West Georgia Technical College Nursing Program Review

In 2008, West Georgia Technical College (WGTC) came into existence as a result of a merger of West Central Technical College and West Georgia Technical College. The new college is the second biggest technical college in the state, and serves students in the counties of Carroll, Coweta, Douglas, Haralson, Heard, Meriwether, and Troup.

The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has approved West Georgia Technical College to confer associate degrees, as well as diplomas and certificates. The college offers over 110 different programs, all geared toward meeting the needs of businesses and preparing students to work in a changing economic climate. Since healthcare is a rapidly expanding and changing field, health science is an area of focus for West Georgia Technical College, which offers fourteen different areas of study in the healthcare field. As part of its large School of Health Sciences, West Georgia Technical College offers two different tracks for prospective nurses. Here is a review of the two available programs:

Practical Nursing Diploma

The Practical Nursing Diploma program at West Georgia Technical College prepares students to take the National Council Licensing Exam for Practical Nurses (NCLEX_PN) and work as Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN). In order to prepare students for the exam and the work, the Practical Nursing Diploma program requires students to complete fifty-nine credits of nursing coursework, on top of six prerequisite classes that must be completed before even starting the program. Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 in all prerequisite classes in order to be considered in the program’s competitive admission process. Clinical rotations are a key component of the program, allowing the students to get hands-on experience. The program boasts a 98-percent job placement rate, and is approved by the Georgia Board of Licensed Practical Nurses.

Associate of Science in Nursing

The Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) degree requires a larger time commitment from students, but it opens up more career opportunities than a Practical Nursing Diploma. At the end of the ASN program, a graduate is eligible to take the National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX_RN) and work in a variety of healthcare settings, from acute-care facilities to long-term care facilities to patients’ homes to schools. In order to prepare for this career, prospective ASN students must complete five prerequisite classes in English, math, sciences, and psychology, before applying to the ASN program. Admission to the program is competitive, and is separate from admission to West Georgia Technical College. Students must score 85 percent on the National League for Nursing Pre-RN Admission Entrance Exam, and show a GPA of 3.0 in all prerequisite classes. If accepted to the program, they must complete seventy-five credit hours to be eligible for graduation. In addition to core classes and science classes and computer classes, students study adult nursing and parent-child nursing. The ASN program at West Georgia Technical College is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission and approved by the Georgia Board of Nursing.

Contact:
West Georgia Technical College

176 Murphy Campus Blvd.

Waco, GA 30182

[wpgmza id=”245″]