Harry S. Truman College Nursing Program Review

Harry S. Truman College offers work-training certificates, associate degree programs, and pre-baccalaureate degree programs to residents of Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. The college is part of the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC), and separately from this affiliation, is also accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Among its program offerings is an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree, with two different entry tracks, as well as a nurse assistant training program. The nursing program is accredited by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.

Basic Nurse Assistant Training Program

Harry S Truman College, as well as the other City Colleges of Chicago (Harold Washington, Kennedy-King, Malcolm X, Olive-Harvey, Richard J. Daley, and Wilbur Wright) has a Basic Nurse Assistant (BNA) training program. Graduates of this one-semester program are eligible to take the Illinois licensing exam and work as BNAs in the state. The course of study includes both classroom instruction and clinical practice, and is ten credit hours total.

Associate of Applied Science in Nursing

Harry S. Truman College’s Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (AAS in Nursing) program is a two-year course of study, consisting of seventy credit hours total. Before beginning the program, applicants must apply to the City Colleges of Chicago. At any one of the seven City Colleges of Chicago, prospective nurses can fulfill the four prerequisite classes in biology, chemistry, English, and math. Applicants must also take the ATI Test for Essential Academic Skills, and score at least 60 percent. After completing all this, prospective nursing students then apply to the nursing program. They may list Harry S. Truman College as their first choice, but there is no guarantee that they will be able to take classes on Harry S Truman College’s campus.

The City Colleges of Chicago nursing program is also offered at Daley College and Malcolm X College, and students may need to commute there for classes. Once accepted, the program consists of four semesters of nursing classes, along with a few other general education classes. Students receive classroom instruction and travel to nearby hospitals and clinics to get hands-on experience in the nursing field. Graduates of the AAS in Nursing program are eligible to take the National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX_RN). If successful, they may begin working immediately as Registered Nurses (RN) or may enter an RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at another college or university.

Associate of Applied Science in Nursing – LPN to RN

A Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) can advance in the field of nursing by earning a full associate degree, passing the NCLEX_RN, and getting a job as an RN. Harry S. Truman College offers a special bridge for LPNs who wish to make this transition. Incoming LPNs must complete seven prerequisite classes (as opposed to the four prerequisite classes that traditional AAS in Nursing students must take). These classes include three in biology, one in chemistry, one in English, one in math, and one in microbiology.

Once they have completed prerequisites and been accepted to the AAS in Nursing program, LPNs take a bridge course over the summer semester. After that, they only need two semesters to complete the program. They begin at once with the upper-level nursing and general education courses, completing the second year of the AAS in Nursing program along with the traditional AAS in Nursing students. At the conclusion of the program, they are eligible to take the NCLEX_RN and seek work as RNs.

Contact:
Harry S. Truman College
1145 West Wilson Avenue
Chicago, IL 60640

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