Coe College Nursing Program Review

Since its foundation in 1851, Coe College (CC) in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa has been coeducational. The school serves approximately 1300 undergraduate students, giving all of them a firm foundation in the liberal arts. In addition to liberal arts classes, students also have the option of pursuing an education in business, science, and healthcare.

For students who wish to enter the rapidly expanding healthcare field, Coe College offers pre-professional programs that prepare students for graduate school in the healthcare field, as well as an undergraduate nursing program that prepares students for direct entry into the healthcare field. The nursing program also offers an advanced placement track for nurses who wish to continue their education. Coe College’s nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and approved by the Iowa State Board of Nursing.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Like all students at Coe College, students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program must complete a strong liberal arts core. The majority of the first two years in this four-year program are devoted to liberal arts classes and nursing support classes. While BSN students take introductory nursing classes starting in their very first semester, they don’t apply to the nursing program until the end of their third semester. If accepted into the BSN program, the fifth semester marks the start of intensive nursing coursework and clinical rotations. The nursing coursework takes four semesters to complete. After earning a BSN degree, a graduate is eligible to take the National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Successful completion of this test enables him to begin his career as a Registered Nurse (RN).

Bachelor of Science in Nursing – RN Advanced Placement Program

Each fall and each spring, Coe College accepts students for its RN Advanced Placement BSN Program. The program is designed, in keeping with the Iowa Articulation plan for RNs, to accommodate RNs who are graduates of associate degree programs or diploma programs. Before enrolling in the program, an RN must complete the following prerequisites: organic chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, introductory sociology, introductory psychology, English composition, and English or a different humanities course. If the RN graduated from an associate degree or diploma program in Iowa, she may immediately begin the upper-level nursing courses once any missing prerequisites are complete.

A student who attended a school outside of Iowa may need to complete the Regents Exam in order to prove that she has the nursing skills required to skip the lower-level nursing courses. At a minimum, an RN in the Advanced Placement BSN program must take seven nursing courses and a statistics course in order to graduate with a BSN degree. Depending on her previous coursework, she may need to complete general education classes in addition to the nursing coursework. At the completion of the program, she will receive a BSN degree, and be prepared to go on to graduate-level nursing coursework at a different college, if she wishes.

Contact:
Coe College
1220 First Ave. NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402

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