Austin Community College District Nursing Program Review

Austin Community College District (ACC), founded in 1973, has grown into the main institution for higher education for eight counties in Texas. Currently the college has eight campuses and two more in progress, along with 11 educational centers and numerous other locations. ACC serves an area of 7100 square miles, and enrolls over 45,000 credit students each semester.

With over 235 degrees and certificate programs, ACC has something to offer everyone. The college has strong minority enrollment, and scholarship awards are at a record high. It is also a top transfer college, and its students do as well or better, on average, than four-year university freshmen. Nationwide, ACC ranks in the top ten of all community colleges for Associate Degrees awarded in both health-related professions, and in registered nursing.

Nursing Programs

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), Traditional Track

The ADN Traditional Track program provides basic nursing education for an unlicensed student. Classes are offered in the classroom or online. Students will take 33 credit hours of non-nursing classes, followed by 38 credit hours of nursing specific classes. The program begins each Fall and Spring semester.

To be eligible to apply to the program, students must be admitted to ACC, have current immunizations, complete the prerequisite courses with a 2.7 GPA or higher, and take the HESI Admission Assessment exam. The prerequisites for this program are Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, Microbiology, Pharmacology for Health Professionals, and college level Math. All of these courses must have a grade of C or higher to be accepted.

Students that successfully complete this program will graduate with an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree. They will also be allowed to sit for the Registered Nurse (RN) licensing exam (NCLEX). The NCLEX pass rate for ACC graduates is 98%.

ADN, Mobility Track

This program is for Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs), Emergency Medical Services (Paramedic), Physical Therapist Assistants, Occupational Therapist Assistants, Surgical Technologists, Medical Lab Technologists, Respiratory Therapy Assistants, Dental Hygienists, or students who are graduates of a Radiology or Sonography program. Students must be licensed or board certified in their field, and must maintain this license throughout the course of their ADN studies.

The mobility track program is 36 credit hours of general education courses, and 26 credit hours of nursing classes. To be eligible to apply, students need to meet the same criteria as for the Traditional ADN program, as well as take Intro to Psychology, Human Growth and Development, Speech, and a Humanities elective. This program begins once a year in the Fall semester.

ADN, Alternate Entry

This program is for LVNs who graduated from the ACC LVN program in the prior 14 months. Students will need to meet the same criteria as for the Traditional ADN program to be able to apply. They will also need to take Intro to Psychology and Human Growth and Development. They do not need to have a current LVN license. Students will be accepted into the program if space is available. Once accepted, they will skip the Level 1 classes and begin in Level 2.

LVNs that do not meet the entry criteria for the Alternate Entry program may apply for the Traditional or Mobility Track programs.

Vocational Nursing

The Vocational Nursing program is a four semester, 53 credit hour program that trains unlicensed students to become entry level nurses. Graduates of the program are allowed to take the LVN licensing exam.

Students must complete the prerequisite courses of Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology, Essentials of Medical Terminology, and Pharmacology for Health Professionals with a C grade or higher. Students will need to verify they are up to date in their immunizations, and meet TSI (testing) requirements or take the COMPASS test if exempt. An advisor will determine the testing requirements for each student.

Texas Tech Accelerated Bachelor’s Program

ACC has an articulation agreement with Texas Tech for ADN students who wish to transfer and complete their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. ADN graduates that meet the admission requirements at Texas Tech will automatically be admitted into their BSN program.

ADN graduates from ACC that already have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in another field may enter Texas Tech’s Second Degree Web-Based BSN program. This program takes 12 months to complete, and students may remain in Austin while they take it.

ACC also has articulation agreements with other area universities for those interested in transferring after completing their ADN degree.

Continuing Education

ACC has a variety of course offerings in their Continuing Education Health Professions Institute, including Nursing Re-Entry, Certified Nurse’s Aide, LVN Refresher Theory, CPR for Healthcare Professionals, and many others. These courses are held in various campus locations. Students may register for these courses through ACC.

Contact:
Austin Community College District
5930 Middle Fiskville Road
,
Austin, TX 78752-4390