Program Details

Associate of Science in Nursing

School of Education, Health Sciences and Nursing
Department of Nursing
Health Sciences Building 216
912-279-5870

Program Coordinator:
Dawana Gibbs 279-5907
dgibbs@ccga.edu

The Associate of Science in Nursing curriculum is a 70 credit hour program which prepares individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide nursing care to clients and groups of clients throughout the life span in a variety of settings. The purpose of the Associate of Science Nursing Program is to prepare graduates who can successfully enter the practice of professional nursing. Graduates of the ASN Program are prepared to take the national examination (NCLEX-RN) leading to licensure as a Registered Nurse. The program conforms to standards set by the Georgia Board of Nursing and Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) located at 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, Georgia 30326. ACEN can also be reached by phone at (404)975-5000, or on line at www.acenursing.org.

Students who are interested in the ASN Program must meet the college admissions requirements listed in the Admissions section of this catalog. This is a limited enrollment program and has a selective program admission process. Interested students may contact the School of Nursing and Health Sciences (912) 279-5860 for further information.

CCGA does not discriminate on the basis of disability. Students who would like to receive accommodations on the basis of disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Rehabilitation Act of 1973, must self-identify, must provide documentation of the disability, and must request accommodations through the Disability Service Director on campus.

GEORGIA BOARD OF NURSING INFORMATION

The Georgia Board of Nursing requires criminal background checks for licensure and has the authority to refuse to grant a license to an applicant upon a finding by the board that the applicant has been convicted of any felony, crime involving moral turpitude, or crime violating a federal or state law relating to controlled substances or dangerous drugs in the courts of this state, any other state, territory, or country, or in the courts of the United States, including, but not limited to, a plea of nolo contendere entered to the charge; or any licensing board or agency in Georgia or any other state denied the applicant’s license application, renewal or reinstatement; or revoked, suspended, restricted, or prohibited the applicant’s license; or requested or accepted surrender of the applicant’s license, or reprimanded, fined or disciplined the applicant. Further questions regarding policies may be viewed on the State pf Georgis web site or call (478) 207-1640. All new graduate nurses are subject to, and required to submit a background check (required by 43-26-7-(4)). Please refer to Georgia Board of Nursing website www.sos.ga.gov/plb/rn for additional information.

The Georgia Board of Nursing requires a social security number to apply for licensure as a registered nurse in the State of Georgia.

General Information

  1. Students who are admitted to the program must meet with a nursing advisor each semester to review their plan of study and/or changes to their schedule. 
  2. The ASN Program sequence begins every fall semester.
  3. Classes, laboratory, and clinical practice experiences in the ASN Program require a commitment of approximately 25-35 hours per week; therefore, it may be difficult for a student to work.
  4. Health insurance is required. If requested by the clinical agency, students must submit proof of personal health insurance prior to attendance in clinical education. Students must present proof of insurance prior to program orientation. The USG has a health insurance program which is available for students to purchase.

Program Admission Information and Requirements

Applicants must meet specific requirements to be considered for admission to the ASN program. Applications must be received in the School of Nursing Office by the deadline date posted on the college website. Applications will be evaluated based on qualifications and space availability. Meeting minimal admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the ASN program. Letters of program status (acceptance or denial) will be mailed to all candidates. Admission status will not be provided via phone.

Applicants must:

  1. Complete the ASN application, on the college School of Nursing website.  http://www.ccga.edu/Academics/SchoolNursing/. Submit official transcript(s) for all college work attempted. Include all required materials and submit to the School of Nursing and Health Sciences. All required admission materials must be submitted as a packet.
  2. Successfully complete Biology 2110 (and 2110 Lab), English 1101 and Psychology 1101 to be considered as a program applicant.
  3. Have completed BIOL 2110, BIOL 2111, and BIOL 2215 (and corresponding labs) within the previous 5 years. If courses are older than 5 years they may be subject to review by the School of Nursing and Health Sciences Dean and the student may be required to retake.
  4. Have a minimum grade of C in all required core courses.
  5. Have a minimum of a 2.5 overall grade point average (GPA). Occasionaly, exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis dependent of review of overall GPA and HESI scores.
  6. Take the required HESI A2 and submit the results with application (NO pending HESI A2 accepted). A score of 75% or higher must be achieved on the HESI A2 Assessment Exam, on no more than 2 attempts (minimum of 30 days between tests) in each of the five (5) sections: Math, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and General Knowledge, Anatomy and Physiology, and Biology. Achieving 75% on the HESI A2 does NOT guarantee admission. HESI A2 scores are valid for up to 3 years following testing. Please note:
    1. If an applicant wishes to re-take the HESI A2 to achieve a higher score, it is recommended to ONLY re-take the section(s) in which admission criteria was not achieved.  
    2. The section(s) repeated will be the final results submitted to the admission committee. The committee looks at the second score ONLY for these section(s) and will not accept the previously submitted score. I.E. if a score of 75% is needed in Math and the applicant first scores a 70%, they may repeat the Math section of the exam; however, if the second attempt results in a 68%, this is the score used for admission.
  7. If an applicant has ever received a D or F in a nursing course in any nursing program, they will be evaluated on an individual basis by the Admission and Progression Committee. If a student has received a D or F in two or more nursing courses they are not eligible for admission to the ASN program.
  8. Meet/perform the Core Performance Standards for nursing as listed below:
    1. Critical thinking -- Critical-thinking ability sufficient for rapid clinical judgment and decision making.
    2. Interpersonal -- Interpersonal abilities sufficient for interaction with individuals, families and groups, from various social, emotional, cultural and intellectual backgrounds.
    3. Communication in English -- Communications abilities sufficient for verbal and written interaction with others.
    4. Mobility -- Physical abilities sufficient for movement from room to room and in small spaces.
    5. Motor Skills -- Gross and fine motor abilities sufficient for providing safe, effective nursing care.Hearing -- Auditory ability sufficient for monitoring and assessing health needs.
    6. Visual -- Visual ability sufficient for observation and assessment necessary in nursing care.
    7. Tactile -- Tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment.

Once accepted in the Associate of Science Nursing program, students are required to:

  1. Participate in a nursing orientation session.
  2. Submit proof (form provided upon acceptance) of the following:
    1. Yearly TB skin (PPD) test or TB screening (the first TB skin test must be a 2-step and the student must keep this current throughout the program);
    2. Current physical health examination by a healthcare provider;
    3. Additional immunizations required by the program or clinical agencies;
    4. American Heart Association Healthcare Provider Basic Life Support (CPR) Certification (the student must keep this certification current throughout the program);
    5. Professional liability insurance (included in tuition and fees). The student must keep this current throughout the program.
    6. Students must provide proof of personal health insurance throughout the program.
  3. Adhere to the student guidelines specific to the ASN Program as outlined in the Nursing Student Handbook.
  4. Travel at own expense to clinical practice sites. Note: Some clinical experiences may be distances up to 100 miles.
  5. Clinical practice experiences may be scheduled during days, evenings, nights and or weekends.
  6. Undergo criminal background checks and/or drug testing as required by individual agencies. The cost will be the responsibility of the student. Background checks and/or drug testing results could result in denial to the clinical site and inability to pass a course or the program.
  7. Purchase required School of Nursing uniforms and supplies.

Continuation and Progression in the ASN Program

  1. Continuation in the ASN Program requires a minimum grade of C in all required nursing and core courses.  A student earning a grade of less than C or WF in a nursing or core course must repeat the course.
  2. A 2.0 overall Grade Point Average (GPA) must be maintained in all courses required in the nursing curriculum.
  3. All non-nursing academic courses must be completed before the student enters NURS 2112, the last nursing course.
  4. All nursing courses include a medication calculation requirement.
  5. Letter grades for nursing courses are computed as follows: A = 90-100 B = 80-89 C=75-79 D = 66-74 F = 65 and below
  6. Only one nursing course may be repeated.
  7. All nursing courses must be completed within four years of the date of entry into the first nursing course.
  8. All nursing students will be required to participate in comprehensive testing while enrolled in the nursing program. Additional fees per semester will be applicable.
  9. Laboratory fees are charged.
  10. Leave of Absence: Under catastrophic circumstances, a student may request a Leave of Absence from the School of Nursing. See Nursing Student Handbook for specific guidelines.

Standardized Testing

All pre-licensure nursing students will be required to take standardized examinations as part of the course work. Students may be required to complete faculty supervised and independent remediation based on their standardized examination score.

Readmission to the ASN Program

  1. A student seeking to return to the ASN Program after any period of non-attendance must apply to the college and nursing program for readmission.
  2. College readmission applications are available from the Admissions Office.
  3. Program readmission applications are available on the School of Nursing website as well as in the School of Nursing and Health Sciences office.  Re-admission applications must be submitted by the deadline date provided on the readmission form.
  4. The readmission applicant will be required to meet the current admissions and curriculum requirements in effect at the time of re-admission.
  5. A student may be re-admitted only once.
  6. Readmission is not guaranteed and is contingent upon the professional judgement of the Nursing Faculty, completion of all core academic courses, an overall GPA of 2.0 with a GPA of 2.5 in required core academic courses, and space available.
  7. All nursing courses must be completed within four years of the date of entry into the first nursing course.
  8. Students who have been dismissed from the program are ineligible for readmission (see Nursing Student Handbook).

The College requires that at least one general education course is completed in the following areas: humanities/fine arts, social/behavioral sciences, and natural science/mathematics. These courses do not specifically focus on a particular occupation or profession. Additionally, each program may offer additional general education courses that support the career major.

Program Curriculum

Total Credits Required for Graduation 70


Direct link to this page.