Nursing, A.A.S.
Major Code: 0622The Department of Nursing is dedicated to fostering the development of intentional learners who are well-prepared to transition into professional practice as integral members of interdisciplinary healthcare teams. Through a dynamic, experiential education, the nursing program equips students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to provide safe, high-quality care across diverse populations, cultures, and the health/wellness continuum. Rooted in a commitment to student-centered learning, diversity, and sustainability, the program promotes academic excellence, holistic growth, and hands-on clinical experiences that prepare graduates to meet the ever-evolving healthcare needs of their communities. Nursing faculty serve as collaborative partners with students and healthcare agencies, ensuring that graduates are ready to contribute meaningfully to the nursing workforce. Upon completion of the program, students earn an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree and are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), empowering them to embark on impactful careers dedicated to enhancing health and well-being.
The program is accredited by:
The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, Georgia 30326
(404-975-5000), www.acenursing.org
The State Education Department Division of Professional Education
89 Washington Avenue, 2nd Floor
West Wing, Albany, NY 12234
(518)-486-2967, OPPROGS@nysed.gov
Career Opportunities
The Nursing program prepares the graduates for careers in a variety of settings such as: acute care hospitals, long term care facilities, home care, community-based agencies, and rehabilitative facilities. Candidates for licensure must meet all requirements as determined by the State Education Department. In addition to meeting the educational requirements for the NCLEX-RN; applicants must also answer questions establishing “good moral character”. Anyone who has been convicted of/and or charged with:
- felony
- misdemeanor professional misconduct
- unprofessional conduct and/or
- negligence, in any state or country, may experience problems or delays with the licensing process
Inquiries should be directed to the Division of Professional Licensing Services, Offices of the Professions, New York State Education Department (www.nysed.gov/nurse.htm).
The application fees for licensure, due at the time of application (NURS 250 Multiple Common Complex Probs) are approximately a total of $375 payable to the testing vendor and State Education Department.
Transfer and Non-Traditional Students
Transcripts will be evaluated on an individual basis. Transfer students are required to complete 30 credit hours at SUNY Morrisville for degree completion per college policy.
Students enrolled in the nursing program may repeat one required core nursing course once (1 time) only for the entire curriculum. Repeats include instances of dropping/withdrawing/failing. When a student fails to complete any/all course(s) required to progress to the next semester, they will not be scheduled for the nursing sequence until documentation of completion has been received and approved. Following approval, scheduling will occur on a space available basis. This may delay the student’s time to degree completion.
Students enrolled in the nursing program may repeat one required core nursing course once (1 time) only for the entire curriculum. Repeats include instances of dropping/withdrawing/failing. When a student fails to complete any/all course(s) required to progress to the next semester, they will not be scheduled for the nursing sequence until documentation of completion has been received and approved. Following approval, scheduling will occur on a space available basis. This may delay the student’s time to degree completion.
Readmission to the program is on a “space available” basis. Students wishing to retake NURS120 will be ranked with applicants for the incoming class. A student seeking readmission will be required to meet with their advisor to develop and submit a Nursing Student Success plan. This plan will identify the barriers they faced and measures that will be taken to improve performance in the program.
Program Entrance Requirements
- Minimum Regents score 75 in Biology
- Minimum HS average B (80) in Biology
- Minimum HS GPA of 85
- Minimum GPA: 2.75 for transfer students
- Completion of MAGN 101 Elementary Algebra or MAGN 107 Mathematical Literacy with a grade of C or better or placement in MATH 102 Intermediate Algebra w Trig
- TEAS test with a minimum composite score of 62 (maximum 2 attempts per year)
Students who do not meet the admission requirements for the Nursing program may be admitted to the Individual Studies curriculum. A minimum cumulative average of 2.75 is required for admission to Nursing.
Health Requirements
All health clearance requirements must be on file at the Student Health Center three weeks prior to the start of the semester.
- Annual physical examination
- QuantiFeron Gold test or 2 step Mantoux (PPD) Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) prior to the start of clinical , then PPD updated annually.
- Annual Influenza vaccination
- 2 MMR’s or Titers
- Rubella Titer
- Chicken Pox (documented history of disease, vaccination and or a varicella titer)
- Hepatitis B Vaccine or signed waiver
- Meningitis Vaccine or signed waiver
- Tetanus/diphtheria
- Current certification in CPR – Basic Life Support (BLS) for Health Care Providers through the American Heart Association is required and must be maintained for the clinical components of all nursing courses. Certification must be obtained prior to enrollment in any clinical course. CPR is offered on campus in the Fall semester each year
- Proof of health insurance
Nursing students are to adhere to the same public health laws and facility regulations as employees. Students must meet the facility health requirements and have the ability to meet clinical outcomes with or without reasonable accommodations. Students must demonstrate:
- The strength and manual dexterity to perform in all laboratory and clinical settings and to maintain the safety of clients without posing a threat to himself/herself.
- The visual, hearing and speech skills requisite to client assessment and professional performance including reading, recording client information, performing auscultatory exams, and performing all other diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
Students with a suspected or documented allergy/latex hypersensitivity are responsible for being tested prior to entering the program. The test results and a written plan of accommodation/treatment signed by a licensed health care provider must accompany the annual physical examination.
Background Checks
Students enrolled in the nursing program must conform to the rules, policies, and procedures of the clinical affiliates to participate in practical experiences, which may include background checks. The cost of the background check will be the responsibility of the student. Failure to consent to and submit the appropriate background screening findings will prohibit the student from continuing in the nursing program.
Additional Expenses
The following are approximate additional expenses: uniforms/special equipment
- Laboratory fees range from $16-60 per semester.
- Lab Kits: Required for NURS 120 Fundamentals of Nursing and NURS 150 Care of Common Health Problems. Approximate total $300.
- Achievement tests approximately $275/ semester (this includes the cost for NCLEX-RN review materials).
- Course fees are approximately $120 per semester.
Program Outcomes
- Eighty percent (80%) of the graduates of the first time test takers and repeaters will meet or exceed the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX-RN).
- Ninety percent (90%) of the program graduates will be employed in nursing and/or will be enrolled in a baccalaureate program within nine (9) months of graduation.
- Fifty percent (50%) of students will complete the program on time within two (2) years of matriculation into the nursing programs.
Graduation Requirements
All AAS programs require a minimum of 60 credit hours including 20 credit hours from Liberal Arts and Science courses. To fulfill these requirements along with the required courses for this program, 64 credits are required for this program. These requirements are fulfilled in the curriculum list of courses for this program.
GPA: Overall GPA of 2.00 or higher. A student must maintain a 2.0 grade point average to remain in good standing. To progress to the next sequential nursing course, a student must achieve a minimum grade of C+ in each nursing course, a minimum of a C+ in the anatomy and physiology courses, and a minimum of a C- in the microbiology course. A mathematics course is required and all nursing courses (through NURS 250 Multiple Common Complex Probs) require that each student pass mandatory medication mathematics proficiency exams.
Program Learning Outcomes
The curriculum is compatible with the philosophy and conceptual framework of the Division of Nursing and provides educational experiences that prepare a graduate to:
- Advocate for the patient and their families to promote a partnership in providing compassionate and coordinated care based on respect for patient’s preferences, values, and needs.
- Conduct self in a way that reflects integrity, responsibility, and ethical practices necessary to function effectively within nursing and interdisciplinary teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect and shared decision-making to achieve safe and quality patient care.
- Use their clinical reasoning ability to integrate nursing science in the provision of safe and quality care necessary to minimize risk of harm to patients, family, and providers.
- Integrate best current evidence with clinical expertise based on the patient and family’s values and preferences for delivery of optimal healthcare.
- Examine the evidence that supports clinical practice and question underlying assumptions necessary to improve the quality and safety of health care systems.
- Make judgements in practice based on information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision-making.
SUNY General Education Requirements: All SUNY Morrisville AAS degree programs require completion of at least 20 credits of SUNY GE, a minimum of four (out of ten) knowledge and skills areas (including the four required knowledge and skills areas as indicated below), and completion of the two core competencies. The specific courses required within each knowledge and skills area/core competency for this degree program are outlined below.
Knowledge and Skills Areas:
| Field Name | Field Value |
|---|---|
| Communication Written & Oral | COMM 105 |
| Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (required) | as advised |
| Mathematics (and Quantitative Reasoning) (required) | as advised |
| Natural Sciences (and Scientific Reasoning) (required) | BIOL 150, BIOL 151, and BIOL 285 |
| Humanities | as advised |
| Social Sciences | PSYC 101 and PSYC 211 |
| The Arts | as advised |
| US History and Civic Engagement | as advised |
| World History and Global Awareness | as advised |
| World Languages | as advised |
Core Competencies:
| Field Name | Field Value |
|---|---|
| Information Literacy (required) | as advised |
| Critical Thinking and Reasoning (required) | as advised |
Curriculum Requirements
A minimum of 64 credits is required for degree completion.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NURS 120 | Fundamentals of Nursing | 7 |
| NURS 150 | Care of Common Health Problems | 10 |
| NURS 152 | Pharmacology I | 1 |
| NURS 210 | Care - Complex Health Problems | 8 |
| NURS 212 | Pharmacology II | 1 |
| NURS 250 | Multiple Common Complex Probs | 8 |
| NURS 251 | NCLEX Success Entry Prof Nurs | 1 |
| NURS 252 | Pharmacology III | 1 |
| BIOL 150 | Human Anatomy + Physiology I | 4 |
| BIOL 151 | Human Anatomy + Physiology II | 4 |
| BIOL 285 | General Microbiology | 4 |
| COMM 105 | Research & Communication | 3 |
| SUNY General Education Mathematics (and Quantitative Reasoning) as Advised | 3 | |
| PSYC 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 211 | Lifespan Development | 3 |
| SUNY General Education Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice as Advised | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 64 | |
Sample Course Sequence
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| NURS 120 | Fundamentals of Nursing | 7 |
| BIOL 150 | Human Anatomy + Physiology I | 4 |
| PSYC 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| SUNY General Education Mathematics (and Quantitative Reasoning) as Advised | 3 | |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| NURS 150 | Care of Common Health Problems | 10 |
| NURS 152 | Pharmacology I | 1 |
| BIOL 151 | Human Anatomy + Physiology II | 4 |
| PSYC 211 | Lifespan Development | 3 |
| Credits | 18 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| NURS 210 | Care - Complex Health Problems | 8 |
| NURS 212 | Pharmacology II | 1 |
| BIOL 285 | General Microbiology | 4 |
| COMM 105 | Research & Communication | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| NURS 250 | Multiple Common Complex Probs | 8 |
| NURS 251 | NCLEX Success Entry Prof Nurs | 1 |
| NURS 252 | Pharmacology III | 1 |
| SUNY General Education Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice as Advised | 3 | |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Total Credits | 64 | |