SUNY Rockland Community College Nursing Program Review

Rockland Community College (RCC) is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. It is a two-year college that is in the Village of Suffern in Rockland County, just north of New Jersey. It is only 35 miles from New York City. There are 48 programs offered at Rockland, and associates degrees and certificates may be earned. Around 7,300 students attend Rockland. The college also has articulation programs with four-year schools so that the credits earned at Rockland may be transferred to a bachelor’s degree program at a four-year university. The college has many sports available, as well as activities for students.

Nursing Programs

Associate in Science

Rockland Community College offers an Associate in Science that trains students to become professional Registered Nurses (RNs) in only two years if the student attends full-time. A part-time option is also available for students who must work while they attend college. Students complete their liberal arts and science courses as well as nursing core courses within this time frame. They also work in hospitals, doctor’s offices, clinics, and community health centers during this time to gain clinical experience. At the completion of their studies, students take the NCLEX-RN, the national exam that leads to licensure that is needed to work as a professional RN. They will then be able to enter the workforce as entry-level nurses.

Students who want to have a career in nursing must first enroll in Rockland community college. They must take the Math and English Assessment exams. The math exam consists of both arithmetic and algebra. While waiting for a seat in the nursing program, students may take prerequisite courses and several nursing courses. Once a student is enrolled in the AS program, he or she must maintain at least a C+ in nursing courses. A grade point average of at least 2.0 is required to graduate with the Associate of Science degree and to be eligible to take the NCLEX-RN, the national exam that provides licensure for nurses to work as professional RNs.

Attending Rockland Community College is already very economical since it costs only a fraction of what a private college would cost in tuition. In addition, many students receive financial assistance. Every year, students from the college receive over $10 million in financial assistance. Besides federal and state financial aid programs, there are local programs that can sometimes aid nursing students with paying their tuition. The Rockland Community college Foundation is a non-profit, charitable organization that awards hundreds of scholarships to new and continuing students each year.

LPN to RN Express

Licensed Practical Nurses who want to become RNs may enter this program. They have the opportunity to test out of four of the six nursing process courses by passing the test that is required to measure their nursing knowledge. These nurses must be currently licensed as Practical Nurses in the State of New York. After completing the required arts and science courses, LPNs can often complete the remaining nursing courses in only one semester. Most students take longer than one semester because the RN nursing courses are presented in more depth than those for LPNs.

Contact:
SUNY Rockland Community College
145 College Road,
Suffern, New York 10901
(845) 574-4000