College of the Albemarle Nursing Program Review

The College of Albemarle (COA) is in northeastern North Carolina. It is a community college that is part of the North Carolina Community College System that was established in 1960. There are three campuses, including the main campus in Elizabeth City and satellite campuses in Edenton and Manteo. The college has programs that allow students to finish high school and earn a GED. There is also distance education with a Course Management System called Moodle.

Nursing Programs

Nurse Aide Level I

This 144 hour course is an introduction to basic nursing skills. It includes communication, patient rights, vital signs, elimination, rehabilitation, emergency, and other topics that prepare graduates to earn a certificate as a Nurse Aide I. Graduates must pass a competency exam to be listed on the state registry. Applicants to the program must take a reading placement test or have completed a basic college level reading course.

Nurse Aide Level II

This course takes 176 hours of class, laboratory, and clinical learning experience to complete. Graduates must take the competency evaluation to be listed on the state registry. This course prepares students to perform higher level skills to care for residents of nursing homes or patients in various healthcare settings.

Practical Nursing

The College of the Albemarle offers a Practical Nursing (PN) program. Admission is competitive, and not all of those who apply are admitted to the program. Although the college has an open admission, this is not true of the PN program. To be considered for the program, applicants must be a “qualified applicant” who has adequately passed the placement tests in Reading, English, and Math. After receiving test scores, applicants are expected to make an appointment with a Student Development counselor to discuss which courses need to be taken before their application to the PN program is considered. A minimum grade of C is expected in each subject of the placement test, or applicants must take remedial courses at the college before applying to the PN program.

Other requirements to become a “qualified applicant” include submitting an application that includes an official copy of their high school transcript or the transcript from any college that the applicant has attended. Applicants must be high school graduates or have earned a GED. They must have earned at least a grade point average of 2.0 in high school coursework. Those with college experience must have a grade point average of at least a C on any coursework. In addition, all of the applicant’s scores on the TEAS test, the admission test for the Nursing Department, must be satisfactory after taking the test one time. It is mandatory that applicants meet with the nursing faculty for a pre-admission meeting at their assigned time or they will not be considered for the program.

There are also very stringent requirements that applicants must meet after being accepted into the PN program. For example, an applicant must attend an orientation session. The other usual requirements must also be met, such as a physical exam, having required immunizations and health requirements, having liability insurance, and having completed a CPR course. Before beginning clinical rotations, students must have criminal background checks, drug and alcohol screening, and sex offender checks. Students may complete the PN program in three semesters totaling 47 credit hours. These hours include classwork and clinical experience. After completing the program, graduates take the NCLEX-PN to obtain their license as a Practical Nurse.

Associate Degree Nursing

Another opportunity for students at the College of the Albemarle is to earn an Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) to become a Registered Nurse. Registered Nurses (RNs) have many different employment opportunities in doctor’s offices, industry and community agencies, hospitals, clinics, long term care facilities, and other healthcare facilities. Students complete liberal arts and sciences classes to meet the college’s requirements for an Associate Degree, as well as specific nursing courses required to graduate with an ADN. After completing the program, graduates take the NCLEX-RN, the national exam required to receive licensure as a Registered Nurse.

Admission to the ADN program is competitive, and there are specific steps that applicants must closely follow to be considered for the program. One of these is that applicants to the ADN program must have completed Nurse Aid I training. This is a good opportunity for those who are unsure if they really want a career in nursing to experience the career before completing the required education to become an RN. The College of Albemarle has an articulation agreement with Mid-Atlantic Christian University allowing students who want to complete both an ADN and Bachelor of Science Biblical Studies to earn both degrees in four years. Earning only the ADN degree takes 2 years to complete.

LPN-ADN Option Program

A nurse who is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) may choose to enter the nursing program at the college of Albemarle that leads from an LPN degree to an ADN. Nurses who want to enter this program must have completed four college transfer courses and have a grade of at least a C in them. It is also required that the applicant is licensed to practice as a Licensed Practical Nurse, and at least one year’s clinical practice experience is required. A pre-admission meeting is also mandatory, and failing to meet with the nursing faculty results in not being accepted into the nursing program. Students accepted into the program are granted 8 semester hours after meeting all of the admission criteria and acceptance into the program. The result of receiving the 8 credits is that only 10 credits must be completed for the Fall Semester of the first year of studies rather than 18 credits.

Contact:
College of the Albemarle
1208 N. Road Street,
PO Box 2327
Elizabeth City, North Carolina 27906-2327
(252) 335-0821