The Associate Degree in Nursing Program is designed to provide students with the knowledge and proficiencies to provide safe and effective bedside nursing care within the scope of practice of nurses. Students are instructed in the provision of nursing care for clients throughout their lifespan. Clinical experiences are provided at area hospitals and healthcare agencies in adult health, maternal health, child health, orthopedics, geriatrics, psychiatric and other areas of nursing practice.

Students who have satisfactorily completed the program when meeting eligibility requirements by a licensure board may sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). Employment opportunities are vast and can occur in a variety of settings including hospitals, medical offices, urgent care centers, home healthcare, industry, schools, and long-term care facilities.

• Official score on ACT National or Residual with a minimum composite score of 18 OR a minimum score of 58 on the TEAS test is the minimum requirement for application to nursing. The ACT composite score has no time limit. The TEAS test score must be 3 years or less from the application deadline date. ACT Superscores are not accepted by the Nursing program.

• All pre-requisite courses must be completed prior to the established deadline. The completed pre-requisite courses must be on the applicant’s transcript(s). Applicants must provide the program with copies of all transcripts and must provide the Admissions Office with official transcripts. 
• All math (MTH) and science (BIO) pre-requisite courses must be taken within 5 years of application to the Nursing program.
• All pre-requisite courses, other minimum requirements for application, and additional information can be found on the Nursing Program web pages. All applicants must be unconditionally accepted by TSCC prior to applying to the Nursing program. Please be advised that there is a separate application and application process for the Nursing programs at TSCC.

Nursing Mission Statement

The mission of the nursing programs of the Alabama Community College System is to prepare graduates to practice safe, competent, patient-centered care in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing health care system. We seek to provide full and equal access to opportunities for educational success to meet the community’s needs.

Nursing Philosophy

We believe that nursing is a dynamic profession, blending science with the use of evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning and the art of caring and compassion to provide quality, patient-centered cared.

We believe learning is an interactive process in which faculty and students share the responsibility to meet program outcomes. We believe in using educational methods that are current and supportive of students in the teaching and learning environment, with the presentation of information from simple to complex.

Nursing is guided by standards of practice and standards of professional performance. Standards reflect the values and priorities of the nursing profession. Therefore, we have integrated competencies from the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) and National League for Nursing (NLN) into our philosophy as part of our core values.

Competencies

NLN competencies for nursing are central to the conceptual framework. The related QSEN competencies for graduate nurses define the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that the graduate nurse should possess to continuously improve the quality and safety of the healthcare systems within which they work.  

Human Flourishing: Advocate for patients and families in ways that promote their self-determination, integrity, and ongoing growth as human beings. (NLN, 2022). (AACN Person – Centered Care) 

• Patient-Centered Care: Recognize the patient or designee as the source of control and full partner in providing compassionate and coordinated care based on respect for the patient’s preferences, values, and needs. (AACN Person – Centered Care) 

Nursing Judgment: Make judgments in practice, supported by evidence, that integrate nursing science in the provision of safety, quality care and promote the health of patients within the family and community context. (NLN, 2022) 

• Safety: Minimize the risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance. (AACN Quality and Safety)  
• Informatics: Use information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate errors, and support decision-making. (AACN Informatics and Healthcare Technologies) 

Professional Identity: Implement one’s role as a nurse in ways that reflect integrity, responsibility, ethical practice, and an evolving professional identity committed to evidence-based practice, caring, advocacy, and safe, quality care for diverse patients within a family and community context. (NLN, 2022) 

Teamwork and Collaboration: Function effectively within nursing and interprofessional teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making to achieve quality patient care. (AACN Interpersonal Partnerships) 

Spirit of Inquiry: Examine the evidence underlying clinical nursing practice to challenge the status quo, question assumptions, and offer new insights to improve the quality of care for patients, families, and communities. (NLN, 2022) 

Evidence-Based Practice: Integrate the best current evidence with clinical expertise and patient and family preferences and values to deliver optimal health care. (ACCN- Evidenced Based Practices) 

 Quality Improvement: Use data to monitor outcomes of care processes and apply improvement methods to design and test changes that continuously improve the quality and safety of health care systems. (ACCN – Evidenced Based Practices) 

Upon successful completion of the Associate Degree Nursing program, the graduate will be able to:

1. Manage quality, safe, evidence-based, skilled, and patient-centered care utilizing the nursing process.
2. Practice professional nursing behaviors incorporating personal responsibility and accountability for continued competence.
3. Communicate professionally and effectively with individuals, significant support person(s), and members of the interdisciplinary healthcare team.
4. Develop and integrate individualized teaching plans and incorporate teaching and learning principles.
5. Participate in collaborative relationships with patients, families, and members of the interdisciplinary team to provide and improve patient care.
6. Incorporate professional, ethical, and legal principles into entry-level nursing performance.
7. Demonstrate leadership in a variety of healthcare settings for diverse patient populations.
8. Think critically, both conceptually and by using mathematical analysis, write and speak effectively, use basic computer applications, and understand human behavior in the context of the greater society.

• NCLEX Pass Rate: 2025 = 60%
• Completion Rate: 2025 = 100%
• Job Placement Rate: 2025 = 94%

Sample Degree Pathway