Nursing Admissions Packet for

Associate Degree in Nursing Program

Competitive Admission Process

Admission Period: July 1 through September 15

Application Deadline: September 15

Associate Degree in Nursing Application

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE EACH ACADEMIC YEAR

The Associate Degree Nursing curriculum provides knowledge, skills, and strategies to integrate safety and quality into nursing care, to practice in a dynamic environment, and to meet individual needs that impact health, quality of life, and achievement of potential. Course work includes and builds upon the domains of healthcare, nursing practice, and the holistic individual. Content emphasizes the nurse as a member of the interdisciplinary team providing safe, individualized care while employing evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and informatics.

Graduates of this program are eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). Employment opportunities are vast within the global health care system and may include positions within acute, chronic, extended, industrial, and community health care facilities. Upon completion of this degree, a Bachelor’s degree can be earned through partnership agreements with select colleges/universities. See Transfer options for Associate in Applied Science degrees (p.166) for more information. Please see special admissions requirements.

APPLICATION PROCESS

It is the nursing applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all requirements are met by the established deadline. Nursing deadlines, guidelines, and policies apply equally to all students; thus, there can be no exceptions.

Each applicant is responsible for:

*Completing admissions requirements

*Confirming receipt of letters and documents in the admissions office

*Keeping MCC informed in writing or email of any personal information changes

*Keeping copies of all documentation submitted to MCC (i.e. CPR, physical exam, etc.)

Students must:

1. Be 18 years of age by January 1 of the year student enters program.
2. Have and maintain an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher in all post-secondary coursework completed. All courses in the nursing program semester by semester plan must be completed with a “C” or better.
3. Complete the online MCC General Admissions Application. Current students DO NOT need to complete a new application.
4. Complete online application specifically for MCC during the stated admissions period.
5. Complete the appropriate Placement Test, if required by the Admissions Office, and meet minimum cut-off scores on Placement Test.
6. Request official high school transcript or official transcript of state approved high school equivalency to be mailed to the Admissions Office. Official transcripts should be mailed from the institution(s) attended or be hand delivered in an envelope sealed by the school(s) attended.
7. Request official transcripts from all colleges or schools attended since high school mailed to the Admissions Office. These will be reviewed for possible transfer credit by the Registrar.
8. Complete the Kaplan Entrance Exam at Mayland Community College and receive benchmark score in reading of 55 % and an overall benchmark score of 48%.  Scores from other testing facilities are not accepted.  (More information will be listed in a later section.)
9. Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete all non-nursing required courses in the curriculum prior to entering the nursing program.

MINIMUM ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

1. PLACEMENT TEST SCORES

To be considered for admission to a nursing program at Mayland Community College, all applicants must meet the minimum requirements for English placement.

2. CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT or CERTIFIED MEDICAL ASSISTANT

Students who wish to apply to the Associate Degree Nursing Program must have completed or be enrolled in a certified nursing assistant course with a state approved curriculum such as the high school Allied Health Sciences Program or a community college course. A student may also meet this requirement by being a Certified Medical Assistant.

Certification must be obtained and the student must be listed on the NC Nurse Aide Registry prior to the beginning of the Spring Semester to remain qualified to enter the Practical Nursing Program.

3. KAPLAN ENTRANCE EXAM

All students who wish to be considered for the nursing program at Mayland Community College must complete the Kaplan Admission Exam at Mayland Community College and meet the designated benchmark score. Students will schedule an appointment to take the exam during or following the application period.  Scores from other testing facilities are not accepted.  There is no fee for the Kaplan Admission Exam. There is one testing session consisting of multiple test dates per semester (fall and spring); students are only permitted to take the exam once during each testing session. Scores are valid for 2 years from test date.

A minimum benchmark score of 55% on the reading section is required.

An overall benchmark score of 48% is required.

MAYLAND’S SELECTION PROCESS

Applicants will be ranked for admission into a nursing program using a point system. Applicants earn points and students with the highest number of points will be selected. The point system is an objective means for evaluating nursing applicants.

1. Points for the Kaplan

The Adjusted Individual Total percentage score is used for points. If a student has taken the Kaplan more than once in the past year, the highest score of the previous two tests will be used. Applicants must receive benchmark score in reading of 55% and an overall benchmark score of 48%.

2. GPA

Points will be given for the student’s Mayland Community College GPA at the end of the spring semester or from the most current institution in which the student attended full-time. If a student will graduate from high school during the current admission year, the unweighted GPA from last semester completed at the high school will be used.

3. Prior Healthcare Experience

Five points will be added for one of the following:

• Six months full-time OR one year part-time prior health care experience as a certified healthcare provider (CNA, CMA, Paramedic, EMT, PTA, etc.)
• High school Allied Health Sciences II with a grade of 77 or better within the past five years

An applicant’s current or past employer(s) must submit verification on company letterhead that the applicant worked in a health care field to include dates of employment and job title/description.  Students who completed Allied Health Sciences II in high school (within five years) should submit a copy of the high school transcript indicating a passing grade of 77 or better.  Points will not be given without proper verification by the application deadline.

4. BIO 168 and BIO 169

Students who complete BIO 168, Anatomy & Physiology I, and/or BIO 169, Anatomy & Physiology II within seven years of admission will receive points towards admission.  The points towards admission will be determined by the grade earned in each course.

Points Value per Requirement

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS AND PROCESS    

2. Student enrollment in the nursing program is limited.  Applicants with completed files, including acceptable test scores and transcripts of previous college work, will be considered for admission to the nursing program that begins spring semester.
3. Points for each applicant will be totaled. The totaled scores will be placed in rank order, from highest to lowest, and will determine the applicant’s position on the acceptance or alternate lists.
4. Formal acceptance is granted only after submission of current American Heart Association

infant/child/adult CPR certification, satisfactory medical, immunization, and dental forms.  These forms are provided to students when students are notified of acceptance and must be submitted before the deadline stated in the conditional acceptance packet. Any student who does not complete the required forms will be denied admission, and that student’s space will be given to the next alternate.

4. Qualified applicants will be placed on the alternate list based on their scores. Alternates are qualified to enter the program but are not accepted, and are accepted as spaces/resources become available. Alternates who are accepted must complete required medical forms provided upon acceptance. Alternates will be accepted, in order of their positions, if vacancies occur before the end of final fall registration.  No alternates will be accepted after the end of final registration for the fall semester.  The alternate list does not carry over to the next year; therefore, alternates who are not accepted must reapply to the nursing program.
5. Any applicant who has a mental or physical disability or uses any drug to a degree that interferes with his/her fitness to practice nursing may be denied entrance into the nursing program, dismissed from the nursing program, or denied licensure. Any questions or concerns regarding this statement should be directed to the Dean of Health Sciences.
6. The application for nurse licensure in North Carolina contains a question as to whether or not the applicant has ever been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony, excluding minor traffic violations. Most clinical sites require student criminal background checks and students will be required to complete the required criminal background check before spring semester begins. Information regarding the background check process and the required drug screening will be given during orientation.  Based on the results of the background check, the clinical agency may not allow a student with a criminal history to attend clinical.  Inability to complete clinical requirements will result in failure to progress and dismissal form the program.
7. Health Sciences students who participate in clinical rotations are required to meet all onboarding requirements of the assigned clinical agency including submission of a satisfactory criminal background check, drug screen, health form, and immunizations against communicable diseases. In order to ensure the safety of their patients and staff, many healthcare facilities are now mandating that employees, school faculty and students who are entering their institutions document proof of vaccination for COVID. While Mayland Community College does not currently require COVID vaccination, Nursing students may be required by the clinical sites to produce documentation of vaccination against COVID 19. Failure to do so may result in a student being declined a clinical spot by the clinical agency. It is the student’s responsibility to request any medical or religious exemptions from the clinical agency. Inability to complete clinical requirements will result in failure to progress and dismissal from the program.

PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE EXPECTATIONS OF A STUDENT NURSE

Nursing is a practice discipline with cognitive, sensory, affective, and psychomotor performance requirements. For purposes of nursing program compliance with the 1990 Americans with Disability Act, a qualified individual with a disability is one who, with or without reasonable accommodation or modification, meets the essential eligibility requirements for participation in the nursing programs.

If a student believes that he or she cannot meet nursing program requirements without accommodations or modifications, the nursing faculty will determine on an individual basis, whether or not the necessary accommodations or modifications can be reasonably made. Further information regarding the physical and cognitive expectations of a student nurse and CORE performance standards may be found in the student policy manual for nursing.

CORE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

ADVISING

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the competitive admissions process, please contact Jennifer Grindstaff, Health Sciences Advisor at 828-766-1255 or jgrindstaff@mayland.edu. 

FINANCIAL AID

Please visit our Financial Aid Department in Gwaltney Hall on the main campus or follow the link to the Financial Aid webpage: https://www.mayland.edu/financial-aid.

Kaplan Nursing School Entrance Exam

INFORMATION SHEET

All students applying for admission into a nursing program at Mayland Community College are required to take the Kaplan Nursing School Entrance Exam. The student’s Kaplan scores are current for two academic years.

• Kaplan’s Admission Test is a tool to determine if students have the academic skills necessary to perform effectively in a school of nursing. The Admission Test is a 91-question, multiple-choice test that evaluates the basic reading, math, writing and science skills of students seeking entry into a nursing program leading to RN licensure
• The Reading section (22 questions in 45 minutes) includes Reading passages for Comprehension, Extraction of Main Idea, Reading for Details, Vocabulary in Context, Inference.
• The Math section (28 questions in 45 minutes) tests Ratios and Proportions, Fractions and Decimals, the 4 Mathematical Functions, Word Problems. Focus is math skills required for Dosage and Calculation.
• The Writing section (21 questions in 45 minutes) includes Writing mechanics such as: Error Correction within the Context of the Sentence; Syntax; Word or Punctuation Misuse; and Logical development of passages.
• The Science section (20 Questions in 30 minutes) tests students' knowledge of Physiology systems. Kaplan said to focus on these systems: Cardiovascular system, electrolytes, gastrointestinal system, immune system, neurology, renal system, hematological system, homeostasis, respiratory system, sensory system. Study these sections in your A&P book. The science portion of the study guide is not geared toward this test.
• Admission to the nursing program is based on the highest passing scores on the exam. Minimum passing score of 55% in reading and overall score of 48% is required.

A study guide for Kaplan Admission Test the can be purchased at www.amazon.com. Any version is acceptable; however, the 7^th edition is the most current.

You may also find the website www.quizlet.com helpful; search “Kaplan Nursing Entrance Exam” for study materials

RULES FOR TEST ADMISSION

Students will not be admitted into the testing facility unless they comply with the following instructions.

1. Schedule testing date/time on the application to the nursing program or with the Jennifer Grindstaff, Health Sciences Advisor, prior to the application deadline.
2. Arrive 15 minutes before the test to locate the room and for check-in procedures.
3. The length of the test is 165 minutes. The test will be proctored in a computer lab.  Please be prepared to stay the entire test.  It cannot be stopped.
4. Students may not have any of the following items during test administration:

• Food, drinks, or candy
• Textbooks or reference books of any kind
• Sunglasses, hats, or a hooded sweatshirt
• Music (including CD players, iPods, MP3 players, cell phones, etc.)
• Communication devices such as cell phones, pagers, PDA or palm pilots, etc.

5. A student with a disability may request testing accommodations. He/she must present documentation to the Counseling Center and a counselor will determine if the accommodations are reasonable.

An email detailing test dates/times/location will be sent to all applicants. Please choose your test session by the deadline listed in the email.  Test sessions will be offered morning, evening, and virtual. In the event that we cannot safely gather for testing, all sessions will be changed to virtual to allow students to test safely.

Nursing Admission Checklist

• Application- MCC General Application and Nursing Application must be on file.
• Submission of Transcripts-Request and confirm receipt of official high school transcript or official transcript of state approved high school equivalency by the MCC Admissions Office. Request and confirm receipt of official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended by the Admissions Office. Official transcripts should be mailed from the institution attended or be hand delivered in a sealed envelope.
• Placement Test- Complete the appropriate Placement Test, if required by the Admissions Office, and meet minimum cut-off scores on Placement Test.
• Nursing Application-Submit application to Associate Degree Nursing Program during the stated admissions period.
• Minimum GPA-Maintain an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher in all post-secondary coursework.
• Completion of ENG 002
• Nurse Aide or CMA – Completion of a certified nursing assisting course from a community college or a high school Allied Health Sciences Program and be currently listed on the NC Nurse Aide Registry.
• Entrance Test-Complete the Kaplan Entrance Exam at MCC and receive benchmark score in reading and an overall benchmark score. Scores from other testing facilities are not accepted.
• Admissions Review