program, students must maintain a GPA of at least 2.0, and must earn at least a C grade in every Nursing and Biology course.

This program is fully accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, and is annually approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to RN Career Mobility Program

This program allows LPNs to continue their education and earn their AAS degree. Students will have to meet the same admission requirements for the AAS in nursing program as those listed above. Students are admitted to the Career Mobility Program in the Summer semester.

LPNs must have either graduated from a nursing program in the past year, or have at least one year of nursing work experience in the past three years. Once they complete Transition to Nursing with a grade of C or higher, students will be given credit for Nursing Process, and will be placed in the second year of the AAS program.

Pre-Nursing Pathway

Students that are interested in transferring to a four year institution to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree are encouraged to follow the Pre-Nursing Pathway curriculum. This course of study is identical to what any freshman nursing student in any public university in Tennessee is studying.

After studying at WSCC for a year, students are guaranteed to be on par with other students when they transfer. This program does not, however, guarantee entrance into a BSN program.

This program is made up of 32 credit hours of courses, including English Composition I and II, Fundamentals of Speech Communication, General Psychology, Introduction to Sociology, Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Probability and Statistics, and History.

Articulation Agreements

WSCC has articulation agreements with many universities in the state, including an AAS in Nursing to BSN degree program in partnership with Lincoln Memorial University. Students will earn an AAS degree at WSCC, and transfer to Lincoln Memorial University to complete the BSN degree program. Students will need to apply separately to Lincoln Memorial University.

Contact:
Walters State Community College
500 South Davy Crockett Parkway,
Morristown, TN 37813-6899