Black Hawk College Nursing Program Review

On its two main campuses in Moline and Galva (5 miles from Kewanee), as well as at six satellite locations, Black Hawk College (BHC) offers associate degrees and certificates to over 20,000 students. The available programs are mainly professional programs, geared toward career development, but the school does offer liberal arts degrees as well.

Black Hawk College devotes a substantial amount of resources to its health sciences programs, recognizing healthcare as a field that is rapidly expanding and growing. Among the available heath sciences programs are two programs that train nurses and one program that trains nurse assistants.

Basic Nurse Assistant Training Program Certificate

The quickest way into the nursing field is through a Basic Nurse Assistant Training Program like the one at Black Hawk College. The program, which is available in both the fall and the spring, takes only eight weeks to complete, and teaches students the basics of caring for patients. Students in the program receive eighty hours of classroom instruction and forty hours of clinical practice. At the conclusion of the program, they are eligible to take the credentialing exam for Certified Nurse Assistants (CNA) and become licensed to work in Illinois.

Practical Nursing Certificate

The Practical Nursing Certificate program is designed for students who wish to begin working in an entry-level position in the nursing field in as short a time as possible. The program consists of at least forty credit hours total. Depending on a student’s math score on the COMPASS exam, an additional math course may be required. A prospective student must spend one semester fulfilling prerequisites in math (if necessary), English/Composition, and Anatomy/Physiology. After the semester of prerequisites, he spends two semesters on nursing courses. At the end of the three semesters of coursework, he is eligible to take the National Council Licensing Exam for Practical Nurses (NCLEX_PN) and begin working as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).

Nursing Associate Degree

Through the Nursing Associate Degree (ADN) program, students prepare for careers as Registered Nurses (RN). As RNs hold more responsibility than LPNs, the required training through the ADN program is more intense than the training provided through the Practical Nursing Certificate program. A student in the ADN program must complete seventy-two credit hours. Before beginning the program, she must take a psychology course. Throughout the next four semesters, she continues to take general education/liberal arts courses in addition to her nursing courses. After earning her ADN, she is eligible to take the National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX_RN). The ADN program at Black Hawk College is accredited by the Nursing Accrediting Commission as well as the Illinois Department of Finance and Professional Regulation.

Nursing Associate Degree – LPN Track

If, after earning a certificate in practical nursing, an LPN wishes to advance from an LPN position to an RN position, he can enroll in the LPN track of the ADN program. After taking the prerequisite course in psychology, he can enroll in a transition course for LPNs. If he successfully passes this course, he receives 10 credit hours and is eligible to skip the first semester of nursing courses (but not the liberal arts courses). He then completes the remainder of the ADN program with the traditional ADN students.

Contact:
Black Hawk College
6600 34^th Avenue
Moline, IL 61265

[wpgmza id=”368″]