Fall 2023 - The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the Associate Degree nursing program is Continuing Accreditation
Nursing combines science and the art of working with people. Nurses are integrally involved in the lives of their clients, helping them to maximize their health and cope with illness. Nurses perform multiple roles in the care of their clients. Not only do they provide hands-on care, they also act as educators, counselors, coordinators and conciliators. Using scientific knowledge and technical skills, nurses continually assess the physical, emotional and social status of their clients. Nurses work with clients and their families to devise plans of care for each situation. As they continually monitor client progress, they make important decisions about appropriate methods to deal with problems.
Nursing offers diversity in roles and settings, a wide range of career paths, employment opportunities and competitive salaries. People are attracted to nursing by the focus on caring, flexibility of working schedules and challenges to excel within the profession. RNs are employed in hospitals, nursing homes, home care, clinics, health centers, physicians’ offices and the military. BCC’s nursing program is a sequence of lecture, skills, laboratory and clinical courses. Graduates are eligible to take the licensing examination to become registered nurses (RNs).
Good Moral Character
Good Moral Character (GMC)
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 112, sections 74, 74A, and 76 require you to provide specific documentation for GMC evaluation if you answer yes to questions related to criminal or disciplinary history.
GMC also requires your consent, at the time of application submission, for a background check to be conducted by the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) database. If there is a supported finding by DCF, you will be required to provide additional documentation related to those findings.
Effective Monday, December 4, 2023, all applicants for nursing licensure and advanced practice authorization will be required to have a Massachusetts criminal history background check completed before becoming licensed or issued an Authorization to Test for the NCLEX. CORI forms will now be part of the online application and must be completed. Checks of the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry will also be conducted prior to licensure. This check does not require any additional documentation to be completed.
See Licensure Policy 00-01 (PDF) | (DOCX) for the Board’s policy on Determination of Good Moral Character Compliance.
See Licensure Policy 17-01 (PDF) | (DOCX) Board Delegation to Board Staff to make Final Determination of GMC Compliance
Frequently asked questions and other important information is found in the Good Moral Character Information Sheet (PDF) | (DOC).
ADN Info-Sessions
Please head to www.berkshirecc.edu/nursinginfo to sign up for an ADN information session.
Essential Functions
Berkshire Community College seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for people with disabilities. Therefore, to the extent practicable, the College will endeavor to make a reasonable academic adjustment for an applicant with a disability who is otherwise qualified.
The Essential Functions of a student enrolled in the Nursing program requires that the student, with or without reasonable accommodations, must be able to:
Body Mechanics/Endurance:
- Demonstrate the ability to perform essential functions for a maximum of a 12-hour shift.
- Demonstrate the ability to protect a patient when the patient is standing and ambulating on all surfaces with or without the use of assistive devices, including canes, crutches and walkers.
- Demonstrate the ability to safely move a patient over 100 pounds from one surface to another using the appropriate level of help.
- Demonstrate safe body mechanics in the process of all patient treatments, including lifting and carrying small equipment (under 50 pounds) and moving large equipment (over 50 pounds).
- Sustain repetitive movements
- Move at a pace that will allow the student to answer a patient’s emergency needs
- Defend self against combative patient
Gross/Fine Motor Skills:
- Sit and stand maintaining balance
- Demonstrate the ability to perform occasional overhead extension.
- Reach below waist
- Demonstrate the ability to manipulate dials on equipment.
- Demonstrate the ability to coordinate simultaneous motions.
Sensory Perception:
- Demonstrate the ability to hear blood pressure, heart and lung sounds with or without corrective devices.
- Demonstrate the ability to palpate soft tissue including pulse, muscle and bones.
- Distinguish color changes.
- Detect an unsafe environment and carry out appropriate emergency procedures including
- Detecting subtle environmental changes and odors including but not limited to the smell of burning electrical equipment, smoke and spills.
- Detect high and low frequency sounds, including but not limited to alarms, bells, and emergency signals.
Psychosocial Adaptation:
- Displays mental and emotional flexibility to change.
- Demonstrates ability to establish and maintain effective professional relationships with others.
- Communicate effectively, safely and efficiently in English by:
- Explaining procedures
- Receiving information from others
- Receiving information from written documents
- Exhibiting appropriate interpersonal skill (refer to ANA Code for Nurses)
- Analyzing and documenting assessment findings and interventions
These are the Essential Functions of the Associate Degree and Practical Nursing Program. If there are any reasons why you may not be able to perform these functions with or without reasonable accommodations, you should notify the Program Director as soon as possible.
General Admission Requirements
The student’s overall GPA, success in science courses, the number of additional required courses completed, and the completion of additional college degrees are considered and do influence the admission decision. Admission specific criteria are as follows:
- Submit official transcript(s) from high school or high school equivalency, previous colleges or post-secondary schools attended.
- International transcripts will only be accepted for consideration if they have been translated and evaluated by a foreign credential evaluation service provider. BCC recommends World Education Services - www.wes.org.
- Math: ACCUPLACER Next Generation QAS score of 262 or greater OR successful completion of MAT-029, MAT-029C, or MAT-136 or higher (with a minimum grade of C). (MAT-123 Statistics recommended for transfer);
- Support Courses: Completing a minimum of 10 credits of college-level ADN support courses including BIO 201.
- Students who have not completed BIO-201, BIO-202, and BIO-207 prior to January 1, 2018, will be required to earn a grade of C+ (77) or better in these courses to be eligible for admission to the ADN program. Courses taken prior to January 1, 2018 require a C (73 or better). These three science courses, (BIO-201, BIO-202, and BIO-207), must be completed within seven years of entry into the program. (A science refresher class will be offered in the summer, beginning in 2022, for students who have expired A&P or Microbiology classes. The refresher will include a comprehensive exam for that class. A student may take the refresher and if they pass the exam with a C+ or better, will not have to repeat the expired course. This refresher class will be good for three years.)
- Attend a Mandatory Nursing Information Session. Register online at www.berkshirecc.edu/nursinginfo.
Students who have met all the general admissions requirements must apply by Feb1st to be considered for the fall semester and September 1st for the spring semester. Students must submit an application to the college and a Nursing Program Matriculation form (please choose Spring or Fall at the bottom of the page linked). All students are notified of admission decisions by general postal mail. Accepted students may defer one time for a one year period.
Admissions into the nursing program are based on space availability and follow a competitive process.
Please refer to the Admission Policy for more details.
Determining Acceptance to the ADN Program
Each spring, a maximum of 56 students are conditionally admitted to the program. A Selective Admission Rubric is used, following non-discriminatory practice, for admission into the ADN program. The rubric does not contain any identifying student characteristics besides the student BCC ID number. Applicants with the highest scores are accepted in rank order.
The following components are the basis of ranking:
- Program GPA – Students are awarded points for GPA to the hundredth decimal point (e.g., GPA of 3.14 = 3.14 points, GPA of 3.27 = 3.27 points). The GPA is calculated only on courses required for the program.
- Science courses and general education course according to the Selective Admissions Rubric.
- Completion of a minimum of 10 credits of college-level ADN support courses (science and general education courses) prior to submitting the ADN matriculation form. Science (A&P I and II, and Microbiology) must be completed within seven years of admittance to the program.
- Other degrees: A student who possesses a(n) Associate Degree, Bachelor Degree, Master’s Degree, and/or Doctorate will be awarded a maximum of one point, regardless of the number of degrees held.
- Students will be awarded 2 points for classes that are successfully passed through AP exams or CLEP.
Space Available List:
If a top-ranked student, offered admission into the program, decides to defer or decline admission, an alternate list (Space Available List), of the second tier of qualified students, is developed. Individuals on the Space Available List will be identified only by their BCC ID. To remain eligible, individuals on the Space Available List must continue to meet all eligibility requirements up until August 1st of the starting semester, at which time individuals on the space available list may be notified of their admission to the program. If not admitted, those students on the Space Available List must reapply to the pro- gram each year. Individuals on the list must ensure that their contact information is accurate and up-to-date at all times. Individuals, from the Space Available List, offered admission, will have up to three business days to respond to the offer.
BCC will not admit students concurrently into any two of the following degree or certificate programs: Physical Therapist Assistant, Respiratory Care, Practical Nursing Certificate, or Associate degree.
Mandatory Health Requirements - Immunization Policy
Check out the Immunization Policy.
End-of-Program Student Learning Outcomes EPSLOs
The end of program student learning outcomes (EPSLOs) for the BCC ADN nursing program are tied to the Nurse of the Future Nursing Core Competencies (NOFNCC). The course student learning outcomes are designed to determine student achievement of specific NOFNCC competencies at each course level by the end of the program.
By the end of the Associate Degree nursing program, graduates are able to:
- Provide holistic care that recognizes an individual’s preferences, values and needs and respects the patient or designee as a full partner in providing compassionate, coordinated, age and culturally appropriate, safe and effective care (Patient-Centered Care)
- Demonstrate accountability for the delivery of standard- based nursing care that is consistent with moral, altruistic, legal, ethical, regulatory, and humanistic principles (Professionalism);
- Interact with individuals or groups of individuals within their environment in a way that will facilitate the establishment and acquisition/achievement of shared goals (Leadership);
- Demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context of the health care system, and will demonstrate the ability to effectively call on work unit resources to provide care that is of optimal quality and value (Systems-Based Practice);
- Use advanced technology and to analyze as well as synthesize information and collaborate in order to make critical decisions that optimize patient outcomes (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, 2015) (Informatics and Technology);
- Interact effectively with patients, families, and colleagues, fostering mutual respect and shared decision making, to enhance patient satisfaction and health outcomes (Communication);
- Function effectively within nursing and interdisciplinary teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect, shared decision-making, team learning and development (QSEN, 2007) (Teamwork and Collaboration);
- Minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance (QSEN, 2007) (Safety);
- Use data to monitor the outcomes of care processes, and uses improvement methods to design and test changes to continuously improve the quality and safety of health care systems (Quality Improvement); and
- Evaluate the best current evidence coupled with clinical expertise and consideration of patients’ preferences, experience and values to make practice decisions (QSEN, 2007) (Evidence-Based Practice).
Program Outcomes
- NCLEX-RN Annual Pass Rate: 2023 – 91% for first time test takers
Annual Program Completion Rate at 150% of Usual Time MABORN: class of 2021-2023 (reported 2024) Cohort - 78%
Annual Program Completion Rate at 100% of Usual Time ACEN: graduates of 2024 - 70%
Number of graduates: 2024 - 54 students
For transfer credits, please see transfer policy for ADN program.
Graduation Requirements
To earn a degree in this program, a student must complete all program and general education credits, plus the following Additional Requirements.
Please refer to the Graduation Policy for more details.
Program Courses
| BIO-201 | Anatomy & Physiology I | 4 |
| BIO-202 | Anatomy & Physiology II | 4 |
| NUR-101 | Physical & Mental Health I | 9 |
| NUR-102 | Physical & Mental Health II | 8 |
| NUR-201 | Physical & Mental Health III | 9 |
| NUR-202 | Physical & Mental Health IV | 9 |
| NUR-206 | Nursing in Transition | 1 |
| PSY-107 | Introductory Psychology | 3 |
| PSY-204 | Human Growth & Development | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 50 |
General Education Courses
| SOC-105 | Introductory Sociology | 3 |
-
| General Education Elective | 3 |
-
| Microbiology | 4 |
ENG -
| English Composition | 6 |
COM-
| Communication | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 19 |
Communication: See footnote 2
English Composition/Writing: See footnote 3
Mathematics: See footnote 4
General Education Elective: See footnote 5
Health/Fitness: See footnote 6
Additional Requirements
| Core Competencies Portfolio |
4 items |
| FORUM |
4 units |
| Health/Fitness |
30 hours |
| Minimum Cumulative Average |
2.000 |
Minimum Percentage Grade
| Each NUR Course |
75% |
| All Other Courses** |
73% |
** Students who have not completed BIO-201, BIO-202, and BIO-207 prior to January 1, 2018, will be required to earn a grade of C+ (77) or better in these courses to be eligible for admission to the ADN program. Courses taken prior to January 1, 2018 require a C (73 or better). These three science courses, (BIO-201, BIO-202, BIO-207), must be completed within seven years of entry into the program. Any waivers to this provision require direct approval from the Interim Dean of Nursing (contact Admissions Office to begin waiver process).
Health/Fitness: See footnote 6
Suggested Pathway to Graduation
The following is a suggestion for completing this program in two years. The actual time needed to complete the program will vary according to each student’s individual needs.
First Semester
| BIO-201 | Anatomy & Physiology I | 4 |
| NUR-101 | Physical & Mental Health I | 9 |
| PSY-107 | Introductory Psychology | 3 |
ENG-
| English Composition/Writing | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 19 |
Second Semester
| BIO-202 | Anatomy & Physiology II | 4 |
| NUR-102 | Physical & Mental Health II | 8 |
| PSY-204 | Human Growth & Development | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Summer Session
Third Semester
| BIO-207 | Microbiology | 4 |
| NUR-201 | Physical & Mental Health III | 9 |
| SOC-105 | Introductory Sociology | 3 |
COM-
| Communication | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16-20 |
Fourth Semester
| NUR-202 | Physical & Mental Health IV | 9 |
| NUR-206 | Nursing in Transition | 1 |
ENG-
| English Composition/Writing | 3 |
-
| General Education Elective | 3 |
NUR-101 Physical & Mental Health I: See Footnote 1
Communication: See footnote 2
English Composition/Writing: See footnote 3
General Education Elective: See footnote 5
NUR-106 Bridge Course—LPN to RN (for LPNs only): See footnote 7
Educational Mobility: LPN to ADN
Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) who apply to BCC’s Associate in Science degree in Nursing program may challenge the first two nursing courses (NUR-101 and NUR-102) through a standardized theoretical test.
Applicants who pass the challenge examinations will receive 17 credits for NUR-101 and NUR-102 upon admission. In addition to meeting all other nursing admission standards, applicants must have licensure as a practical nurse in the state of Massachusetts through successful completion of the National Certification Licensing Exam (NCLEX) as a condition for provisional admission by the time of application deadline.
Students must enroll in NUR-201 within one year of taking the challenge exam. Enrollment requires the completion of a “bridge” course (NUR-106) during the summer or winter intercession prior to admission.
At a minimum, five (5) seats for the Spring semester are reserved for BCC Practical Nursing students who;
- recently graduate the prior summer;
- declare intention to transition by November 1st deadline into the LPN/ADN mobility pathway;
- have met all ADN admission requirements;
- have attended an Educational Mobility: LPN to ADN information session; and
- submitted the LPN/ADN matriculation form (at the bottom of the page, please complete the LPN/ADN matriculation form for either Fall or Spring). The deadline for the Spring admission is June 1st. The deadline for Fall admission is November 1st.
Please head to www.berkshirecc.edu/nursinginfo to sign up for the Educational Mobility: LPN to ADN information session.
Please refer to the Education Mobility Policy for more details.
Policies
Additional Policies:
Intention to Practice Outside of Massachusetts
Graduates from Berkshire Community College's Associate Degree Nursing or Practical Nursing programs are qualified to work in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts upon the successful completion of program and the attainment of the appropriate licensure.
Not all states have the same state-level requirements for licensure. If you intend to practice outside of Massachusetts and obtain a license in another state you are encouraged to review the NCSBN websitehttps://www.ncsbn.org/14730.htmfor eligibility. As an applicant to the BCC Nursing Programs, you are encouraged to discuss your ability for licensure and work in another state other than Massachusetts with the Dean of Nursing.
Notices and Disclosures
- Any prior criminal offense could hinder placement in clinical agencies. See Criminal Offender Record Information Checks for details. In the event that an applicant has ever been convicted by a court of law, or is convicted during his or her tenure in the Nursing program, she/he should be aware that she/he may be denied the right by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing to sit for the National Council Licensing Examination (NCLEX-RN) which leads to RN licensure upon graduation.
- Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, Georgia 30326.
Notes
Berkshire Community College seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for people with disabilities. Therefore, to the extent practicable, the College will endeavor to make a reasonable academic adjustment for an applicant with a disability who is otherwise qualified.
Footnotes
-
Students must have proof of current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Students are responsible for ensuring that their CPR certification is always current throughout the years in the program.
The following CPR courses are acceptable for meeting this requirement:
- American Heart Association: Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers (2-year certification)
- American Red Cross: Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (2-year certification)
- CPR must be for health care providers
- COM chosen from COM-104, COM-105, COM-106, or COM-107.
- English Composition/Writing chosen from ENG-101, ENG-102, ENG-103.
- Mathematics: Students must demonstrate competency at a level of ACCUPLACER Next Generation QAS score of 262 or greater OR successful completion of MAT-029, MAT-029C, or MAT-136 (with a minimum grade of C) or higher level prior to matriculation in the Nursing program. (MAT-123 Statistics recommended for transfer.)
- General Education Elective chosen from History or Humanities and Fine Arts. If a student wishes to take a course that is not listed, she/ he must first consult with the nursing program advisor.
- Fulfilled by successful completion of NUR-101.
- NUR-106, Bridge Course — LPN to RN, is a prerequisite for NUR-201 for all LPN mobility students and may be required for students re-entering into NUR-201.