Central Texas College Nursing Program Review

Central Texas College (CTC) began in 1967 as a community college to serve an 11 county area, in addition to Fort Hood and the correctional facilities in Gatesville. It began programs on-site at Fort Hood in 1970, and in 1974 expanded overseas to Europe. The success of these moves led to greater expansion to military personnel around the world in 1976 and again in 1980.

CTC also pioneered broadcasting telecourses to students in 1970, and moved into videoconferencing in the 1990s. In 1998, CTC offered its first online course, and continues to expand its online offerings today.

The college has administrative areas that are called campuses. Three of these, Central (main), Fort Hood, and Service Area (other Texas locations), are in Texas. The remaining campuses, Continental, Europe, Navy, and Pacific Far East, are located throughout the world.

CTC enrolls over 50,000 civilians, military personnel, and incarcerated students in degree, certificate, and training programs.

Nursing Programs

Nursing Associate Degree (ADN)

This program provides the instruction and clinical practice needed for students to become ready to practice in various healthcare settings. It is two years long, and admits students in the fall and spring semesters. Graduates of the program earn an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree, and are allowed to sit for the Registered Nurse (RN) licensing exam (NCLEX).

To apply to the ADN program, students must first be admitted to CTC. After being admitted to the college they should complete the prerequisites for the program, which are Introduction to Nursing, Anatomy and Physiology I, General Biology, and Composition I. They must earn a grade of C or higher in these classes. Students may also complete Pharmacology, lab science courses, and other non-nursing degree courses during this time if they wish.

Students may apply to the ADN program by submitting transcripts for all colleges attended previously, completing the HESI A2 admission assessment exam, completing the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) exam, having a GPA of at least 2.5, schedule an appointment at CTC for degree counseling, and scheduling a mandatory Small Group Interview Meeting.

Students admitted into the program must be up to date on their immunizations, be certified in CPR, and have a negative background check and a negative drug screen.

The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission has accredited this program, and it is approved by the Texas Board of Nursing.

Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) Transition

This program is for LVNs who wish to earn an AAS degree in nursing and become RNs. It takes three semesters to complete after all prerequisites are met, and students may enter in the fall or spring semesters.

Students must meet the requirements listed above for the ADN program. They must also hold a current LVN license, have one year of full time or two years of part time work experience as a nurse, and provide work references. The experience requirement may be waived if students graduated from an accredited LVN program with at least a B average, have a current license, have a letter from the director of their LVN program recommending a waiver, and have completed all LVN Transition prerequisites.

The prerequisite courses for this program are Anatomy and Physiology I and II, General Biology I, Composition I, General Psychology and Microbiology.

Once admitted into the program, students will take Transition from Vocational to Professional Nursing and Clinical Nursing – LVN Transition. After completing these two classes, students will receive 16 credit hours for prior nursing coursework.

Paramedic to ADN

This program admits students once a year in the spring. Students will earn an AAS degree after three semesters of study, not including prerequisites.

To be eligible to apply to this program, students must have been employed full time in the past year or part time in the past two years as a Paramedic. They will need to submit two work references, including one from their current supervisor. Students will also need to meet the requirements listed above for the ADN program.

The prerequisites for this program are Anatomy and Physiology I and II, General Biology I, Composition I, General Psychology, Microbiology and Pharmacology.

Once admitted to the program, students will take Concepts of Nursing Practice I for Articulating Students, and Clinical Nursing for Articulating Students. Once these are complete, they will receive 8 credit hours for previous studies.

Vocational Nursing

This program is a 12 month certificate program that prepares students to be licensed as an LVN, and begin practicing entry-level nursing. Classes are offered at Central Campus, and clinical locations are in the surrounding areas. Students are admitted into the program in the fall and spring semesters.

To apply to the program, students will need to submit transcripts from high school or the equivalent, and any colleges attended. They will also need to complete the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) exam, or if exempt, the THEA (TASP), ASSET, ACT Accuplacer, or COMPASS. They also need to take the HESI admission exam, and attend a small group meeting with the Nursing Coordinator.

Certified Nurse Aide

This is a program that takes about four months to complete, and includes evenings and weekends. Students will take 64 hours of classes and 24 hours of clinical time to earn a Certificate of Completion. They will then be allowed to take the state certification exam.

To be admitted, students must be high school graduates or equivalent, be current on immunizations, submit two references, and complete a background check.

Emergency Medical Technology Program

This program of study is under the Department of Nursing, and offers students the chance to earn an AAS degree. This is a two year, six semester, 69 credit hour course of study.

After finishing the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Basic and Clinical courses during the first semester of the program, students are able to take the certification exam to become an EMT Basic.

Students that continue on with the program are eligible for the EMT Advanced certification exam after completing Introduction to Advanced Practice, Trauma Management, Patient Assessment and Airway Management, and the EMT Practicum.

Students may take the certification exam for Paramedics after continuing the program and completing Cardiology, Medical Emergencies, Special Populations, Assessment Based Management, EMS Operations, and two more EMT Practicum.

Those that would like to become Paramedics without earning their AAS degree may follow the curriculum for the EMT Certificate of Completion, which takes four semesters and 33 credit hours to complete. They may also take selected parts of the curriculum to obtain the classes needed to become certified as EMT Basic or EMT Advanced.

To apply to the program, students must have completed a CPR course within the last year, submit a copy of high school, GED, or college transcripts, take the HESI admission exam, document their TSI status, have up to date immunizations, have a physical exam within the last six months, and pass a drug screening and background investigation.

Contact:
Central Texas College
P.O. Box 1800,
Killeen, TX 76540-1800