Dodge City Community College and Area Technical Center Nursing Program Review

When it was founded in 1935, Dodge City Community College and Area Technical Center (DCCC) shared a building with the local high school. Since the 1970s, however, it has offered classes on its own campus in the northwest part of Dodge City, Kansas. DCCC offers programs which can lead to an Associate of Arts degree, an Associate of Science degree, an Associate of General Studies degree, or an Associate of Applied Science degree.

Additionally, the college offers certificate programs and non-credit courses for residents and businesses in the Dodge City area. For students who wish to enter the healthcare profession as nurses, DCCC has two different options: a certificate program and an associate degree program. DCCC also offers training for nurse assistants. DCCC’s nursing options are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) and approved by the Kansas State Board of Nursing.

Practical Nursing Certificate Program

DCCC’s Practical Nursing Certificate Program begins each fall. Students have two options for completing the program. If they want a traditional classroom experience, they can take classes during the day and complete clinical rotations during the week. If they need a more flexible format for completing the program, they can enroll in the hybrid section of the Practical Nursing program. They complete coursework online, and participate in clinical rotations on the weekends. Over the course of the program’s three semesters (fall, spring, and summer), a student earns thirty-nine credits. He takes both general education classes (anatomy and physiology I and II, general psychology, basic nutrition, human growth and development) as well as nursing classes. At the end of the summer semester, he may sit for the National Council Licensing Exam for Practical Nurses (NLCEX-PN).

Associate of Applied Science

DCCC’s Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (AAS in Nursing) program (also called the Registered Nurse program) prepares students to take the National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). In order to prepare for this test, a student must complete a five-semester course sequence. The course sequence begins in the fall, and the first three semesters are identical to the three semesters of the Practical Nursing program. The last two semesters are devoted to upper-level nursing courses and additional general education requirements (microbiology, English composition, sociology, public speaking). In total, an AAS in Nursing degree requires seventy credits. Like the Practical Nursing program, students can complete this program in a traditional or hybrid format.

Associate of Applied Science in Nursing – LPN to RN

After passing the NCLEX-PN and working for at least one year, an LPN can enroll in DCCC’s AAS in Nursing program. She should receive advanced placement credits for the lower-level nursing courses, as well as any general education requirements that she has completed, allowing her to complete the AAS in Nursing program in just two semesters.

Certified Nurse Assistant Course

Under the course listing AH 103, DCCC regularly offers a one-semester course that prepares students to take the Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) exam offered by the state. This course is offered under the Allied Health division, as a training program for para-professional nurses.

Contact:
Dodge City Community College and Area Technical Center
2501 N. 14th Avenue,
Dodge City, KS. 67801

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