Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Nursing Program Review

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (RCCC) is a large institution in Rowan and Cabarrus Counties. About 22,000 students are enrolled at this college that is part of the North Carolina Community College System. There are diploma, certificate, and associate degree programs offered at the college, and a significant number of students transfer to four-year colleges and universities after graduating from Rowan-Cabarrus. There are six different sites where branches of the college are located.

Nursing Programs

Practical Nursing

A practical nursing program is offered at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College that prepares graduates to take the NCLEX-PN exam that is required to work as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). The program prepares LPNs to work in many different healthcare facilities, especially long-term care, home health agencies, nursing homes, hospitals, clinics, and others. It takes three semesters to complete this program, and students earn 44 credits in this time. The curriculum is convenient for working students since courses and clinical rotations may be scheduled during the daytime, evenings, or weekends. Those enrolled in the program must maintain a minimum grade of C in all of their coursework.

Admission to the Practical Nursing program is competitive and only 30 students are admitted each year. A selective point system is used to choose applicants for the program based on results of the TEAS pre-nursing exam that indicates an applicant’s academic readiness to complete the program. Half of the applicant’s points come from the result of the TEAS and the other half is dependent on the applicant’s high school or college grades and classes completed, residency of the applicant, and work experience. Graduates from the program receive a diploma.

Associate in Arts Pre-Major Nursing

Students who plan to transfer to a four-year program after graduating with an associate degree may enroll in this program. After the two year program is completed, a student may transfer to the four-year program and begin completing junior-level courses in nursing.

Associate Degree Nursing

The college’s Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) is a two-year program that prepares students to enter the workforce as entry-level Registered Nurses (RNs). A student may take the NCLEX-RN national certification exam that leads to licensure as a Registered Nurse after completing the program. The graduate RN has many opportunities to work in hospitals, clinics, schools, industrial sites, and other healthcare facilities. Some graduates continue their education by completing their bachelor’s degree at one of the institutions that works in collaboration with Rowan-Cabarrus by accepting students who graduate from the community college.

The ADN program accepts 60 students into the day program and 20 students for the evening program. The admission process is selective and is based on a point system that analyzes the results of the TEAS exam and the applicant’s work experience, academic work, and residency in either Rowan or Cabarrus Counties. Applicants must also attend an information session about the program and must have completed biology and chemistry in high school or on the college level. The applicant must also demonstrate computer literacy. Additionally, students must be currently listed on the Nurse Aide I Registry as a Nurse Aid, according to North Carolina guidelines. Those not accepted into the program may be placed on an alternate list. If an opening occurs in the nursing program, an applicant from the alternate list is chosen.

Contact:
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College
1333 Jake Alexander Blvd. South,
Salisbury, NC 28146
(704) 637-0760