Bronx Community College Nursing Program Review

Bronx Community College (BCC, BXCC)) is located in Bronx, which is a Borough of New York City. It is a branch of The City University of New York (CUNY), and it is a public institution. Bronx Community College requires that students provide documentation of immigration status or permanent residency before they begin their nursing clinical coursework. However, documentation of immigration status is not necessary before starting initial nursing coursework. Graduates from this community college may transfer up to 60 credits to other CUNY colleges if they want to continue their studies to earn their Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) degree.

Nursing Program

Associate in Science Degree (AAS)

This nursing program usually takes two years to complete, but if prerequisite courses are needed it could take an additional half year of studies. To earn this degree, students must have 67 credits. Upon graduation, the student may take the NCLEX exam to begin working as a Registered Nurse (RN). Students often choose to earn an AAS at Bronx Community College for different reasons. The primary reason is because they are able to begin work after only two years of training. There are many nursing programs available that RNs with an AAS may take to later earn their BSN.

Many RNs continue their education after earning their AAS because a BSN often leads to a more challenging nursing job with higher pay and more responsibility. Some students have not gained admittance to a baccalaureate program, and they have decided to earn their AAS before continuing their education in a BSN program. The requirements for a community college are almost always less demanding than those for a baccalaureate program. Another benefit of a community college is that the tuition is usually lower than that for a baccalaureate program.

Applicants to Bronx Community College’s RN program are chosen selectively. Students must have passing scores on both the CUNY and ACT Reading and Writing Skills Assessment Tests. A placement test for math is also required by CUNY, and the student must have a minimum score of 35 in arithmetic and 40 in algebra in order to take pharmacy courses. Other requirements are having a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.5 in preclinical classes. Two biology courses and one pharmacy course may be retaken once to increase a student’s GPA. Students must also have minimum grades of a “C” in preclinical English, Psychology, and Interpersonal Communication courses.

CUNY does not have a criminal background check, but clinical sites where students enrolled in the AAS Program work usually do require these. Because students often complete clinical work off-site at multiple locations, they may need to have several background checks. Students are responsible for the cost incurred for these tests. Also, any applicant who has charges pending or has ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or of professional misconduct, negligence, or unprofessional conduct may enter the nursing program. The graduate is eligible to sit for the NCLEX administered by the State of New York, but the graduate may or may not be granted a license to work in the state.

Core requirements that lead to the AAS degree include courses entitled Composition and Rhetoric, Fundamentals of Interpersonal Communication, Introduction to Psychology, Pharmacology Computations, and Human Anatomy and Physiology. These courses lead to the first 15 credits earned. Students must also complete nine credits in Art Survey or Music Survey, Fundamentals of General Chemistry, Introduction to Sociology, and one activity course in Physical Education.

After these basic courses are completed, AAS students begin to earn credits in specialization courses, such as Human Anatomy and Physiology II, Microbiology and Infection Control, Nursing Process and Therapeutic Communication, Fundamental Skills in Nursing, Mental Health Nursing, and Nursing of the Adult I. Other required courses include Maternal, Newborn and Women’s Health, Nursing of the Adult II, Pediatric Nursing, and Nursing of the Adult III. These courses add up to a total of 38 credits. The remaining five credits may be chosen from Art, Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Literacy, Nutrition, Physics, Physical Assessment of the Adult, or from other electives.

Licensed Practical Nursing to Registered Nursing Program

Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) may enter the AAS Nursing Program if they meet all of the admission requirements of CUNY and pass the National League for Nursing (NLN) Profile examinations. They must also have at least one year’s experience working in an acute care environment in the last three years. The benefit of this program for LPNs is that they may receive 14 credits for passing examinations that are based on basic nursing courses that contain information that they have gained from their nursing experience. Credit is given for Nursing Process and Therapeutic Communication, Fundamental Skills in Nursing, Nursing of the Adult I, and Maternal, Newborn, and Women’s Health if the exams are passed. This eliminates one semester of studies for LPNs who may then earn their AAS in less time.

Licensed Practical Nursing Program

Bronx Community College-CUNY also offers a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program. It is an evening and weekend 56 credit certificate program. Upon graduation, students may take the NCLEX-PN licensure exam. There are 22 credits in the program that are transferrable to the RN program at Bronx Community College if the student decides to move forward with their education. Also, after completing the first course of the LPN curriculum, students may take the Nurse Aide Competency Examination. Some of the required courses for this program may be completed online.

Because of the many applications received, space is very limited in the program and Bronx Community College is extremely selective about admitting students to the program. To be considered for the LPN program, applicants must pass the reading and writing skills test as well as an arithmetic and algebra test. Any required remediation courses must be completed. In addition, applicants must have a grade point average of 2.5 with a minimum grade of C in preclinical courses. A grade of C+ or higher must be earned in Biology. Applicants who score C- or lower in Communication, English, or Psychology courses will not be considered for admission to the program.

There are other prerequisites such as earning a satisfactory score on the verbal, math, and science sections of the National League for Nurses Pre-entrance Exam for Practical Nursing students. The test must be taken at Bronx Community College and may be repeated only once. Students with the highest grade point averages in prerequisite courses will be given priority. Once applicants have been accepted into the LPN program, they must maintain a C in all courses. Also, all of the required program courses must be completed within three years. To be eligible for graduation, LPN students must score at least 85 percent on the comprehensive medication dosage calculation examination.

Other admission requirements include proof of immigration status. Students must be permanent residents or international students with F1 status. Refugee status and other circumstances are also considered before admission is granted. Applicants must also pass the health exam at the College’s Health Services Office, complete Basic Cardiac Life Support, and purchase malpractice insurance through Bronx Community College. Students must also pay for their NCLEX-PN licensure exam after completing the LPN program. Many clinical facilities require background checks, criminal checks, and specific immunizations. Students may also be required to have urine tests for toxicology screening before beginning their clinical experience. Students are expected to spend a designated amount of hours completing their clinical experience.

The LPN Curriculum consists of 56 credits that are required to qualify for graduation. The Pre-Clinical Sequence consists of Fundamentals of Composition and Rhetoric or Composition and Rhetoric I, Fundamentals of Interpersonal Communication, Introduction to Psychology, and Human Anatomy and Physiology I for a total of 13 credits. The first semester of the nursing program includes Nursing Skills I, Mental Health Concepts, Practical Nursing Arts, Human Anatomy and Physiology II, and Nutrition in Physical and Emotional Disorders, totaling 15 credits. During the second semester, students must take Nursing Skills II, Medical Surgical Nursing I, Pharmacology as Applies to Health Sciences, and Microbiology & Infection Control. These courses add up to 12 credits. A summer session is also part of this program, and this is when Medical Surgical Nursing II is completed for four credits. The third and final semester consists of 12 credits, including Nursing Skills III, Psychiatric Nursing, Pediatric Nursing, Maternal Child Nursing, and Vocational Adjustment & Leadership. After completing these courses, the student is qualified to take the licensure exam.

Contact:
Bronx Community College-CUNY
2155 University Avenue
Bronx, NY 10453
1-718-289-5100