Are you great at remembering fine details and solving difficult problems? A career in nursing could be right for you! The First year of our Nursing Program will train you for a position as a Practical Nurse. Nursing is the largest occupation in healthcare! You will learn the skills necessary to manage the physical and emotional care of patients through relationship-centered care. You’ll experience many healthcare settings from hospitals, to home health care, doctor’s offices, and nursing homes. Upon graduation, you’ll be prepared to demonstrate leadership in the field and sit for the national licensure examination (PN-NCLEX). Making a positive, long-lasting impact on the lives of others is what nursing is all about!

Contact Jade Stalcup at jstalcup@socc.edu for further application requirements or click here for forms and information. The Practical Nursing Certificate prepares graduates to become licensed as a Practical Nurse. Successful completion of three quarters qualifies students for meeting the academic requirements to take the PN-NCLEX exam for licensure in the state of Oregon. The license is transferable across the nation. Once admitted, the student is required to take all curriculum courses as they appear in the catalog or before. This is a restricted entry program, and students must submit a separate application along with their college admission application.

Southwestern Oregon Community College is an OCNE consortium school.

Entry Requirements

Acceptance into the Nursing Program. 

Graduation Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 85 credit hours with a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or better. All courses must be completed with a grade of ‘C’ or better. Twenty-four (24) credits must be completed at Southwestern before the degree is awarded.

Student must complete the graduation application process one term prior to the term of completion (e.g., spring term graduates must apply during winter term).

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, the student will be able to:

• Act personally and professionally based on a set of shared core nursing values.
• Develop insight through reflection, self-analysis, and self-care.
• Engage in ongoing intentional learning.
• Demonstrate leadership in nursing and health care.
• Collaborate as part of a health care team.
• Practice within, utilize, and contribute to the broader health care system.
• Practice relationship-centered care.
• Communicate effectively.
• Make sound clinical judgments.
• Locate, evaluate and use the best available evidence in making practice decisions.

Program Guide

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Summer		Credits
CHEM110	Foundations of General, Organic, and Biochemistry 1	4
FN225	Nutrition	4
CIS120	Concepts of Computing	4
ANTH221	Intro to Cultural Anthropology 4	3
	Credits	15
Fall
BI231	Human Anatomy and Physiology I 2	4
BI234	Microbiology	4
MTH95	Intermediate Algebra 3	4
WR121Z	Composition I	4
	Credits	16
Winter
BI232	Human Anatomy and Physiology II	4
PHL102	Ethics	3
WR122Z	Composition II	4
	Credits	11
Spring
BI233	Human Anatomy and Physiology III	4
PSY237	Life Span Development	3
COMM218Z	Interpersonal Communication	4
	Credits	11
Second Year
Fall
NRS110	Foundations of Nursing Health Promotion	9
NRS230	Clinical Pharmacology I	3
	Credits	12
Winter
NRS111	Found of Nrsg in Chronic Illness I	6
NRS232	Pathophysiological Processes I	3
	Credits	9
Spring
NRS112	Foundations of Nursing in Acute I	6
NRS231	Clinical Pharmacology II	3
NRS233	Pathophysiological Processes II	3
	Credits	12
	Total Credits	86

¹

Students applying for the nursing program must complete either a 200-level general chemistry sequence or CHEM110.

²

Students must have completed BI231 prior to submitting an application. BI231, BI232, and BI233 must have been completed within the last seven years. 

³

MTH95, MTH105 or MTH105Z, or higher, excluding MTH211, MTH212, and MTH213.

⁴

ANTH222, ANTH223 may be substituted for ANTH221.