Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College Nursing Program Review

Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College (OCtech, OCTC) opened in 1968, under the name Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical Education Center. Its mission was, and still is, to provide technical training to residents of the surrounding area, in order to keep industry alive and thriving in South Carolina. Seeing the rapid expansion of the healthcare field, Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College opened its health sciences department in 1988. As part of this department, the college offers training programs for prospective nurses and nurse assistants. The nursing programs are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC).

Diploma in Applied Science, Major in Practical Nursing

By earning forty-eight credits, a student can complete a diploma in applied science with a major in nursing. This diploma makes him eligible to take the National Council Licensing Exam for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) and to work as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). The program begins in the fall, and takes three consecutive semesters to complete. A student in the program takes seventeen credits of general education/nursing support classes; the rest of the curriculum consists of nursing coursework and clinical rotations at local healthcare facilities.

Associate in Applied Science, Major in Nursing

A student who is willing to commit to five consecutive semesters of full-time study can earn an associate in applied science with a major in nursing through the college’s Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program. This degree makes her eligible to take the National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) and to work as a Registered Nurse (RN). The course of study requires sixty-eight credits in total: thirty credits of general education coursework and thirty-eight credits of nursing coursework and clinical rotations. The program begins in the fall only, and includes one summer semester.

Associate in Applied Science, Major in Nursing – LPN Advanced Placement Option

A graduate of a practical nursing program can enter the ADN program with advanced standing. If the LPN completes anatomy and physiology I and II, contemporary math, general psychology, human growth and development, and English composition (the general education classes that are required in the first year of the traditional ADN program), and successfully completes a nursing transition course, he can skip the ADN program’s first year of nursing courses. He will receive fifteen advanced placement credits, and will begin with the upper-level coursework of the ADN program. The nursing transition class is offered in the spring only, so he must begin then. After completing this class, he then transitions into the summer semester of the ADN program and graduates the following spring.

Certificate in Health Science, Major in Nursing Assistant

Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College offers the Certificate in Health Science, Major in Nursing Assistant program each spring and each fall. The class includes both classroom instruction and hands-on experience in a long-term care facility. The curriculum consists of three classes, worth eight credits all together. Upon graduation, a student will receive a certificate and be eligible to take the competency exam for state certification as a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).

Contact:
Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College
3250 St. Matthews Road,
Orangeburg, SC 29118