Associate Degree Nursing, A.A.S.

Offered on the Ottumwa Main Campus

This is a 21-month (seven-term), full-time program. This program begins annually and may be entered in the Fall term on both the Ottumwa and Centerville Campuses .

Educational and clinical experiences at area hospitals and health care agencies are provided in a Monday through Thursday day format. There may also be Friday and Saturday clinicals as needed.  Graduates receive an Associate of Applied Science degree and are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses.

To be considered for admission to the Associate Degree Nursing program, prospective students must: 1) complete an application; 2) submit a high school transcript or High School Equivalency Diploma scores and college transcripts; and 3) take one of the following tests: ACT, SAT or ACCUPLACER. 4) take the TEAS examination and; 5) submit and active Iowa Direct Care Registry card.  If you are applying for the Advanced Standing Program and there has been a gap in time since graduating from the PN year, you must also submit an active LPN license.  Pre-requisites to the Advanced Standing Program are: Human Anatomy, Human Anatomy Lab, Human Physiology, Human Physiology Lab, Composition I, Introduction to Psychology, and Computer Essentials. 

Criminal background, drug screening, and dependent adult and child abuse record checks are required prior to beginning any clinical courses.  We use Castle Branch for our background check, drug screen, and clinical requirement tracking company. The cost for that account is $156, payable prior to the start of the program.

This program is approved by the Iowa Board of Nursing, Riverpoint Business Park, 400 SW Eighth St. Suite B, Des Moines, IA 50309-4685, (515) 281-3255. The Associate Degree Nursing program also has been validated for participation in the Iowa Articulation Plan by the Iowa Board of Nursing. 

NOTE: Students completing any course with a prefix of ADN, BIO and PNN must receive a “C” or higher to progress to the next term of classes. If needed, students may retake these courses once to receive a satisfactory grade and remain eligible for the program.   Science courses older than five years will need to be repeated.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate knowledge, comprehension, and application of social and scientific principles in the analysis and synthesis of data as a health care provider in a variety of health care settings.
2. Utilize the nursing process in the provision of nursing care to meet the complex health care needs of culturally diverse clients in order to promote, restore, maintain or support self-care status across the lifespan.
3. Collaborate with health care providers to manage client care using appropriate institutional and community resources.
4. Communicate therapeutically with clients, families and health care team members.
5. Adhere to the ethical and legal principles in relation to standards of practice.
6. Implement strategies for organization, prioritization, delegation, and assignment of nursing care in the management of multiple clients.
7. Demonstrate accountability for professional behavior, development and growth.

Program Total: 83 Credits